Custom plants not providing Cover

[HighWire 0]

Hello all,

I'm using some plants from SEB's Ilo Ilo island on one of my own projects. However, I have noticed that the AI doesn't treat it as cover. Units will shoot at eachother through these plants thus it makes no valuable hiding spot while they are visually.

Is there something I can do about this? I noticed that the LOD model is a very poor on providing cover, so I was wondering if it's linked to that?

[ProfTournesol 956]

Well, i've just checked that bush from the seb_ilo pbo folder. From what i know, the view geometry lod is the one the provides "view cover". This model does have a view geometry, but the shape is quite strange (like an inverted pyramid), and it's non convex. BIS doesn't make such shapes for its own models, but simple ones, more like "convex distorted cubes".

[HighWire 0]

Ahh, so the problem is with the model... I figured it was part of a config.cpp-related problem.

...

...can it be fixed? It's pretty much the last thing that stands between production and release. 

[ProfTournesol 956]

Quote[/b] ]Ahh, so the problem is with the model... I figured it was part of a config.cpp-related problem

Why did you think this ? I haven't looked through the config...but i don't think it's a config problem (i don't see any parameter that could modify the "view" troubles in the config of objects).

If i'm right - about what i'm not sure -, you have to get the authorization first, then modify the view geo lod, and re-tag (rename) the objects through a new config, then binarize them (seb_ilo objects aren't binarized, i always thought WRP placed objects had to be binarized to work correctly...).

[HighWire 0]

Quote[/b] ]Ahh, so the problem is with the model... I figured it was part of a config.cpp-related problem

Why did you think this ? I haven't looked through the config...but i don't think it's a config problem (i don't see any parameter that could modify the "view" troubles in the config of objects).

If i'm right - about what i'm not sure -, you have to get the authorization first, then modify the view geo lod, and re-tag (rename) the objects through a new config, then binarize them (seb_ilo objects aren't binarized, i always thought WRP placed objects had to be binarized to work correctly...).

Woo, I think you are overestimating my modding skills here.

I had a hard time getting Visitor to work, and I'm no expert on modelling (at all)

What do you mean with authorization? Asking the original author wether I could modify them? As far as I can remember, the readme file said that it was okay to use his stuff. Besides; I was going to include him in the credits anyways. I'm keeping track of all my actions with this map and I'm simply aiming at a neat and tidy release.

Also: What exactly is binarizing? I have heard and read the term all over the place but I never have read a clear definition.

I appreciate your help a lot. I really hope to have this problem addressed so that I can release this island.

[HighWire 0]

I have opened the dreaded model in Oxygen. The View geometry is indeed a inverted piramid (which probably caused the problems indeed)

What kind of shape should I provide it?

[ProfTournesol 956]

Look at BIS plants looking like the one you'd like to include, in the "data3d" folder or the "o" folder (resistance one),convert it in MLOD (using odol explorer for example), then copy and paste the view geo model and adapt it to your model.

If it doesn't change anything to the view problem, you could then try to binarize, i'll explain it then.

[HighWire 0]

Changing the view geometry didn't help, just as much as the other geometrics. I'm willing to try the whole binarizing stuff. I downloaded the tool, and I ran it across my models folder. The problem is however that it's only treating the first three models, and skips everything else afterwards.

Edit #1:

I have gotten the whole binarising thing to work, but it didn't help. I really think the problem has to be with the model itself, since the view geometry on the other models (palm2.p3d for instance) work perfectly fine. (Walk through it in third person and you'll know what I mean)

Edit #2:

Aarrggh, I really must be very close to the solution now! But I can't find see what is causing the problem. I'm comparing the plant6.p3d model with the palm2.p3d (which DOES provide cover ingame regardless of binarizing) model for any missing similarities, but I just cannot find them!

Edit #3:

There we are. Fixed. The View Geometry had two components: Component #1 and #5. The latter consisted of the true view geometry, but wasn't reached because #2, #3, and #4 were missing.