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Ref Point Problem (Quick fix)

S

Shagster22

Messages
172
Country
netherlands
I hope I'm not repeating somebody's question, although I've looked through most of the MDLTweaker forum for the topic:
I want to make the object visible when I am between 20 and 50 meters away from it. I am using the Distance to Ref Point Variable, but am confused about what (dec or hex) to use, and what respective values. I tried it with Dec, using 20 = min, and 50 = max, but that doesnt work. I even tried 0-500, and it wont show up. Although the object is not at the origin of its gmax file, I still am within 500 meters of the origin and moved all around, yet it wont show up at all. With the Nav1 condition I tested it and that worked, I'm just stuck on the Distance to Ref Point variable :banghead: :banghead:!
Help is much appreciated!
 
Hi,

If you just want to enter a value, using the dec option should be fine. The hex option is more meant for frequencies where you want to enter stuff like 1200h.

The distance to RefPoint variable should work fine. But you should always remember that the 0,0 point in GMax is the reference point. So if your object is not centered around that point you will get a strange result.
 
Im trying it again, i think it should be done easily. Tho at the moment i have this setup:

boundingboxsetup.jpg


I want to setup that in each of those "boxes" made by the various vertical and horizontal lines, the truck plays a different animation. The creation part isn't the hard part, but its the conditions that are giving the problem.

Above you can see the conditions set for the "width" and the "length". Perhaps i got those two mixed up, but i dont know (i have: width=x, length=y). The width and the length define the limits of all the individual boxes put together (basically the box created by the most left, most right, top, and bottom line).
The values are simply the x and y coordinates from gmax (is that correct?).

I use a "distance on the x axis" condition to differentiate between the different boxes. Also just using the x values directly from gmax.

The truck to be animated isnt on the gmax origin, but the distances in the conditions are in reference to the origin, not to the location of the truck. That shouldnt make a difference should it?

Anyways, If anybody could help me clear up this condition issue I'd really appreciate it, its another hassle which holds up a lot of possibilities :rolleyes: !
 
Hi,

The distances are indeed from the origin of the entire scene, not from the origin of the trucks. So that sounds correct.

What are you using as trigger for your animation?
 
Im using type "Condition Mask", Variable = "user variable 5" (parking brake I beleive) value is 1. the code is 031Ah.
secondary condition is distance along x axis (037Eh).

---edit----
Just realized that the bounding box conditions do work (the length works, so i assume the width works as well), the trigger works as well, because the animations (when i do see them) runs and runs in reverse respectively for parking brake set on or off.
I think the problem is with the distance on the x-axis secondary condition, how do you utilize/parametize this variable? I've tried various values, but make no sence, i cant find any logical reference point that CAT is using for the x-axis variable. It doesn't even match up properly with the start location of the truck.
Arno, you mentioned RefPoint units in the variables list you posted, what do you mean by these?
My gmax file is scale 1:1.
 
Last edited:
Hi,

Let me think. The x axis as mentioned in the variable name does not really have to be the X axis in GMax as well. So you might want to check some of the other variables as well. I think I put down the GMax axes in the MDL Tweaker condition help dialog.

About the units, they should be meters if you are working with the Fs2004 gamepack. So that should be fine.
 
Sorry to ask, but where? I cant seem to find the "MDL Tweaker condition help dialog", is it in the mdl package? i cant find it in mdl_tweaker.pdf, or on the wiki. I can only find which axis is which for the bounding box condition in the wiki. thanks already :rolleyes:
 
It's the help displayed in the tool itself (in the condition manager screen) when you select a variable.
 
hey,
I checked the help file, and simply said "the x axis", but the y and z were "z" and "y" respectively in gmax, that was noted. So i assume the x axis is also the x axis in gmax.

However, this still doesnt add up. Anyhow, ive decided to continue to work with the not logical coordinates, i have learned that they scale to a factor of two (distance in CAT must be twice the distance in gmax).

But here is another riddle, the animation has two animated parts, a truck cabin and a truck trailer. the cabin follows a spline path, and the trailer is linked to a cylinder which follows the spline path and rotates as well, this makes the truck drive smoothly. I collapsed both into trajectories with each frame having an animation tick.

Strangely enough, when I am a certain distance away, the trailer shows up, then the cab shows up with it, then very shortly afterwards, the trailer dissapears, and only much later (in conjunction with the max value in CAT), does the cab dissapear.

Does FS somehow give the conditions only to one part of the animation, and not the other.
The min x value is now 375, and the max 425. it seems that the trailer only shows when im at a distance of "375" to the imaginary origin. The cab shows within the span of 375-425. anybody know why?

The trailer showed when i removed the animation of the cylinder and linked it to the cab, but this was without the rotation.
Apparently it doesnt matter if the cylinder is linked under the cab or not, it still shows separately, if a trajectory is collapsed. the trailer (linked to the cab) shows up correctly, but without rotation if i dont collapse the trajectory.

Very confused, as if FS is cutting up the animation into different pieces. any tips?
 
Hi,

The multiplication by 2 does not really surprise me. When placing objects with old SCASM code we have to use scale 0.5 to get them correct. So I think internally these older commands (which are also used for the conditions) are working with another unit.

The conditions CAT adds should be the same for all animations in that MDL file. I would not understand why some parts behave differently. Might be that you have a very special animation, but I would have to see the code to be sure of that :).
 
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