meshcarver

Hi guys, well, thanks to Sakura and M1lkm8n, I can freely walk myself through 6 floors via stairways and ladders, BUT the AI is a different matter at the moment... Here's two screenies showing my structure from the MEMORY and PATHS lods: http://www.meshcarver.com/screenshots/MEMORY.jpg http://www.meshcarver.com/screenshots/PATHS.jpg With the MEMORY you can see the four ladder vertex sets. With the PATH you can see they're not TOTALLY connected (Does this matter?) as ladders connect them in some places. It works for me as a unit walking freely around the structure but if I'm on the floor and tell an AI to go to the top most POS, he will walk on the ground UNDERNEATH the location of the POS (Say, about 40 meters above him) and stay there. But, if I tell him to goto the POS say on the second floor above the initial ladder, he will. If I then follow him up I can "baby walk" him up, "separated" (by ladders) section of PATH at a time, until I've walked him to the top. So basically, it's working for AI units if I walk them through it one "floor/section" at a time, but I can't simply tell them from ground level to go RIGHT to the top as they'll just walk under that particular POS and stay there at ground level... If anyone has any help, I'd appreciate it- I'm completely out of ideas and variation attempts on this one guys- I need to spend my time texturing it up now as time is short for me. Thanks in advance, Marc

What timmo1982 said- indeed, even if you were to make a terrain that was only 1 x 1 km, you would still need to create ALL the objects, trees, bushes, rocks, stones, twigs, sticks, fences, walls, grass, clutters, textures, diffuse/normal maps/ specular maps/ masks/ ambient occlusion etc... Not to mention specific sounds for a truly different biome. However you go about it size wise it sadly would be a lot of work... Saying that it's a great idea but probably very time consuming too... :(

Hi guys, no, the pathway is not one connected continuous pathway- only because it's "broken" up by ladders connecting some floors. As you should be able to see from the two screenshots that show both ladders and stairs connecting floors. Where the floors are using stairs, then yes the pathway continues, but obviously where there is a ladder the pathway stops at the bottom with a POS and starts a new one at the top with a POS again. I have had a good look at the sample models but the ARMA3 house one doesn't really suit for this example, as there are no ladders (let alone multiple ladders!) in it, only stairs. I THINK it will be something to do with the fact that different floors are connected by ladders, as this "breaks" the flow of the pathway..? Saying that, surely it's possible to have ladders connecting floors with it breaking the pathways..? I really don't know guys...

Hi, is there anyone that could know about this issue please..? It's blummin' annoying as I have ran out of different options to try at this point... M1lkm8n suggested it could be that it's simply too complex for AI to navigate all in one go- does anyone else think the same could be true..?

Hi, every time I import an OBJ file into O2, my default master scale is set at: 0.01 Is this normal/fine..? Or, is it actually scaling the model down by that amount..? When I try to type in 0.00 I get the error you can see on the screen shot? http://www.meshcarver.com/screenshots/SCALE.jpg I just wanted to double check this with you guys as it seems abnormal to me..? I don't know... Thanks for ANY input guys, Marc

Generally speaking, OBJ has given me zero problems- apart from this little one and I'm not entirely sure it is an issue mate. I just thought it best to mention here to see what people thought. Thanks for your input though dude..! ;)

I don't understand it now..? I am modelling in METERS in MAYA, and when I import and change Master Scale to 1 then the object comes in MASSIVE..!? When Master Scale is at 0.01 it comes in seemingly at the correct scale..? I'm just being extra cautious here, as I thought maybe unseen by me, every time I import with 0.01 objects were being scaled ever so slightly (Which would have obvious implications) and would be slightly smaller/larger than I intend..? In short, I'm modelling in METERS and importing with Master Scale at 0.01 and it SEEMS correct scale..? Do you have any explanation for this please..?

Hi, now I've got the ladders working, when the unti reaches the top more often than not he falls back through the hole in the ROADWAYlod. Is it considered acceptable to COMPLETELY remove this hole and just use a single ROADWAYlod so it's impossible for units to fall through it..? Obviously things like grenades etc now can't be thrown through the hole and visually float on it... Is there a good compromise to be had here or is it just another "thing"..? Cheers

SAKURA I WANT YOUR BABIES..!!! :D Thank you man, appreciated..! It seems you have to just move the bottom vert out slightly so it ISN'T directly under the top one- or vice versa. Goddamn, that was bloody frustrating though, jeez... Knowing this, what I think was happening was something that happens with IK stuff too- Gimbal Lock, where two points are in the same position on one axis and it doesn't know which way to face them. Maybe anyway... Thanks again Sakura, and thanks too to M1lkm8n who offered help before..! ...phew...

