FLAMES programs do not contain any software that simulates the behavior of real-world systems. All such software resides in component plugin libraries (or “plugins” for short).
One place to get FLAMES plugins is the content items available in the FLAMES Store. FLAMES content items usually include plugins, example scenarios that use the components in the plugins, and documentation that describes the content. Content may also include example UnrealĀ® Engine games. FLAMES content allows you to evaluate and become productive using FLAMES quickly and easily without having to do any software development. (When you are ready, you can develop your own content using the FLAMES Developer and optionally using Unreal Engine.)
IMPORTANT: Before you install any FLAMES content, be sure you have first installed the FLAMES Launcher and the FLAMES Developer or the FLAMES Engine.
Follow the instructions below to download and install a content item using the FLAMES Launcher. These instructions use the Tutorial Content as an example because the Tutorial Content is referenced in many of the training videos. You can follow the same steps to install any other content item.
Whenever you install a content item, be sure to also install the other items on which the content depends. (Dependencies are listed in the item descriptions in the FLAMES Store.) For example, most Unreal content items depend on the Starter content.
- Start the FLAMES Launcher on your computer.
- Sign in with your FLAMES account.
- Click the Store menu in the top of the FLAMES Launcher window. This will open the FLAMES Store in a web browser and automatically sign you in to the Store using your FLAMES account.
- In the Store, select the Tutorial Content card to display the Tutorial Content page.
- On the Tutorial Content page, click Add to Cart.
- Click the Cart symbol in the right side of the FLAMES Store menu bar to display the Cart page.
- On the Cart page, click Proceed to Checkout. Because the Tutorial Content is FREE, checkout will be automatic, and no payment will be required.
- Go back to the FLAMES Launcher. Click the Library menu in the top of the window to open the Library section.
- In the Library section, select the Tutorial Content card to display the Tutorial Content page.
- On the Tutorial Content page, select the Version and Architecture you wish to install. The Version and Architecture must match the Version and Architecture of the FLAMES Developer or FLAMES Engine you have already installed.
- Click Download to download the Tutorial Content to your computer.
- After the download is complete, click Install to install the Tutorial Content on your computer.
- The first step in installing any content item is to select the Project where the content should be installed. If you have not yet created a Project, the Launcher will take you through the steps to create one. When prompted, be sure to specify a Username for your personal user in the scenario database.
- Select the Project where the content should be installed. Follow the instructions to complete the installation. Be sure to install all of the items included in the content.
- In the Projects section in the Launcher, select your Project. On the page for your Project, notice all of the icons in the Applications and Documentation section. You can click any of the icons to start the associated application or open the associated documentation.
The content is now ready to use on your computer. If you have not done so already, a good next step would be to begin watching the FLAMES training videos.
Note that FLAMES products, such as the FLAMES Developer, the FLAMES Engine, and FLAMES options, need to be downloaded and installed on your computer only once. Products do not need to be installed in Launcher Projects. FLAMES content items need to be downloaded only once, but they must be installed in each Project in which they are to be used.