AI mesh tutorial

[GlenSkunk]

Great tutorial. This will help alot of people to understand.

I was about to write one myself and then make a video tutorial to complement.
You just saved me a week.

Thanks again for the tutorial.

I think a video tutorial would still be a big help though, first of all because it'd show things in a very nice visual manner - still pictures can only do so much, after all! Could also include some general good tips for working things, like how best to arrange the mesh faces and where you might need to make an entirely new mesh shape.

 

[Diavolo]

the only bad thing about the tutorial I think, is that it looked like it took so short time. But when you try for the first time to make mesh inside a tower or inside the stairs of a gatehouse, you'll find out its much harder than you think. But if you make a video tutorial, especially on how to make all the nooks and corners covered in short time, and with small effort, I think very many will benefit from it.

 

[NaglFaar]

Hmm, perhaps I'll make one. I'll see what time I got etc.

Maybe I should start a new thread and see what people want most in the tutorial.

 

[Diavolo]

stairs!  insanely hard.

 

[Mortus]

I was thinking about a video tutorial too but I can't make (english) voice comments to it which would sound good so I decided not to make one for now.I can always record a small tutorial with subtitles (with the same tower operationals for example) if it'll be useful. I think it won't take much time.

 

[Slots]

Mortus, is there anyway to create a vertex? Since after deleting ones I didnt mean to I woud like to put them back, but I guess the subdivide option would be my answer correct?

Also, awesome tutorial. Now I just need to find a sucker to do the ai mesh for me >.>

EDIT: Quick question. Am I correct in assuming that if I set my ai mesh up properly, the ai will go from one spot to the other if there is only one path it can take?

 

[Mortus]

If you want to create a new vertex on already existing edge - use subdivide, if you want new one only connected to another - you can use extrude and then wield (with both of new created vertexes selected).

I'm not sure that I understood what you meaned in second question. AI will search the shortest way from one spot to another and use it (if there's AI mesh covering all walkable space in the scene).

EDIT: If you want to prevent AI from going into the water for example, delete AI mesh there but make sure that any spot where they may want to go is located whithin the AI mesh, so they won't try to leave AI mesh to reach it.

 

[Berpol]

stairs!  insanely hard.

That depends on the form of the stairs. When have a straight stair I do three squares, one for the base, one for the stairs itself and one for the landing. Though when I will add AI mesh to Falconpass (hopefully finished this week) I would guess each landing needs 3 squares while each ramp only needs one.

I was thinking about a video tutorial too but I can't make (english) voice comments to it which would sound good so I decided not to make one for now.I can always record a small tutorial with subtitles (with the same tower operationals for example) if it'll be useful. I think it won't take much time.

For me the text in the first post was enough, that way I can also reread whatever I need.

Oh, if I haven't said so...
Many thanks for this tutorial, it really helped my map making.

Also, awesome tutorial. Now I just need to find a sucker to do the ai mesh for me >.>

I would help but I'm still at work with my second settlement (e2m2 is nearly finished) and I need to add AI mesh to Falconpass. My advise is to at least try to do it yourself, I learned a lot while doing it.

 

[Slots]

I did the AI Mesh for my e2m2 scene, and the rest is just deleting and editing that mesh. The AI mesh is just time consuming. I regret getting the gate houses and towers with lots of stairs . I tried it first without reading this tutorial and failed miserably at it. After reading it it was so much easier. You can see my AI mesh in one of my posts in the scene making guide.

 

[Louis Dumonte]

I quickly read this thread and did not see any mention of AI mesh limiters, so I will mention them now(sorry if they were already mentioned).

AI mesh limiters can be found in the Scene Prop section of the Edit Objects section. They can be used (I'm guessing) to block off parts of the mesh that you don't want them in (like in walls) so that you don't need to subdivide the square.

If this is not true then feel free to ignore this but I have not been able to test because I am currently on a computer that doesn't have M&B. Subdividing the square obviously works as well so feel free to do whatever is easier.

 

[Diavolo]

I have used AI limiters as something you use to stop both ai and the player from going somewhere. (for exaple jump off a bridge over a deep river)
the important with them is that you have to have the red side facing where the people come from. (dont know why they have red and green side, dont know if it really is a difference between the green and the red, but it has worked for me, so idk.)

 

[NaglFaar]

The ai limiters will only block out the AI to go beyond that point. (red side).
It's good if you have strange corner or alleys.

Barrier on the other than is block out both the ai AND the player.

Use to muck of them and it will look unnatural. Sort of.

 

[Louis Dumonte]

I have used AI limiters as something you use to stop both ai and the player from going somewhere. (for exaple jump off a bridge over a deep river)
the important with them is that you have to have the red side facing where the people come from. (dont know why they have red and green side, dont know if it really is a difference between the green and the red, but it has worked for me, so idk.)

It is possible for AI and the player to go through the green side. The green side is only really useful for sieges and such because it allows the attackers to get onto the walls but stops the defenders from leaving.

 

[NaglFaar]

You can pass through the green side but not the red.

 

[Zima]

Hi gang, I have an AI mesh question.

Edit: solved my own problem, disregard

 

[Kritzo]

Now, delete selected faces and move remaining faces' vertexes closer to the building:

Spoiler

How do i move the faces? I'm new to this

 

[Diavolo]

you select either a face (face mode), or a  vertice (vertice mode) or an edge (edge mode), and then hold the button used to move normal objects around in either x,y or z direction, then just move the mouse and the selected part will move.

 

[Kritzo]

you select either a face (face mode), or a  vertice (vertice mode) or an edge (edge mode), and then hold the button used to move normal objects around in either x,y or z direction, then just move the mouse and the selected part will move.

Thanks for the reply. Which button is normally used to move normal objects? O.O (wow i feel stupid)

Edit: Found out now... The button was "G" thanks for the help

Edit 2: When i Subdivide or Extrude there dont appear new edges from the new stuff which came exsample:

Spoiler

As you can see the edges aren't there

Spoiler

What am i doing wrong?

 

[Diavolo]

perhaps they have just slipped under ground or something. I never used edge mode much anyway, always used verice mode. Edge mode just for using subdivide 

my advice is perhaps use face mode, and just shake the faces without edges a bit about, and then they probably will be visible.

edit: understodd what the problem is now: when you extrude the new edge isnt there?
the thing is that its under ground, the new face follows in the same the direction as the old one was facing, that means that they often go under grund.
solution is just to lift everything a bit up, and the missing faces/edges will probably reappear.

 

[Zima]

I had the no new edges problem too, except it was accompanied by a giant warped edge that flew across the map to a seemingly random vertex, once that happened, no new edges. The only solution I've found is, unfortunately, remove faces from the mesh elsewhere. I have a river so I saved faces that way, and the rest I snagged from the borders of my map. As I advance in settlement complexity I think may be able to replace some of the faces, because I'll have to delete faces from underneath buildings anyway. Hopefully you've just got Diavolo's simple issue instead of my lame one.