Problems With Collision Meshes
by Mattie Alleston · in Artist Corner · 03/17/2003 (1:26 pm) · 3 replies
Hey,
I've been using the Max2DTS exporter for Max 4 for a few months now, and i know my way around it pretty well. Everything has been going fine, until I designed some new models for the prject I'm currently working on. The models were design in Maya 4, then imported into Max 4 using the "Deep Exploration" conversion tool. The models appear fine. I set up collision meshes called Col-1 and LOSCol-9, and their corresponding dummy objects Collision-1 and LOS-9, as I've always done in the past. Upon exporting and testing in the game, no collision or bullet collision works. Re-attempting, I designed the meshes in Max, as I thought it could be the import that screwed them, but that didn't work either. The problem seems to be quite erratic as well, sometimes the plane will fly through straight, but will collide at an angle. Other times, the bullets hit in the middle, but not at the top. I'm totally confused as to what it can be. I've triple checked my schematic graph, and everything is linked as it should be. Has anyone else experienced this problem? Or am I just being really stupid? :o) Thanks very much for your time.
Mattie
I've been using the Max2DTS exporter for Max 4 for a few months now, and i know my way around it pretty well. Everything has been going fine, until I designed some new models for the prject I'm currently working on. The models were design in Maya 4, then imported into Max 4 using the "Deep Exploration" conversion tool. The models appear fine. I set up collision meshes called Col-1 and LOSCol-9, and their corresponding dummy objects Collision-1 and LOS-9, as I've always done in the past. Upon exporting and testing in the game, no collision or bullet collision works. Re-attempting, I designed the meshes in Max, as I thought it could be the import that screwed them, but that didn't work either. The problem seems to be quite erratic as well, sometimes the plane will fly through straight, but will collide at an angle. Other times, the bullets hit in the middle, but not at the top. I'm totally confused as to what it can be. I've triple checked my schematic graph, and everything is linked as it should be. Has anyone else experienced this problem? Or am I just being really stupid? :o) Thanks very much for your time.
Mattie
#2
The models load fine into the show tool, and all collision meshes are simple convex shapes. They are just cubes with one of the faces scaled up in size.
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\ /
\ /
--
Bit like that :o)
Any ideas?
Also, i'm trying to mount a weapon onto a flying vehicle using mount point helper objects called mount0 and mount1. I've created the helper objects in the top view in max, so they are orientated correctly. I've placed them one on each wing, but when the game runs, both guns seemed to have been mounted on the "eye" node. Is this a scripting problem, or have I messed up the model?
I'd be extremly grateful for any help you can give me, thanks for your help so far.
mattie
03/19/2003 (2:35 am)
Thanks for your quick response Matt.The models load fine into the show tool, and all collision meshes are simple convex shapes. They are just cubes with one of the faces scaled up in size.
------
\ /
\ /
--
Bit like that :o)
Any ideas?
Also, i'm trying to mount a weapon onto a flying vehicle using mount point helper objects called mount0 and mount1. I've created the helper objects in the top view in max, so they are orientated correctly. I've placed them one on each wing, but when the game runs, both guns seemed to have been mounted on the "eye" node. Is this a scripting problem, or have I messed up the model?
I'd be extremly grateful for any help you can give me, thanks for your help so far.
mattie
#3
The mountpoints are kind flaky when for mounting weapons to vehicles. Probably what its doing is mounting the weapons, bounding box pivot point to the pivot point of the vehicles bounding box. When mountpoints don't work it always defaults to bounds pivot.
What I do is if the weapon (mounted object) is specific to the vehicle I use the same bounds for both the vehicle and the weapon. You can set this up pretty easy in MAX by assembling the whole thing in your scene then doing a "Save Selected" while the weapons,the bounds and any helpers that pertain are selected then export them both from different scenes.
I don't know why the mounts don't work on vehicles I suspect its in how you make your script but I find it easier to do it the way I described above because that gives me the control without having to write code perfectly.
Hope that helps. You can mail me that collision scene and I'll take a look at it if you want mjones7947@comcast.net
Matt
03/19/2003 (9:27 am)
Well without looking at the model I couldn't tell you what wrong with collision outside of what I told you already. The mountpoints are kind flaky when for mounting weapons to vehicles. Probably what its doing is mounting the weapons, bounding box pivot point to the pivot point of the vehicles bounding box. When mountpoints don't work it always defaults to bounds pivot.
What I do is if the weapon (mounted object) is specific to the vehicle I use the same bounds for both the vehicle and the weapon. You can set this up pretty easy in MAX by assembling the whole thing in your scene then doing a "Save Selected" while the weapons,the bounds and any helpers that pertain are selected then export them both from different scenes.
I don't know why the mounts don't work on vehicles I suspect its in how you make your script but I find it easier to do it the way I described above because that gives me the control without having to write code perfectly.
Hope that helps. You can mail me that collision scene and I'll take a look at it if you want mjones7947@comcast.net
Matt
Torque Owner Matthew Jones
Hope that helps if not let us know.
Matt