Hey up, I'm trying to create a memory lod, 2 points for a ladder. I've got it in and working, BUT the unit faces the opposite way when climbing up... I believe this is because the points are not rotated to the correct direction. So, I selected both point from the top view and RMB + CTRL dragged them and made sure it said 180 in the bottom left box. But, when I take this ingame the unit has moved his direction to some random angle..? Is there a way to SHOW the direction of vertices (points) in O" please or simply- how to rotate the points so they're facing in the correct direction? It's bloody annoying lol... Cheers, Marc

Hi man, thanks for that, but is there also ANY way to see what direction the verts are facing..? It is pretty annoying that it's trial and error at the moment... Ok, just tried these and different methods for 3 hours now, still no joy..!!! Please tell me there's a way to SEE the direction the verts are facing..? The unit climbs the ladder facing backwards, so I assume I go into TOP view and rotate in the Y 180 degrees, is that correct? If so, it's not working- sometimes he doesn't even change the way he's facing even if I type in a random angle? Please help, this is a waste of time as time's really precious to me at the moment..! Thanks anyway dude! ---------- Post added at 11:18 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:27 AM ---------- Damn, this is getting ridiculous now... :( Sometimes when I rotate either by hand or using the discreet rotate numerically etc it always stays so the unit is facing backwards to the ladder..!?!?!? There MUST be something amiss here surely, I mean- I only want to rotate a bloody vertice lol..!!! :(

That's strange, as I'm using Maya and it is set to Meters but it comes out seemingly ok size wise when I put it ingame..? If it should be 1 as I'm importing from meters then... I'll check tomorrow morning mate, 12:30 here now and I'm babbling but thank you! You've done a good job of explaining to me, so cheers! :) I'll let you know...

Hi EgilSandfeld..! Wow..! VERY impressive and beautiful island man..! Fantastic to have such an atmospheric island and it's really good you're putting up these informative dev videos for people to see too- I for one am watching and waiting for them! Keep up the great work man! :)

Hey man, I had this exact problem a week or so back- Atsche talked me through it and it worked. You have to go to the prefs or configure option in O2, and when that long options settings box opens, the one where you have to tick things on or off etc, you need to select the BD one, and if the text space is empty you need to copy paste the path to BD in there. That's all Myke. I hope it works a d apologies for my crap explanation but this is from memory and I am half dead with tiredness right now. I think you need to do this every time Steam updates tools, not sure?

Hi DerBiwi, I wouldn't hold your breath mate- I have a really strong feeling that we aren't going to see this for ARMA 3. Personally, it's probably TOP of my list of wishes for my map in development, but I just don't think it's coming to the ARMA series sadly. Apart from faking the undergrounds with a dip in the terrain, I'm trying to work out if there would be a better way to simulate undergrounds but am struggling...

My first Youtube upload just showing some NOVA ZONA structures placed randomly then quickly placing opposing forces- and this is the result..! It was mainly to show people what some of these structures actually look like in game and to try to show some of the atmosphere I'm going for.

Hi guys, sorry it's been awhile again..RL! @ Kyle_K_ski; My brother from another mother is back..! :) How are you doing kyle? I seriously don't know where to start with a reply to yet another epic post mate...damn..! I won't go into specific replies as the sheer time needed would wipe me out lol, but THANK YOU and all is noted, especially the MODULES part. I plan on trying to go down that route as it is, but you've really got some good ideas down there man. You are still reading my mind it seems... I really want to do the anomalies for NOVA ZONA in a way which is unique- I have some ideas scrawled down already and sketches to go with them and have also come up with names too which helps fire the imagination no end. It's these little things that I'm really looking forwards to creating but first the bloody big task of actually MAKING the island itself lol..! Also, I'm glad I've had an influence on some more icky thoughts to help your imagination for NOVA ZONA, as it can only produce more inspiration from you! :) Really though Kyle- it is MASSIVELY appreciated just the sheer amount of effort and time it must take you to come up with these suggestions- I can't thank you enough mate and don't ever leave this thread..! @Kommiekat and GiorgyGR; Very kind of you to say but I've nothing to upload in effect..! For that video, I just placed some of my structures into Altis and changed the weather- it was a VERY quick knock up scene with no thought just so I could at last move from just uploading images for you guys to showing some footage as it's been so long. I am smack bang in the middle of a LOT of RL work, so don't expect any updates soon again guys- there's just no way I could muster the time to enter the competition sadly and in doing so, I fear it MAY take the little bit of focus I have left on NOVA ZONA, at least while I'm RLing it up in the mean time. I have weekends free for it though, so will try to get in two 15 hour days a week- 9 in the morning until midnight is the most I can humanly do..! ...speaking of which, the weekend starts now..! ;)

I think Terrains are classed in the ADDON category mate.

