Lantern killing AI

[Springheel]

I'm trying to attach a lantern to an AI (atdm:prop_lantern_on), but every time I do, the AI dies immediately on map start and the lantern goes flying. I know I've seen AI with this lantern in maps already...is there some trick to it?

[Fidcal]

I've been thinking about this. I didn't reply because in Heart I used 'bind' - I don't think this attachable lantern was available then or if it was I didn't know. But I have a faint memory even with bind I did have one sudden death while I was adjusting the position. I think I just moved the lantern a little further and never had the trouble again. Perhaps it was clipping.

 

Are there any materials that are defined to cause damage? I'm just wondering if any of those might be used on the lantern.

[7upMan]

I propose the following: what if you don't attach the lantern directly to the AI, but connect it with a short piece of rope or chain or whatever to the AI's hand. Meaning, the lantern is attached to the AI in a flexible way. This way, the lantern should act more realistically with any sort of hand/arm movement, and it also should look really cool with all the realtime lighting and shadowing and stuff.

 

Is this in any way feasible?

 

 

[Springheel]

But I have a faint memory even with bind I did have one sudden death

 

Turns out it wasn't the lantern...I just forgot to position the AI properly and he was falling to his death on map start.

 

Meaning, the lantern is attached to the AI in a flexible way. T

 

Attaching ragdoll props is possible but has a significant framerate hit.

[HappyCheeze]

Turns out it wasn't the lantern...I just forgot to position the AI properly and he was falling to his death on map start.

 

 

 

 

[7upMan]

 

Attaching ragdoll props is possible but has a significant framerate hit.

 

Hmmm... my only worry is this: I remember that when I played a Thief 2 FM named Rocksbourg, I saw a gard with a lantern glued to his hand. While this demonstrated the lighting capabilities of the T2 engine, it still looked a bit silly. Is there a way to always make the lantern hang downward to avoid this? Without the significant framerate hit, I mean. 

[Fidcal]

Dunno about def_attach but with bind I used:

 

"bind" "parapet_archer1"

"bindOrientated" "1"

"bindToJoint" "LeftHand"

"model" "models/darkmod/lights/non-extinguishable/lantern_oil_hand02.lwo"

"noshadows" "1"

 

The bindOrientated kept it horizontal. Maybe def_attach needs a new spawnarg to do this?

[Springheel]

That would definitely be very handy. I've created two new animations, a walk and idle, where the AI holds his arm down appropriately for a lantern, and I wanted to make some idles where they hold the lantern up high, but couldn't figure out how to orient the lantern.

[Baddcog]

That would definitely be very handy. I've created two new animations, a walk and idle, where the AI holds his arm down appropriately for a lantern, and I wanted to make some idles where they hold the lantern up high, but couldn't figure out how to orient the lantern.

 

 

This probably isn't what you want to hear

 

You could probably add a new bone to the rig at the end of the hand and just rotate it during the anims to keep the lantern hanging.

 

I do believe you should be able to add a bone to a rig and not mess anything up. Especially at the end of the chain like the wrist/hand.

 

I know I've done it in Max for other games, I'm sure it's no different here. You should even be able to add it to the root bone as long as it doesn't break an existing chain.

 

Would also be handy for attching things like buckets (we need one with upward handle), the tool box, a sack...

[Springheel]

I do believe you should be able to add a bone to a rig and not mess anything up

 

Even if it were possible, adding a new bone would at the very least require re-exporting every mesh and animation we have (and for some animations as we don't have the original maya files).