creating memory positions

[olli_ 13]

So ive been learning vehicle creation in arma 3 and today i finally got my vehicle mesh in to the game as a placeable vehicle! (yay!)

so next step is to make memory positions for wheels, all the flappy bits and cockpit stuff, But im not very good with the Object Builder..

So, how do i create memory positions?

Is there a way to import them from 3ds max? im more comfortable using that to align the positions correctly. Ive got my model laid out in max with all the moving parts as seperate objects with pivot points aligned correctly for rotation etc.. i could also rig it to bones if that helps?

also, is there a way to automatically group my imported model in to mesh groups or whatever theyre called in arma. I exported a model with my wheels, flaps ailerons etc as seperate objects but the model viewer seemed to just smash it all together in to one big thing and i had to seperate it in to groups manually (was pretty tedious)

[warlord554 2065]

Im not quite sure what you mean by memory positions, you mean memory LOD?

[olli_ 13]

Yeah im talking about the little points in the memory LOD that (i think) are used to define locations on your model where you can attach stuff like bombs and particle effects in the scripts. They also seem to be used as bones for moving parts like flaps, ailerons, canopy, landing gear, etc etc.

[warlord554 2065]

Oh ok yes called memory points. What kind of vehicle? You can open the A2 samples and kind of get an idea of what you need. It would take to long to explain properly on here, but study the samples, and feel free to PM me with any questions

[olli_ 13]

yeah i know the kind of points that i need, i just dont know exactly how to actually make them..

the vehicle is an airplane.

as far as i can see the points seem to look like vertices, and for objects that rotate along a certain axis (like ailerons) they have 2 points and a suffix _axis, i THINK this translates to a bone in most modeling software?

also a bit of an off-topic question, what scale does the object builder use? I exported my plane in the correct scale using .fbx from 3ds max (im using metric cm units) but in object builder the model was tiny.. (heres a funny picture of it)

[da12thMonkey 1943]

O2 uses 1 grid unit = 1 meter. Check your 'Master Scale' setting in the import dialog and you should be able to find a setting that will import it directly as the correct size if you've been using cm grids in Max

As for memory points; yes they are just vertices. You can place them down in ObjectBuilder with the [Insert] key then select them in pairs, and give them a selection name to form an axis. The '_axis' suffix isn't mandatory, it just helps you identify them as an axis and separates the "joints" from the "bone" selection names in your skeleton when writing the model.cfg.

Using the pin [c] (and [shift+c] to activate it) in your resolution LODs will allow you to visualise where you're going to place the memory point vertex in your Memory LOD, as when the pin is active all verts placed with the [Insert] key are generated at the pin. Pressing [c] to place the pin will snap it to the geometric centre of your current selection of faces/vertices in the resolution LOD, or you can drag it around with the 'move pin' tool in the toolbar (it's in the same toolbar shelf as the selection tools).

I'm not sure how well you can export/import isolated vertexes from Max to O2 without some sort of polygon geometry attached to the verts since I've never tried it. However, if it doesn't work with just isolated verts, I'd assume you'd be able to place the memory points using small primitives in Max (like small spheres or cubes with an even distribution of verts), export them, then collapse these primitives to a single vertex point by selecting each one and merging the verts to their centre with [shift+d]

[PuFu 4600]

For memory points transfer from 3ds max to Object Builder: use simple primitives as monkey suggested and align them based on their pivot (center), or just create a simple triangle, with one of the vertices in the place you need it to be (easier to some degree because you can snap it). Once in OB, just remove the ones you don't need.

Neither .3ds, .obj or .fbx file formats preserve (or import) meshes that contain a single vert, or transforms helpers into points (3ds max helper objects).

For scale, in 3ds max: make sure display and system units are set to metric (be it mm, cm, m etc). It is easier to keep both the same for easier work (in fact i always do - be it cm or meters (rarely mm), depending on the scale of project i am working on). The exporter/importer uses the system units, not the display units (by default system units are set in inch)

[olli_ 13]

thanks guys! this is a great help. Ive set the system and display units to centimeters, and in the FBX importer i just have to set the import scale to 0.01 and it comes out in the correct scale!

Im trying to create memory points now, but im having a problem exporting a new FBX in to a model with existing LODs. It seems to be clearing all the existing vertices/mesh/LODs when i import and thats quite troubling.. I made a new thread about it in this forum since its offtopic in this one