Hey guys, I've modelled a sphere with a cylinder attached to it. Both objects (Now one) are smooth edged in Maya and have a hard edge where they meet. But, upon importing to O2 it softens the edge where they meet and I don't know how to make it hard again (lol...) in O2. http://www.meshcarver.com/screenshots/EDGES.png When I export as .OBJ I have "smoothing" checked too, and it does bring across most of them, but it's missed this particular part and I'd really like to know how I can go about making this edge hard again in O2 if possible? Cheers for your time guys, Marc

Not a problem mate- this mod is so game changing it deserves all the attention it can get. I can't play SP without it now! :)

Hi tpw, Just popping by to say I've put my first NOVA ZONA video up and just had to use your fantastic mod in it too..! I have linked your mod in it to this thread mate- hope that's cool? :)

Aye mate, the latter option ideally- I'd like it to be like a "set" of modules/placeable entities so that people can make their own missions etc. Right, I'm off to bed...knackered now..! :)

Hi guys, aye, after the map itself is finished I do plan on creating extra bits and pieces for it- things like Anomalies and such. It's a must that I create things like that to bring NOVA ZONA to life.

@Kyle_K_ski: Thanks for those links mate, I will have to give a few of my buildings a go using that script..! At the moment, I'm using TPW mods and it's REALLY good- the AI are now a serious threat and just seeing them react and suppress so well is pretty intimidating. Yeah man, I'm just waiting for ANY news about BI underground support (Fingers crossed!), but I'm not holding out too much hope. I think it'd be a massive rewrite of core code to incorporate something so fundamental into the engine at this late stage of development. Thanks again for your help and suggestions Kyle, it always bucks me up when I see you've made a post here..! Hope everyone's fine in your camp. @Rebane: Hello in Norway Rebane, and thanks for your kind comment! :) Ok, I've managed to squeeze in some VERY late nights here, and eventually finished the new structures I've been working on at last. These are medium sized Spherical Pressure Vessels, and there's two variations of them- one is the basic one and the other is linked to the "underground" (Don't get your hopes up yet!) by an inlet pipe and has a raised platform accessible by stairs. https://www.flickr.com/photos/86890612@N02/14087382076/# I've always loved the strange look of these containers when I see images of them or in real life- they look like they might just start walking towards you or something..! I have chosen to make some for NOVA ZONA as they are such a weird and alien sight on the landscape and lend a feeling of other worldliness to the island. From a distance they really help to break up the horizon line with simple spherical geometry that looks very out of place- this is going to be a continuing theme in my development; creating large big bold basic geometrical shapes that will turn the skyline of NOVA ZONA into a very uneasy place to be. I've changed them a bit from how they'd look in real life so as to fit better into this environment- things like making the base supports that horrible industrial tiling you used to get and rusting the hell out of them with drab colours. I mentioned that these are medium sized vessels (Being 12 meters high from ground to top of sphere). I also plan to make really small ones about the height of a man and huge ones 2-3 times larger than these ones here- so you can imagine how freaky they'll look as they loom all around you in some dark Industrial Area of the map. I have in mind to create some areas that have nothing but these structures, so in effect you're surrounded by these strange spheres everywhere you look- it'd make for a unique environment I think! :) Again, variations on all of these will play a large part in removing repetitiveness- I have some sketches down for how to chop and change these up and increase the alien feeling of them. ;) Anyway, I hope you guys like them and here's a shot of them in game, just sitting there and waiting for the next unfortunate soul: http://www.meshcarver.com/screenshots/INGAME_13.png Also, as I am currently bogged down with RL work, I can't bite off another large structure right now so made a couple of VERY quick wallpapers of the NOVA ZONA logo with a few captions to capture the islands atmosphere: http://www.meshcarver.com/screenshots/NOVA%20ZONA%20LOGO%20TEST.png http://www.meshcarver.com/screenshots/NOVA%20ZONA%20LOGO%20CALM.png The captions lend a hint to the islands Industrial and Experimental background that went so horribly wrong- there is a back story to NOVA ZONA and I've fleshed it out quite a bit more, but you'll have to wait until release to find out for yourselves. Suffice to say it's not pretty and the island itself will tell the story if you can piece it all together... As a final treat and because it's been so long since the last update I decided to make my first EVER Youtube video (Yahhh!) showing some of the structures I've already got in game and working. There is a lot you'll have to excuse about this video though- firstly I haven't the foggiest idea about best settings when recording (FRAPS) or uploading, so I don't think it's the best quality but maybe someone can PM me with some advice for future ref? Also, as mentioned in the description this is a VERY BASIC setup that took me 1 minute to create in the Editor. I just picked a random place, then threw in these NOVA ZONA assets with zero thought and placed OPFOR and BLUFOR on a collision course. If you look closely you'll notice the large Cinder Warehouses are "floating" slightly too- this is a very easy fix. Little incidental things like oil drum/fences/sign posts are ALL still to come and will only add to the immersion and atmosphere... Ok guys, I hope you liked this update and I'd love to hear any feedback you might have. It's probably going to be a LONG time again before I get the chance to work on this, but I'll try to find time when I can.

I've fixed it now with help from Atsche guys. It wasn't linked in the options from O2! Seems we have to do that every time there's a bloody update is that correct?