12 replies to this topic

[luxaeternam]

Can anybody give me some indications as to how to make a ramp into a surface that can be walked up and down?
As far as I can see there's a navmesh option in the textures, but how does it work, and more importantly what other properties are compatible or incompatible?
Any tips would be more than welcome

[andy_price]

the way I got round this is to have 2 flat levels, with ramp or steps between, the texture of the 2 levels and the ramp/steps have to be the same, and in the case of steps, the vertical part of the step has to be the same texture as well. then in the modders workshop, select the texture and make it navigable. to get the angle of the ramp or the step sizes can be a bit fiddly to make a smooth work path

[Chris Ollis]

Can anybody give me some indications as to how to make a ramp into a surface that can be walked up and down?
As far as I can see there's a navmesh option in the textures, but how does it work, and more importantly what other properties are compatible or incompatible?
Any tips would be more than welcome

Ramps don't work for nav meshes, only steps. You need to keep to verticals and horizontals.
I'd give more details but I've no idea what the state of the code is in any more or what will be changing or when.

[rampa]

Hi Lux,

A few pointers. Its better to have steps than ramps because the character will actually walk a curve with the curvature sinking down through the surface and coming back up at the end. Might be able to compensate with enough way-points. Flat (level) surfaces seem to be preferred.

Also, certain walks will be better than others. We usually move much slower on stairs. I found that using the "slow walk" was pretty good. The stride for that walk seems to be a half meter, so make your steps match this and also keep the step-rise at something reasonable. I think I used 15 to 20 CM when I was doing it. The actor can then be sped up again by shortening the walk in the time-line if they go to slow.

When the steps match the gait, then you can better control foot placement on each step. You really want the footprints to be toward the front of the step. This way, your actor will take beautiful steps up the stairs. If the footprints get to close to the rise to the next step, your actor will pop straight up and ruin the illusion.

If you make spiral stairs, you need a narrow nav mesh up the middle or a lot of way-points. The actor will walk the inside of the curve otherwise.

Here is a short clip of spiral stairs you can look at. I don't have any "making of" clips right now, sorry.

http://www.moviestor...p;vid_id=105181

An actor can move between nav meshes if they are placed a hairs-width apart and exactly the same level.

Anti-nav mesh makes an actor walk around it.

[kv]

something that has not yet been mentioned is that it seems to be required that there be a paper thin lip at the base of your steps otherwise you end up with the problem that your puppets will not walk from the set grid onto them or vice versa. This is why I included a paper thin lip at the bottom of the stairs I released in my stairs and platforms pack.

[rampa]

something that has not yet been mentioned is that it seems to be required that there be a paper thin lip at the base of your steps otherwise you end up with the problem that your puppets will not walk from the set grid onto them or vice versa. This is why I included a paper thin lip at the bottom of the stairs I released in my stairs and platforms pack.

Excellent point KV! Very important! Its good to put z-float on the nav mesh texture for this reason. Paper thin is best at 2D (IE no depth, just a polygon).

[luxaeternam]

Thanks for all the replies so far.

Just a further question. In the properties tab are there boxes I should be checking, or not be checking (like 'can be walked on', 'is navigable' etc.)?

[primaveranz]

Thanks for all the replies so far.

Just a further question. In the properties tab are there boxes I should be checking, or not be checking (like 'can be walked on', 'is navigable' etc.)?

I think the former causes problems and is not needed anyway, but the second is definitely unneeded unless you want the navmesh to be movable along the time line.
Cheers.

[luxaeternam]

Still not working... Now that I've unchecked "can be walked on" i can't even place the guy on the thing.

I suppose I could use someone else's mod, but I really want to understand how the thing works so that I can use it on specific things in future.

Any chance of screenshots of the properties tab and the materials window so that I can see if I've ticked the right boxes?

[primaveranz]

I have a working ramp and the only things I have set are "Can be stacked on" (but that is for other reasons) and the surface material has "Navmesh" ticked.
The ramp is shallow enough so that someone can walk from the floor on and off but like Rampa points out you have to readjust the walk path as the actor sinks up to his ankles in places until you drag him back up.




There are no other tricks needed as far as I am aware. I haven't tried steps yet though.

HTH

Attached Files

•  ramp1__Large_.jpg   68.48KB   13 downloads
•  ramp2__Large_.jpg   74.88KB   14 downloads

[rampa]

I believe its important to have "navigable" checked, or has been in the past anyway. Don't check "can be walked on". Navigable means the actor can navigate it. It is separate from "movable". "Can be walked on" is for non-navmesh floor coverings like rugs that would otherwise not allow you to place/move an actor onto them.

[luxaeternam]

Thanks everyone for your precious help. I finally got the guy to climb. It's still a bit buggy, but at least I know that I'll be able to use it at some point, unless all the code changes by then!

[mloakley]

I have a working ramp and the only things I have set are "Can be stacked on" (but that is for other reasons) and the surface material has "Navmesh" ticked.
The ramp is shallow enough so that someone can walk from the floor on and off but like Rampa points out you have to readjust the walk path as the actor sinks up to his ankles in places until you drag him back up.




There are no other tricks needed as far as I am aware. I haven't tried steps yet though.

HTH

 

Hi Prim,

 

Just wondering ... Does the NavMesh need to be ticked in the Parts section as well as the Template? And does the navmesh only work on flat surfaces? Do you by chance know what the zfloat is for? I couldn't find any tutorials for Modders Workshop and what everything is inside the Shop itself. Looking to have  a puppet move onto my surfboard. 

 

Thanks, Prim.

 

I got it figured out, Prim. Yay! Thanks.