Large Vehicles: Mecha
by Demolishun · in Torque 3D Beginner · 04/14/2013 (5:07 pm) · 7 replies
This is something I have been wanting to do for some time. So I figured I would ask in the beginner section as I figured many beginners probably have this question.
With T3D is there any examples of doing mecha (generally bipedal robot type machine) vehicles with the following features?:
I am partially looking to see what has been implemented and what has not.
With T3D is there any examples of doing mecha (generally bipedal robot type machine) vehicles with the following features?:
- Independent collision boxes for pieces. That way vehicles and people can walk between the mecha's legs.
- Hit boxes for each large piece. Location damage.
- Preferable build from physics joints so that the vehicle can react to impacts using the physics system rather than solely through animations.
- Modular so that pieces can be swapped out to build many variations without resorting to tons of artwork.
I am partially looking to see what has been implemented and what has not.
About the author
I love programming, I love programming things that go click, whirr, boom. For organized T3D Links visit: http://demolishun.com/?page_id=67
#2
So I guess my system would use bounds for the baseline hit check, then replace your parts 1 and 2 with a polysoup hit check for each piece. Then I was going to take the face indexes and map them to some sort of potential critical damage for penetrating hits (was going to use a fairly standard armor factor system for this part).
Now that I think about it, Torque's current hit location system might be of at least a little help with this - allowing you to filter out some checks in the second phase of my system, and probably in the one you're proposing too.
[edit]
Just remembererd - Lore: Dark Horizons! Dig around for that stuff, it was a mecha game in TGE.
04/16/2013 (7:56 am)
I was thinking about a per-face collision check. I was going to construct my models from rigid pieces, then check collision against first the bounds, then the piece, then check for face - allowing the lore nerds to know the exact spot to hit for critical systems damage for example. Never got around to it, though.So I guess my system would use bounds for the baseline hit check, then replace your parts 1 and 2 with a polysoup hit check for each piece. Then I was going to take the face indexes and map them to some sort of potential critical damage for penetrating hits (was going to use a fairly standard armor factor system for this part).
Now that I think about it, Torque's current hit location system might be of at least a little help with this - allowing you to filter out some checks in the second phase of my system, and probably in the one you're proposing too.
[edit]
Just remembererd - Lore: Dark Horizons! Dig around for that stuff, it was a mecha game in TGE.
#3
04/16/2013 (12:57 pm)
A friend of mine suggested that the first phase of hit detection should be spherical as it is cheaper to calculate. Then test against the actual polygons for finer hit detection. He suggested using a large sphere, and then smaller ones. I would only be looking for part damage like upper arm, lower arm, possibly joints, etc. 
#4
AFAIR Dark Horizons just treated each mech as a box-collision Player, no fancy stuff going on.
04/16/2013 (11:01 pm)
Funnily enough, ShapeBase already has a LOSCol system for raycasts, but Player doesn't use it. I suspect there's trouble when you animate the LOSCol meshes.AFAIR Dark Horizons just treated each mech as a box-collision Player, no fancy stuff going on.
#5
04/17/2013 (7:33 am)
Ah. You could also search for old discussions on Mechwarrior 2. They talked about how they used spherical hit detection for hit location and a problem they had with this system making the "chicken-walker" mechs easier to leg. 
#6
You can't see the collision boxes, but they were linked to the bones.
It was basically just a large character. I just had simple mount nodes for the weapons. The "skin" function of swapping out textures was useful. I could swap to camo, desert, jungle, etc,. A physics solution would probably be your best bet. I was annoyed that because of the animations, the feet didn't always conform to the terrain.
04/19/2013 (10:21 am)
This is what I had done in TGE 1.5You can't see the collision boxes, but they were linked to the bones.It was basically just a large character. I just had simple mount nodes for the weapons. The "skin" function of swapping out textures was useful. I could swap to camo, desert, jungle, etc,. A physics solution would probably be your best bet. I was annoyed that because of the animations, the feet didn't always conform to the terrain.
#7
Hmmm, I could treat the foot like swivels and make them align to the terrain. Kind of like how springs work in tires on wheeled vehicles.
04/19/2013 (11:42 am)
I am starting to think for a large vehicle, or even a player, that IK might be an option. Or at least animations that can conform to terrain and objects. It will be expensive in some ways, but might save fudging things.Hmmm, I could treat the foot like swivels and make them align to the terrain. Kind of like how springs work in tires on wheeled vehicles.
Ahsan Muzaheed
Default Studio Name
http://www.garagegames.com/community/resources/view/6538/1#comment-22094