Newbie DarkRadiant Questions

[grayman]

Two queries:

 

1. Is there a way to have there be a delay between the moment when an light entity is targeted for switching off (i.e. a valve is turned) and when it actually goes off?

 

Put a target_relay between the valve and the light, and set the "delay" spawnarg to the delay time (seconds).

[demagogue]

The first is also super easy with a script. Switch calls the script, first line of script waits however long, second line activates the light(s) by name. But a target_relay is good too.

[Dunedain19]

Thanks, everyone. I will try experimenting with the Stim/Response system.

 

On a related note: For some reason the patrolling AI do not recognise that the gas lights have been extinguished. I have ensured that all appropriate spawnargs are present, reduced light height and tried every possible switch. Regardless of the changes, the AI still doesn't even comment about the light's status.

 

Any ideas?

[grayman]

I'd have to see the map.

 

Too many variables.

[Sotha]

Thanks, everyone. I will try experimenting with the Stim/Response system.

 

On a related note: For some reason the patrolling AI do not recognise that the gas lights have been extinguished. I have ensured that all appropriate spawnargs are present, reduced light height and tried every possible switch. Regardless of the changes, the AI still doesn't even comment about the light's status.

 

Any ideas?

 

If you are using a separate model and light entity, the common problem is that the AI vision trace to the light is blocked by the model.

 

To circumvent this, you need to bind the light entity to the model.

[Obsttorte]

There is a spawnarg that handles the chance ai notice the light has gone off. If it is not 100%, it is possible ai ignore extinguished lights.

[Sotha]

Has anyone had difficulties with the conversation editor?

 

I've previously known how to make conversations, but with the new DR apparently not. Either I'm doing something wrong or there is a strange bug in DR 2.0.2 or TDM itself.

 

I have

*lever that targets a target_startconversation, which contains "conversation" "killem"

*atdm:conversation_info which contains the conversation I made. "conv_0_name" "killem"

 

When I flip the lever, TDM says that the conversation "killem" does not exist, even though it does and I've triple checked. Can someone please tell me what I've done wrong. Thanks!

 

The map is attached.

convo_bug.map.txt

[Sotha]

It is a DR bug.

 

Somehow DR created the conversation with #0.

When I find/replaced from the .map files all instances of conv_0 -> conv_1 the conversation was indexed as #1 in the conversation editor.

 

Now the conversation works as should.

[Sotha]

How do I disable AI LOD functions?

 

I have custom animations, which work when I am near the AI, but when I go away, the AI snaps to the anim my custom one is replacing.

 

EDIT: found it. spawnarg "no_lod" "1"

[Springheel]

I have custom animations, which work when I am near the AI, but when I go away, the AI snaps to the anim my custom one is replacing.

Huh? That shouldn't happen...LOD isn't supposed to affect animations. How are you replacing the animation with your custom one?

[Shadowhide]

I have an object that reacts to the water stim,but it reacts only when water hits near its origin.Can I make it react if water touches any side of its physical model ?

Edited March 17, 2015 by Shadowhide

[SteveL]

Huh? That shouldn't happen...LOD isn't supposed to affect animations. How are you replacing the animation with your custom one?

 

 

It's been a few months now, but if I remember right, LOD looks for a same-named anim on the new model def and starts it at the point where the old one left off. I guess this could happen if you replace an anim by providing one with the same name. instead of using anim replacement But no that shouldn't matter should it? The new anim would then replace that same-named anim on all models wouldn't it?

[VanishedOne]

I have an object that reacts to the water stim,but it reacts only when water hits near its origin.Can I make it react if water touches any side of its physical model ?

I asked a similar question recently, and the basic answer appears to be no. If the stim is meant to come from a specific source you might be able to use scripting instead, but for the water stim in general I don't know of a way.

[Moonbo]

I would create a brush textured in caulk and surround your object, then convert the brush into a fs and set up the stim-response on that instead.

[Sotha]

Spring, SteveL:

It is the sitting mwchanic replacement. I have a custom looping anim I want the AI to enter and exit smoothly.

