What tutorial would be most useful

[Chris Vossen]

If I was going to make 1 tutorial, what subject would you want it to be on?

[Marcus]

My list would be small gem tutorials:

1. Character Controller
   
2. Pickups
   
3. Projectile Weapons
   
4. Melee Weapons
   
5. AI
   

NOTE: I'm heavily biased towards the FPS genre.

[gordonramp]

As Marcus said.

Also a standard First person to Third person controller change by keypress.

[gamecreator]

Edit: this may be a bit more advanced: a third person camera that adjusts to avoid going through walls.

[cassius]

third person camera

[YouGroove]

Third Person camera with :

- mouse character orientation

- keys for walk forward / backward

- rocket launcher (creation of the projectile , moving it , and detect collision something collidable)

 

I think we should not include Golbin or ennemy caus it will complicate the code, if the tutorial will contain some weapon , detection against somehting collidable and juts play a sound when hit, will be more simple.

So i would say, no AI states that will make more code and make less clear.

 

For code perhaps several Lua files :

- animations.lua (it would receive only one parameter like "walk", "idle")

- thirdCamera.lua (a real that rotates with the player orientation, not a travelling one)

- launcher.lua (for the weapon code)

[Chris Vossen]

This isn't a tutorial but I uploaded a FreeLook (which I basically stole from Josh) camera that uses the WASD keys and mouse movements.

 

http://www.leadwerks.com/werkspace/files/file/405-freelooklua/

 

While it's not a true FPS camera, you hopefully could augment it to fit your project.

[gordonramp]

Thanks, it's a start.

I notice that when attached to a camera, it makes the camera slowly but 'continuously' move (when the keys are not pressed).. I tried adding mass to the camera to stop it without success. Any ideas how it can be stabilised?

[Chris Vossen]

Here is the start of a 3rd person camera. I'll write up a blog explaining the code tomorrow:

 

http://www.leadwerks.com/werkspace/files/file/406-3rd-person-camera/

 

For those who don't want to click download you can copy and paste this:

 

Script.target = nil--Entity "Target"

Script.distance = 5--float

Script.debugphysics = false--bool

Script.debugnavigation = false--bool

Script.pitch = 35--float

Script.angle = 180--float

Script.pickradius = 0.5--float

Script.verticaloffset = 1.8--float

Script.smoothness = 30--int

 

function Script:Start()

if self.target==nil then return end

 

--debug functions for viewing physics or navigation in game

self.entity:SetDebugPhysicsMode(self.debugphysics)

self.entity:SetDebugNavigationMode(self.debugnavigation)

 

end

function Script:UpdatePhysics()

 

--Exit the function if the target entity doesn't exist

if self.target==nil then return end

 

local originalcamerapos = self.entity:GetPosition(true)

local targetpos = self.target:GetPosition(true)

local newcamerapos = self.target:GetPosition(true)

targetpos.y = targetpos.y+self.verticaloffset

self.entity:SetPosition(targetpos)

self.entity:SetRotation(self.target:GetRotation(true))

self.entity:Turn(self.pitch,self.angle,0)

self.entity:Move(0,0,-self.distance)

 

local targetpickmode = self.target:GetPickMode()

self.target:SetPickMode(0) --so that the pick doesn't hit the target

newcamerapos = self.entity:GetPosition()

local pickinfo = PickInfo()

if (App.world:Pick(targetpos,self.entity:GetPosition(),pickinfo,self.pickradius,true)) then

newcamerapos = pickinfo.position

end

newcamerapos.x = Math:Curve(originalcamerapos.x,newcamerapos.x,self.smoothness/Time:GetSpeed())

newcamerapos.y = Math:Curve(originalcamerapos.y,newcamerapos.y,self.smoothness/Time:GetSpeed())

newcamerapos.z = Math:Curve(originalcamerapos.z,newcamerapos.z,self.smoothness/Time:GetSpeed())

self.entity:SetPosition(newcamerapos)

self.target:SetPickMode(targetpickmode)--return pick mode to original value

end

[YouGroove]

Thanks Rick , i will try that tonight

 

*********************

 

Could we have some character movement later ?

Only orientation and simple move in space with mouse for direction if possible (no animation and other AI states)

I mean a moving cube, to keep code as simple as possible

[Chris Vossen]

Okay I posted some 3rd person movements code :

http://www.leadwerks.com/werkspace/files/file/407-3rd-person-controls/

 

As well as a blog on how to set up a 3rd person scene:

http://www.leadwerks.com/werkspace/blog/110/entry-1057-setting-up-a-map-with-3rd-person-controls-and-camera/

 

And a step by step code walkthrough of the 3rd person camera:

http://www.leadwerks.com/werkspace/blog/110/entry-1058-third-person-camera-code-walk-through/

[Chris Vossen]

Thanks, it's a start.

