Game Development Community

Vehicle Modeling Nodes and Stuff

by Chad \"DigitalEagle\" Kullhem · in General Discussion · 07/14/2002 (10:30 am) · 5 replies

I've read every tutorial I can find about modeling vehicles. I just don't understand how do get all the nodes to work right without giving me an error. I'm trying to make a hover car (with out wheels) would I still need a ground0 node? I really need some help on this node stuff, it's killing me! Any web links would be great!

#1
07/15/2002 (10:27 am)
example of the tribes vehicles can be found here they are in max format
#2
07/15/2002 (11:18 am)
Unfortunately the URLs are to vehicles that use the old method of vehicle creation for games, GG updated the vehicle code a few months ago which made some signifigant changes to how vehicles are created and work. I don't know if this would prevent those vehicles from working but they definately would not be a proper example model to base future work from.

If I could find some information on what changed and how it should now work, I could probably create a supliment to the information found in the DTS exporter Documenation on vehicle creation.

Logan
#3
07/15/2002 (11:34 am)
I downloaded the entire Tribes2 package of models, but they just show me the wire mesh not the nodes. Plus it says it can't find multires.dlm

I need the nodes, the mesh doesn't matter to me at all.
#4
07/15/2002 (11:50 am)
Ok, I guess I don't need the multires plug-in. And I am using 3DS MAX 4.2, so that screws up because of the version diffrences. But is there a way to get them to load perfectly into max4? I can make models fine, but when it comes to make the nodes, I crash T2 with a fricken UE error. Sometimes when I load T2 and sometimes when I load the model.

Note: Only happens when I add my model. I never had UE error before.
#5
07/18/2002 (11:49 am)
The nodes are there,they are just hidden, go to the hide options on the left and click unhide by name, unhide everything but the decals also tick display subtree in the selct by name tool, this will give you some idea of how the nodes are linked, also i have only ever used max 3 to export to dts, so i dont know what issues version 4 will have with the exporter.
You should also bear in mind, that these models are T2 specific, the guys here have made some changes to the vehicle code in TGE so you may need to adjust your model if its for a TGE project, especialy if your considering wheeled vehicles.
Check your dump file to see where or if the the shape broke down
here is a list of nodes that should get the vehicle in, check that

Bounds/unlinked
Damage/unlinked
Shape/unlinked
collision-1/linked to Shape
detail128/linked to shape
LOS-9/linked to shape
Start/linked to shape
Col-1/linked to Start
Mount0/linked to Start
Mount1/linked to Start
Mount10linked to Start
Eye/linked to Start

in this your vehicle meshes would be named objectname128
and so on. hope this helps.