Rope Arrow Concept

[Springheel]

Does it really matter if the rope attaches exactly where the spindle is on the model?

[ascottk]

Does it really matter if the rope attaches exactly where the spindle is on the model?

 

I think "wtf?" is my opinion atm. The spindle is near the head while the rope is near the fletchings which doesn't make a lot of sense. Just as long as we're in the ball park we should be alright.

[Springheel]

Another possibility is just to make the spindle longer. Might mess up the firing animation, I suppose.

[ascottk]

Another possibility is just to make the spindle longer. Might mess up the firing animation, I suppose.

I don't think it wouldn't but it might make it harder to aim. When we were messing around trying to get rope arrows working on tds, there were two smeshes to choose from. One was a lot harder to aim due to its increased length.

[Dram]

I think "wtf?" is my opinion atm. The spindle is near the head while the rope is near the fletchings which doesn't make a lot of sense. Just as long as we're in the ball park we should be alright.

 

Actually the easiest way to do this is through skins - have to submeshes in the model - one which is the rope coil and spindle at front and one which is empty spindle at back. These are set to 2 different materials and the empty one is set to nodraw by default. When it hits the wall we change the skin to have the full spindle nodraw and the empty spindle textured. This prevents unnecessary md5 creation etc.

[ascottk]

Actually the easiest way to do this is through skins - have to submeshes in the model - one which is the rope coil and spindle at front and one which is empty spindle at back. These are set to 2 different materials and the empty one is set to nodraw by default. When it hits the wall we change the skin to have the full spindle nodraw and the empty spindle textured. This prevents unnecessary md5 creation etc.

 

Yeah, that'd be the easiest. Besides, who's going to see the animation if it's too far away?

[SneaksieDave]

What about having it so it looks like the rope is coiled around the shaft, loosely, like maybe 3 winds around it? That way, it looks like it originates from the front (because the 'pulled wire' design has always been a, "huh? why?" to me), it runs along the shaft for stability/strength, and then drapes down from the end. It would just look like a lumpy arrow shaft. See craptacular drawing. Get what I mean? That's not the actual rope, but perhaps just some polys added to the shaft.

 

Well, whatever, just a suggestion. The thing still stretches the limits of believability, and everyone's going to think, "what? not only would the rope not fit around that spindle, but it doesn't even originate there! The guys are teh dumbass!"

[ascottk]

What about having it so it looks like the rope is coiled around the shaft, loosely, like maybe 3 winds around it? That way, it looks like it originates from the front (because the 'pulled wire' design has always been a, "huh? why?" to me), it runs along the shaft for stability/strength, and then drapes down from the end. It would just look like a lumpy arrow shaft. See craptacular drawing. Get what I mean? That's not the actual rope, but perhaps just some polys added to the shaft.

 

Well, whatever, just a suggestion. The thing still stretches the limits of believability, and everyone's going to think, "what? not only would the rope not fit around that spindle, but it doesn't even originate there! The guys are teh dumbass!"

 

I thought about that one too. Then I'd have to worry about adding more polys to a poly-hungry design. Then I'd have to worry about getting those extra polys to look like they're connected to the rope. Argh.

[Springheel]

Well, currently the rope comes out of the fletching of the arrow, which is way further back than it needs to be. Can't it be moved up to about half-way? That might be close enough to accept visually and still gives you lots of room to grab the rope.

[Ishtvan]

What if we did a metal shaft with no visible rope spindle, just the drill head (and maybe some gas vents for the power-drill action), and an opening somewhere down the shaft somewhere for the rope to come out? (It could be just in front of the fletchings)

[New Horizon]

I think Dram's suggestion would be fine for the current implimentation. Nice and simple really.

[Domarius]

ascottk's explanation of having the coil move from the head to the tail is excellent

 

The rope really needs to be deployed from there, otherwise you won't be able to climb up walls that don't happen to have a wooden bit sticking out at the top that gives you one human thickness clearance from the rope to the wall. The rope shaft length should give you this clearance in the first place.

 

So if having the coil on the head looks best, then ascottk's idea bridges the transition well I think.

 

 

I agree Dram's implementation suggestion should be fine for now. If we're not animating different walk cycles for males and females in the effort to save time, then we're certainly not animating arrow parts... sheesh.