 

The only way to accomplish it presently is to replace the sitting anims. If LOD is enabled and I am close to the AI, my anim is visible. If I go away, the AI switches to the sitting anim. This is, I suppose, because anims are mesh based and I didn't replace the LOD mesh anims.

 

At any rate, if I disable the LOD on the custom AI, it works okay.

[Obsttorte]

I would create a brush textured in caulk and surround your object, then convert the brush into a fs and set up the stim-response on that instead.

Instead of caulk you may use something nonsolid instead, like nodraw. However, the easiest way may be to increase the stim range.

[Shadowhide]

I would create a brush textured in caulk and surround your object, then convert the brush into a fs and set up the stim-response on that instead.

that what i did,no luck

[Springheel]

Spring, SteveL:

 

The only way to accomplish it presently is to replace the sitting anims. If LOD is enabled and I am close to the AI, my anim is visible. If I go away, the AI switches to the sitting anim. This is, I suppose, because anims are mesh based and I didn't replace the LOD mesh.

LOD does not impact animations at all. It only changes the base mesh. Where did you replace the animations? I assume you didn't replace the originals. My hunch is that you added a spawnarg somewhere that is only affecting the default Modeldef, though I can't think of an obvious way to do that.

[Sotha]

I replace anim like this:

1) make a custom model-def that inherits the model-def of the AI want.

2) add the custom anims to the custom model. In this case redefine sit_down and associated anims.

3) make a custom entitydef for the AI I want. Inherit the core mod entity, but replace the model to custom model-def mentioned in 1).

 

I am not aware of a more convenient way to do it. The benefit is, that if the TDM core entity gets updated, my custom AI will be updated along with it as everything is inherited from the mod core.

[Dunedain19]

I have been having an issue with the spawnarg "sitting_turn_pivot." For some reason the 'Z' value is having no effect on my AI. The goal is for him to sit down, rotate into position - and in performing the latter - he is to be elevated a few DU in to the air so that his hand no longer keeps clipping into the desk when he performs the writing animation.

 

I tried reducing the height of the desk, but this didn't improve things because the AI is actually sitting too low by default. And in continuing to reduce desk height, I'm only going to be losing more elements pertaining to it, which I'd like to avoid.

 

I recall that this was working fine in 2.02 (if memory serves?), so I am confused as to why changing the 'Z' value to either a negative or a positive is having now no effect under 2.03.

 

Speaking of the writing animation, what does I need to do in order to spawn a quill into his hand (similarly to how the flint is spawned and then removed when the AI goes to relight an extinguished flame)?

[SteveL]

I replace anim like this:

1) make a custom model-def that inherits the model-def of the AI want.

2) add the custom anims to the custom model. In this case redefine sit_down and associated anims.

3) make a custom entitydef for the AI I want. Inherit the core mod entity, but replace the model to custom model-def mentioned in 1).

 

I am not aware of a more convenient way to do it. The benefit is, that if the TDM core entity gets updated, my custom AI will be updated along with it as everything is inherited from the mod core.

 

I think I understand now. The LOD code swaps the modelDef, so anything you define in your custom modelDef is being lost on the LOD switch. Are there alternative ways to replace anims, such as spawnargs? Attachments can do it I think. Or you could add more modelDefs. Or just disable LOD for that one AI, as you have done.

[Moonbo]

Hey Dunedain,

 

If you put a brush of monster clip under the chair the ai will adjust their sitting height by the amt of the brush.

[Dunedain19]

Thanks for the suggestion, Moonbo. Unfortunately, that only seems to be pushing the AI forward (i.e. closer to the desk), but is not raising the AI up. I will keep experimenting.

[Sotha]

 

Are there alternative ways to replace anims, such as spawnargs? Attachments can do it I think.

If someone knows a handy way, I'd appreciate hearing about it. But the custom model-def must always be made if I want to add new animations into the game. I need to define the anim itself and the keyframe stuff somewhere, right?

[Obsttorte]

Yes.