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diff --git a/docs/contrib/creating_landscape_collisions.html b/docs/contrib/creating_landscape_collisions.html new file mode 100644 index 00000000..4731b944 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/contrib/creating_landscape_collisions.html @@ -0,0 +1,193 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> + +<html> +<head> + <title>NeL Collisions</title> + +</head> + +<body> + +<h1>How to create collisions in a landscape</h1> +<h2>License</h2> + +<p style="font-size:10px; color:gray;"> + <!-- style="font-size:9px; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; color:gray;" --> + Copyright (C) 2002, Philippe Lamoureux, phlam@noos.fr<br> +<br> + This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify<br> + it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by<br> + the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or<br> + (at your option) any later version.<br> +<br> + This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,<br> + but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of<br> + MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the<br> + GNU General Public License for more details.<br> +<br> + You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License<br> + along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software<br> + Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA<br> +</p> + +<h2>Description</h2> +<p>During the build-gamedata process, NeL patches automatically generate a collision layer.<br> +To insert a mesh into your landscape and have your character collide it, you have to manually add collision informations.<br><br> + +This document shows how to create this kind of collisions in 3DSMax and export / test them in the Snowballs demo. +</p> + +<h2>Requisites</h2> +You need the following configuration : +<ul> + <li>3DSMax and NeL plugins</li> + <li>A working Snowballs demo</li> + <li>Snowballs 3DSMax .max source files</li> + <li>The build_gamedata package, and especially : + <ul> + <li>the /build_gamedata/bin/build_indoor_rbank.exe tool</li> + <li>the /build_gamedata/processes/rbank/build_indoor_rbank.cfg configuration file with the following options + <ul> + <li>Merge = 1;</li> + <li>MergePath = "smooth/";</li> + <li>MergeInputPrefix = "snowballs";</li> + <li>OutputPath = "retrievers/";</li> + <li>MergeOutputPrefix = "snowballs";</li> + </ul> + </li> + </ul> + </li> +</ul> +Backup your original Snowballs files : some of them will be changed by this process.<br> +Copy the original snowball.gr and snowballs.rbank files from /snowballs/data/pacs/ into /build_gamedata/processes/rbank/smooth/<br> + +<h2>Overall process</h2> +<p> +<ul> + <li>In 3DSMax + <ul> + <li>Load a .max Zone file</li> + <li>Create a mesh</li> + <li>Export its .shape file in /snowballs/data/shapes</li> + <li>Select the whole scenery objects and export the instance group file, replacing the old /snowballs/data/zone/<zone>.ig file</li> + <li>Create an interior collision mesh (explained hereafter)</li> + <li>Create an exterior collision mesh (explained hereafter)</li> + <li>Select all the collision meshes and export the collisions (Utilities / NeL Export / Export collisions), point to the /build_gamedata/processes/rbank/cmb/ directory</li> + </ul></li> + <li>Launch /build_gamedata/processes/rbank/3_build.bat to build and merge the new collision data to the original Snowballs collision.</li> + <li>Replace the files snowballs.gr and snowballs.rbank in /snowballs/data/pacs/ with the new ones from /build_gamedata/processes/rbank/retrievers/</li> + <li>Launch Snowballs</li> +</ul> +</p> +<h2>Details on collisions</h2> +<h3>Pairs</h3> +<p> +In a landscape, every collision system is composed of two objects : an interior and an exterior mesh<br> +<ul> + <li>The interior mesh is a mesh on which the user can walk,</li> + <li>The exterior mesh acts as a collider in the landscape (visible open edges) and a bridge between the landscape and the interior collision mesh (invisible open edges).<br> + (An 'open' edge is an edge that belongs to only one face). + </li> +</ul> +Even if there is no need for an interior collision mesh, this mesh must be present : +</p> +<table width=800 cellspacing=20 align="center"> +<tr> + <td><img src="simple_cube_visible.jpg" width="360" height="180" alt="" border="0"></td> + <td><img src="simple_cube_coll.jpg" width="360" height="180" alt="" border="0"></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td valign="top">Here is a simple box placed on the landscape</td> + <td valign="top"> + The 'exterior' collision mesh prevents the player from crossing the visible mesh<br> + The 'interior' collision mesh is of no use, but it has to be present. + </td> +</tr> +</table> +<h3>Frontiers</h3> +<p> +To have the character walk on a mesh, like a staircase or a ramp, the exterior and interior +collision meshes must have overlapping invisible open edges.<br> +Every invisible edge in the exterior mesh must have a corresponding 'snapped' edge in the interior mesh. +</p> +<table width=800 cellspacing=20 align="center"> +<tr> + <td><img src="ramp_visible.jpg" width="366" height="208" alt="" border="0"></td> + <td><img src="ramp_coll.jpg" width="366" height="208" alt="" border="0"></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td valign="top">Ramp raising from the ground, the player cannot walk under it.</td> + <td valign="top"> + <ul> + <li>The visible edges of the exterior mesh block the user coming from the landscape</li> + <li>The visible edges of the interior mesh prevent the user from falling out of the ramp</li> + <li>The superposed invisible edges of both the interior and the exterior meshes indicate a connection between the landscape and the ramp</li> + </ul> + </td> +</tr> +</table> +<h3>Objects informations and constraints</h3> +<p> +<ul> + <li><strong>Node properties</strong><br> + (Utilities / NeL Export / Node Properties / Instances Tab)<br> + The two collision meshes have the same non null Instance group name.<br> + The interior collision mesh has the 'Collision Mesh' property checked.<br> + The exterior collision mesh has both the 'Collision Mesh' and 'Collision Mesh Exterior' properties checked.<br><br> + + </li> + <li><strong>Edges</strong><br> + Both objects must have the same number of invisible open edges,<br> + the vertices of the interior mesh along these edges must be 'snapped' to those of the exterior mesh (same position).<br><br> + + </li> + <li><strong>Material ID</strong><br> + Exterior collision mesh : <br> + The faces must have the MatID 666.<br><br> + + Interior collision mesh : <br> + Verify that the faces along the open edges have a unique material ID : Faces that have different + matIDs are separated in different meshes at export time, this generates new 'open' edges that can't match a corresponding + edge on the exterior collision mesh.<br><br> + + </li> +</ul> +</p> +<h3>Complex collisions</h3> +<table width=800 cellspacing=20 align="center"> +<tr> + <td>The following example is composed of two collision systems</td> + <td></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td><img src="rampncollumn_0.jpg" width="360" height="219" alt="" border="0"></td> + <td></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td><img src="rampncollumn_1.jpg" width="360" height="219" alt="" border="0"></td> + <td><img src="rampncollumn_2.jpg" width="360" height="219" alt="" border="0"></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td valign="top">A connection between the landscape and the ramp, but the exterior mesh only blocks the path around the start : + the player can walk under the ramp.</td> + <td valign="top"> + A collision at the base of the ramp. + </td> +</tr> +</table> + +<h3>Remark</h3> +<p> +For now this system cannot create bridges.<br> +You can have a collision that has two or more distinct connections with the landscape, but the exterior mesh cannot be broken into +multiple meshes, so you couldn't go onto and under a bridge<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +</p> + +</body> +</html> + |