Moving wings...can this be done in BC, and if so done with scripts?

[Raven Night]

Im just curious. I am working on the Warhammer, and it is designed to have moving wings like the Brel. What I was wondering is can this be done in game, triggered by some event (like coming out of warp or going into warp) and is it done in scripting?

Thanks for the info.

[ACES_HIGH]

yeah, if you've played with the intrepid that comes with KM1, that uses a script called submodels, which essentially uses separate models to "animate" the movement I believe it was designed by the folks at BCS.

[lint]

Defiant did, If my memory serves me correctly.

[MLeo]

I and Defiant (mostly Defiant though) created it for FoundationTechnologies, partly based on the same "tech" found in ATP3.

There is also a B'Rel with the same tech, except for Red Alert instead of Warp for the trigger.
And there is the initial test bed created by Adonis, another B'Rel type ship. Vash- something I believe.

You need 3 models + 1 model for each unique moving part. Unfortunately, we can't flip models (yet).
The 3 initial models are model in initial stage (before movement), model without moving parts, model in final stage (after movement).

[Raven Night]

Ok MLeo, this is what I have now...three distinct unattached meshes. Each wing and the main body. The pivot points have been altered on the wings so when rotated in the program they rotate at the proper point.

Each wing has 2 male pins sticking out inside each wing, the main body having 4 female sockets. The tolerance is very close, but the meshes do not touch.

In order to have a model that will move properly, what changes would I have to make?

I will post pics to show each piece.

So, if I understand what you are saying this model would serve as the +1...then I would create one piece meshes where the wings are in the up and down position, and one solid mesh? Is that correct?

Wings up would only be used at warp or when landing. Otherwise the ship usually operates in wings down mode.

[ACES_HIGH]

not quite, you need one model for each of the wings and the main hull, these are the parts that will move, then you need models of the whole ship with the wings up and down.

[Raven Night]

ah, well, actually each wing is a separate model, independent of the other. So there are three distinct parts to the mesh...the port wing, starboard wing and the main hull.

For the models with the wings up and down, do they have to be one complete mesh, or can they simply be the three models (2 wings and the main hull) posed properly? I can set up a complete one piece mesh with the wings in the proper positions if required.

Thanks for everyones help.

[KrrKs]

As far as I remember it is enough to position the Parts properly.

[Adonis]

The testbed I did is the Vas Kholhr.

Raven, it should be like this with the models:

You need models with the wings in all final positions you want (B'rel/K'vort has 3 of those), the hull and the wings separately.

The script works in a manner that it switches between the "whole" models into the 3 separate ones, does the animation to the new positions, and then switches to the appropriate "whole" model.

[Raven Night]

Ok. Eventually I am hoping to get fancy, like adding the overload plates in front of the cannons to the moving parts if possible...would be nice if they move down out of the way when the ship goes to red alert. Would be a nice touch.

[Bren]

I may be wrong, but I think the only movements that can be done are rotations...
So opening covers or anything on already moving components may be a total headache to make work...

[SMBW]

I'm not sure where the problem is but if you need to have straight movements just use a very big radius and a small angle.

[Rob Archer]

I'm almost sure you can Do movements...

Covers opening is possible but boy oh boy would it be a nightmare especially with all the models, Honestly I'm not sure that the effect would be worth the effort...

An Alternative may exist though...

If you Create the Base model with No covers then Have each individual cover modeled separately, they can be loaded into the game as individual ships then attached to the ships hull at the correct location. I know its similar to what Sub Models does but this would give you control over each individual Object and you wouldn't need as many models. you could probably do the same with the Wings too, You'd Only then Need The Base model (No Wings Or Covers), The Left Wing, Right Wing and each cover.

[Bren]

I thought the reason that submodels uses integrated models for the idle positions is that submodels tend to lose positional synchronisation over time, or distance from the origin...?

Wouldn't the same problem plague that idea? (Since you are effectively doing the exact same thing...)

[Rob Archer]

Possibly, I'm just the idea guy, Never tested it out over a long period of time

[MLeo]

Put the plates "far" away, and then let them move only a little bit, it will look as if they have slided.

@Bren, there are several problems with having seperate submodels all the time, for one, they don't stretch when warping, another is that they don't count for shield size, then there is power and weapons on them, and if they get damaged, should the systems they represent also be damaged, and how much. There is a whole slew of issue's that are all removed through this system with just one new problem, visible damage. Which, as MVAM has proven, is only minor.

[Defiant]

Thats correct. I played with half a dozen different options for moving parts and the submodel thing is the best compromise of them all.

Rotation and Translation are supported, but requires a lot time to find the right values.

[FourChan]

Has anyone mentioned that this looks like a Klingon Scimitar?

[xxSWxxNinja]

Okay I know this topic is slightly old, however if any of the posters are about I was wondering if it would be feasable in using this method to impliment turret animations. Or is this simply not possible under any circumstances?

[MLeo]

The script isn't designed for that. Only moving/rotating from one position to another on certain triggers (incidental triggers, not frequent triggers).