I notice that when attached to a camera, it makes the camera slowly but 'continuously' move (when the keys are not pressed).. I tried adding mass to the camera to stop it without success. Any ideas how it can be stabilised?

 

Weird, I can't seem to recreate this. For me the camera just floats in mid air. If you zip a copy of your project and msg me with it I'll open it and take a look.

[gordonramp]

Weird, I can't seem to recreate this. For me the camera just floats in mid air. If you zip a copy of your project and msg me with it I'll open it and take a look.

Message with link sent.

[YouGroove]

@Chris :

When you'll have time, if you could post some lines about Mouse to manage direction of the character ?

[YouGroove]

@Chris : thanks we have the free camera system now.

 

For rocket launcher code,, what would you use ? a rocket we put below ground and just place after weapon when player fires ?

For collision Axis box collision between rocket and mob ?

[Chris Vossen]

@Chris : thanks we have the free camera system now.

 

For rocket launcher code,, what would you use ? a rocket we put below ground and just place after weapon when player fires ?

For collision Axis box collision between rocket and mob ?

 

In the editor I'd create a rocket model, set it's physics shape and collision type, attach a particle effect, and then save it as a prefab. Then in code I'd use the prefab load function:Prefab

 

@Chris :

When you'll have time, if you could post some lines about Mouse to manage direction of the character ?

 

If I can find the time, maybe. What sort of mouse movement are you thinking of?

[YouGroove]

Thanks for the tip on prefab.

 

the fisrt would be some 360 direction input by mouse for the character or for some space ship :

 

On Android instead of mouse it would be some full 360 Android circle pad.

 

***********************

The second idea was but for later would be some RTS style unit movement :

You click on terrain or any model level with mouse and your unit or character goes to that position.

[Chris Vossen]

Thanks for the tip on prefab.

 

the fisrt would be some 360 direction input by mouse for the character or for some space ship :

 

On Android instead of mouse it would be some full 360 Android circle pad.

 

***********************

The second idea was but for later would be some RTS style unit movement :

You click on terrain or any model level with mouse and your unit or character goes to that position.

 

I'm just going to quickly post these 2 bits of code:

 

Top Down Camera:

Script.target = nil--Entity "Target"

Script.distance = 10--float

Script.debugphysics = false--bool

Script.debugnavigation = false--bool

Script.pitch = 20--float

Script.height = 10--float

function Script:Start()

if self.target==nil then return end

 

--debug functions for viewing physics or navigation in game

self.entity:SetDebugPhysicsMode(self.debugphysics)

self.entity:SetDebugNavigationMode(self.debugnavigation)

 

--Set the camera's rotation

self.entity:SetRotation(self.pitch,0,0)

end

function Script:UpdatePhysics()

 

--Exit the function if the target entity doesn't exist

if self.target==nil then return end

 

--Get the target entity's position, in global coordinates

local p0 = self.target:GetPosition(true)

--Calculate the new camera offset

local offset = Vec3(p0.x,p0.y+self.height,p0.z-self.distance)

 

--Add our original offset vector to the target entity position

p0 = offset

self.entity:SetPosition(p0,true)

 

end

 

Character movements: (on a goblin model)

 

Script.camera = nil --Entity "camera"

--Define animation sequences

Script.sequence={}

Script.sequence.walk=5

Script.sequence.idle=6

function Script:Start()

self.currentyrotation = self.entity:GetRotation().y

self.modelrotation = -90

App.window:ShowMouse()

end

function Script:UpdatePhysics()

local window = Window:GetCurrent()

local move = (window:MouseDown(Key.LButton) and 1 or 0)

local playerscreenpos = self.camera:Project(self.entity:GetPosition(true))

local mousescreenpos = window:GetMousePosition()

local vectorbetween = mousescreenpos - playerscreenpos

 

self.currentyrotation = Math:ATan2(vectorbetween.y, vectorbetween.x) + self.modelrotation

self.entity:SetInput(self.currentyrotation,move,0)

if move ~= 0 then

self.entity.animationmanager:SetAnimationSequence(self.sequence.walk,0.04,200)

else

self.entity.animationmanager:SetAnimationSequence(self.sequence.idle,0.05,200)

end

end

 

To understand the code basically

Math::ATan2 finds the angle between the mouse and the player

Camera::Project takes the character position in global space and converts it to screen space.

[YouGroove]

thanks a lot Chris

That's heavy pieces of code, and i would like to test if i can make some space game like this one.

[shadmar]

If you get time, how you did these would be interesting to learn about :

 

http://www.leadwerks.com/werkspace/page/videos/_/-r160