Blocks are the individual elements of haptic patterns. There are three different types of blocks:
The Vibration block produces a vibration that can range from a sharp buzz to a deep rumble.
The Pulse block represents a short, but strong impulse like in a mouse click or when pressing a mechanical button.
Actuators of type Voice coil are the most suitable to realize Pulses. On LRAs, the achievable amplitude is often limited to very low values, and on ERMs, Pulses can feel like vibrations.
The Pause block corresponds to no movement of the haptic actuator. Just like rests in music, they might seem inconspicuous, but can add great value!
Blocks can be selected with a single click on them. The currently selected block is marked with a line underneath it.
When hovering with the mouse over a block, the mouse cursor turns into a dragging symbol. In this situation, you can hold down the mouse button and pull the block to the right or left to place it at a different place in its track.
At the end of every track, there is a panel showing a “+”-Symbol. After clicking this panel, you can create a block of the desired type by clicking the respective panel. The block will be appended to the end of the track, but you can move it to any location within the track (see Moving blocks).
A block can be duplicated either by right-clicking it and selecting the corresponding option, or by selecting the block and using the “Edit” drop-down menu.