Archive: 21 posts

---

Poor title i know, but it gets the point across (i hope ) anyway, as part of a project series i'm working on with Theap Pleman and other creators (we need more designers if anyones interested /plug) I was working on the boss for the level, pictured in the spoiler if you're interested. http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff297/Burnvictim42/LBP/APhoto_12-1.jpg but as one of the bosses attacks, he spawns other aliens inside the main compartment, and shoots them out at the player, creating an additional set of plasma shots to dodge ;p Now, the enemy i HAD planned to use, this one: http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff297/Burnvictim42/LBP/APhoto_11-1.jpg Is holding little plasma spewing guns. Unfortunately, in order to build the boss correctly, these guns don't work with my planar limitations (ie: it won't emit out of the boss, because it intersects in the plane and I'd really rather shoot them out of the boss body, instead of emitting them visibly, for effects sake.) So, since i'm limited to a single thick plane, i had to remove the wobbly bolt that would usually turn the guns fire and make it seem like less static shooting, and so i'm asking if anyone can think of a way to make these little guys more intelligent (ie: its not just horizontal shooting with gaps where you shoot it).? Again, this all needs to fit into one thick plane, so there are some major limitations. Thanks for reading this wall of text (or at least pretending to ;p) Comments on the designs are also welcome if theres something you think could be improved.

2009-06-23 06:04:00 Author: Burnvictim42 Posts: 3322

---

If I understand well, I'm kinda having the same problem with a contramption I'm making. I'll follow this thread and see if I can solve my problem too.

2009-06-23 06:31:00 Author: OmegaSlayer Posts: 5112

---

Maybe the guns are attached to springs so when the small enemies are released, their guns bob up and down? Kinda limited, and not the best visually, but that might help a bit... Hmm...so you can't use the thin layer in front or behind huh? Darn...

2009-06-23 06:43:00 Author: Theap Pleman Posts: 670

---

yea, thats the problem i'm having, the layer issue =/ But i thought i'd ask, maybe someone can tell me how to do a wobble effect with pistons, so far my experiments haven't been so fruitful. Or maybe someone has a better solution entirely, how the monsters attack can be changed if someone offers a good solution.

2009-06-23 06:48:00 Author: Burnvictim42 Posts: 3322

---

How about a piston attached to its head moving the gun? The base near his hand could be attached by a rod instead of glued to his arm, so there's freedom for movement.

2009-06-23 06:49:00 Author: Theap Pleman Posts: 670

---

How about a piston attached to its head moving the gun? The base near his hand could be attached by a rod instead of glued to his arm, so there's freedom for movement. That actually may be a good solution, i'll give it a go later, and see if the gun snaps or anything.

2009-06-23 06:50:00 Author: Burnvictim42 Posts: 3322

---

Hope it works, sounds good on paper at least!

2009-06-23 06:51:00 Author: Theap Pleman Posts: 670

---

have you considered creating hinged joints in a single plane to give movement? If the arms have curved ends, and the body has sockets. Use elastic or string like ligaments to hold the arm in place (not too tight though) and then use a piston to articulate like a muscle... Of course, the theory is sound, but implementation is a pain and I think it broke when I tried something similar, but I was really inexperienced then. Actually, looking again, is this similar to Theap Pleman's idea?

2009-06-23 10:06:00 Author: rtm223 Posts: 6497

---

Has some of you guys downloaded the monster pack? There's a part when you get on the train that the motor bolt "passes magically through" a thin layer. I don't know if I understood your problem 100% due to my poor English, but there should be a solution

2009-06-23 14:01:00 Author: OmegaSlayer Posts: 5112

---

My idea was very similar to rtm's. Just think of a shoulder joint, where you make a little ball and socket. Give either the ball or the socket a thing layer of glass and it should work fine. I think because of the nature of the piston, it might break the thing. Perhaps a wench would work better...

2009-06-23 14:20:00 Author: comphermc Posts: 5338

---

WENCH! Ahem. IDK, I think the issue with breaking was more to do with a badly designed joint than the piston. Assuming you have reasonable angles on it it shouldn't really matter if you are using a piston. You can also make it weak so if it gets stuck it just locks up rather than breaking.

2009-06-23 16:06:00 Author: rtm223 Posts: 6497

---

Problem solved. See video: YouTube - Demo for LBP The glass is the key to the socket, as it allows better movement. This didn't take very long either.

2009-06-23 16:27:00 Author: comphermc Posts: 5338

---

Nice! Did you try it with pistons instead, Because it looks smooth enough to handle it. Obviously, the optimum would be two chains as an antagonistic pair, but I think I'm just being silly now

2009-06-23 19:02:00 Author: rtm223 Posts: 6497

---

Thank you all so much! That is a brilliant solution there with the hinging of the arm joints.

2009-06-23 20:10:00 Author: Burnvictim42 Posts: 3322

---

Pistons do indeed work, but the only difference is that you can impede the downward motion of the arms with the chains. It's your call burnvictim.

2009-06-23 21:12:00 Author: comphermc Posts: 5338

---

The idea posted in the video works well I'm assuming, but I thought of something a little unconventional, but would look interesting as a spawned enemy from the boss. If I'm understanding the situation correctly, you can't use thin layers because they would overlap with the body of the boss, where they are spawning from. An interesting solution would be to have a type of "track" in the thin layers of the body where the enemies come onto. That would allow you to use the thin layer for the creature's wobble bolt connections, and look cool as the creature comes out of the boss's body.

2009-06-23 21:30:00 Author: BSprague Posts: 2325

---

nice idea, but thats not what i want, as i said in the OP i try to keep the emitting process covered up so as not to tax the believability as much. The winch/rod method worked fine, i picked it merely because it required the least modifying of the design on my part Thank you all for the help, as far as i'm concerned this is a problem solved... for now ;p

2009-06-24 05:21:00 Author: Burnvictim42 Posts: 3322

---

Idea=ganked.

2009-07-03 03:05:00 Author: coyote_blue Posts: 422

---

Idea=ganked. Meaning what? I'm not sure what you are getting at with that equation. Care to elaborate?

2009-07-03 05:29:00 Author: BSprague Posts: 2325

---

I saw the ball-and-socket joint. Even if you guys don't end up using it here, it's too good to go by the wayside. If I had had that technology earlier, I would have used it on the Sakunaga boss for Lone Ninja 4, who currently takes up two planes in a clumsy manner and caused me no end of logistical problems because of it. Sorry for the obscure interjection. Next time, I'll just post a thanks to the YouTube video and keep my mouth shut.

2009-07-04 15:12:00 Author: coyote_blue Posts: 422

---

no definitely agreed, the ball and socket is a brilliant idea. But i thought it would look a little odd on my alien, and i'd have to rework it far more. If i ever have a similar problem in the future i'd probably try for the ball and socket first.

2009-07-04 23:51:00 Author: Burnvictim42 Posts: 3322

Posts: 1077139    Threads: 69970    Members: 9661    Archive-Date: 2019-01-19

Aus dem Archiv wurden alle persönlichen Daten wie Name, Anschrift, Email etc. - aber auch sämtliche Inhalte wie z.B. persönliche Nachrichten - entfernt.
Die Nutzung dieser Webseite erfolgt ohne Speicherung personenbezogener Daten. Es werden keinerlei Cookies, Logs, 3rd-Party-Plugins etc. verwendet.