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os_fr

river in height ?

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Hi all,

I'm working on a new map, I'm trying to build a river in a height > 0...

Someone know how to do that ?

(what's fake water ?, I've seen that on a post...)

(or if it's impossible, how to lower all the height of the map ?)

thanks a lot :)

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Well basically its not possible..

But if you want to do a River in a straight (right word?) height you could use the pond.p3d's (i guess that's what some call the fake water)

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I've got a few "waterways" on my current project... I've used a combination of both... where close to sea level I've cheated and cut to below 0m to flood with "sea" - not ideal, since you get the whooshing sea noise when close to the "river" - plus you get the "tidal effect" - however - at least the AI know what it is!

At higher altitudes I've used the pond.p3d objects... once you get them all lined up they look pretty good, but I've found that the AI have a tendency to just blunder into them - especially vehicles... it's almost as if it's invisible to them - sometimes... once they're in they swim or blow up "as normal" ;), but they don't seem to regard it in the same way they do "sea"...

I've attempted to block lake areas with trees, rocks and other suitable stuff to deter vehicle AI from considering what is actually a lake to be a "shortcut" and attempting to charge thru the area... the AI on foot are slightly more careful... they wade a lot and often end up swimming - losing their kit in the process... Other times they're OK and skirt around the area...

For that reason, whenever possible, I've tended to cheat and cut lakes to sea level whenever I can get away with it...

If you do decide to use the pond objects (in CA\Structures\Pond), then - like Commander1985 says - you'll have to have them all on a single constant height to get them to line up correctly - so "rivers" can't actually be made to "flow downhill".

Also - they're tricky to line up and set heights for - if you tweak terrain anywhere near them afterwards - even road smoothing - you're liable to upset them and you'll have to set them over again... watch out for that, or leave actual river surfaces until all nearby roads are in place...

B

Edited by Bushlurker

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Bush did you place the pond object over top of the "cheated" waterway? I ask because I was thinking of doing that to the novoga lake/pond area. What I was thinking was to just force a drop right down to or just below sea level so that there's a huge hole, but then cover the hole with the pond etc.

Also, I don't remember where I saw it but I recall seeing something about named areas effecting the ai's behavior. Perhaps there's a specific named type of thing for the ponds so the ai avoid them? If there's nothing for specifically ponds, maybe there's something they will avoid and we can use that to sort of trick the ai into avoiding them.

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Having the same problem as Bushlurker with ponds, I have tested the same solutions, adding barriers, rocks ... with the same results ... AI going bathing au lieu going to fight and then running unarmed to the battle.

I have add one trick in my fight, I have laid paths around the ponds and lakes, and when it comes to a choice the AI tends follow path ... but if their are in a rushing mood I wonder if something can change their lemmings behaviour

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Bush did you place the pond object over top of the "cheated" waterway?

Good idea MM! I thought of this, but haven't actually tried it yet... goddamned scottish hill lochs, I'd need to go down 100m or more in some places to hit sea level... it would also introduce the whooshy sea-noise, of course - (though I'm gonna try to find where thats defined and see if its possible to include a config entry that turns that down a bit)...

I have add one trick in my fight, I have laid paths around the ponds and lakes, and when it comes to a choice the AI tends follow path

This is a deeply cunning idea! Roadways are a definite something the AI recognises, that (nominally, at least ;)) influences their movement... this could be a good trick in certain places... I'll definitely try this in a suitable area or two...

I can't help thinking that the whole pond object thing is one of those "semi-unfinished" BIS areas...

The AI generally know sea for what it is - they won't voluntarily go swimming, but they will board boats etc and use them - even independantly on occasions...

Perhaps there's a specific named type of thing for the ponds so the ai avoid them?

There might be some sort of "flag" associated with sea - perhaps something ludicrously simple like "isWater=1" in a config somewhere... If that same "flag" could be associated with "pond" then the AI might just automatically behave properly around it...

Can't be that easy, surely... or BIS would've fixed it in a patch by now???

B

Edited by Bushlurker

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config from P:\CA\structures\Pond

class CfgPatches {

class pond_test {

units[] = {};

weapons[] = {};

requiredVersion = 0.1;

requiredAddons[] = {"CAData"};

};

};

class CfgSurfaces {

class Default; // External class reference

class Freshwater : Default {

access = ReadOnly;

files = "watersurface*";

rough = 0.0;

dust = 0.0;

soundEnviron = "water";

friction = 0.9;

restitution = 0;

isWater = 1;

character = "Empty";

impact = "default_Mat";

};

};

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rstratton, do the ai behave correctly with that config?

Side note, I tested the ai's behavior around a pond with the ocean technique. They will avoid parts that are deep but will still walk in the shallow parts. So you end up with them trying to walk on the edges of the pond and sometimes swimming.

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config from P:\CA\structures\Pond

class CfgPatches {

class pond_test {

units[] = {};

weapons[] = {};

requiredVersion = 0.1;

requiredAddons[] = {"CAData"};

};

};

class CfgSurfaces {

class Default; // External class reference

class Freshwater : Default {

access = ReadOnly;

files = "watersurface*";

rough = 0.0;

dust = 0.0;

soundEnviron = "water";

friction = 0.9;

restitution = 0;

isWater = 1;

character = "Empty";

impact = "default_Mat";

};

};

any news here? does it works?

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if pond had the option to change of horizontal to vertical, yes, it can. but visitor it does not have that option :( .

this is posible with external program ?

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Randy Stratton made a bold attempt at something unique a while back...

watertest2small.jpg

Sorry about the cheesy photo - its an unfinished model with a tendency to vanish at certain angles, but...

It's "water"...

Flowing Downhill!...

Impressive, huh?

You can see the rest of the discussion where this turned up HERE

I dunno if Randy developed this any further, and I bet the AI would still lose their kit in it :(, but its a bold step in the right direction...

We'd really need some genius modeller to get interested in the concept I guess - and they're mostly obsessed with vehicles, of course... ;)

B

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Never been able to with OFP or ARMA, so probably not.

Unless you loop time so it never changes ;)

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