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Self forming platforms in UDK

polycounter lvl 12
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JZAcH polycounter lvl 12
i suppose there isnt any1 in here who has not played darksiders.

Right, so i need some help here. The serpent holes in darsiders 1, has got self forming platforms. As shown in this video

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suTObWuCo8U"]The platforms[/ame]

Now, if i was to re-create the same in UDK, where would i start from and how would i proceed to. I am just confused as to how this is to work, given that only when the platform is complete there collision is available for the player to even stand own and stuffs..

seeking help.

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  • sprunghunt
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    sprunghunt polycounter
    You could use matinee and interp actors. You can adjust the collision on the interp actors to collide with the player. This is how elevators are done.

    Another way is to have a blocking volume that you walk on and have an animation that triggers when you get close to the platforms.

    you could also try using a vertex shader that works off player position.
  • JZAcH
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    JZAcH polycounter lvl 12
    sprunghunt wrote: »
    You could use matinee and interp actors. You can adjust the collision on the interp actors to collide with the player. This is how elevators are done.

    Another way is to have a blocking volume that you walk on and have an animation that triggers when you get close to the platforms.

    you could also try using a vertex shader that works off player position.

    But what if , what i wanted was.. like the platform forms randomly, and splits just like that too.. like the ones in the portal level inside the tower (in darksiders itself) then i guess we cant go for the blocking volume with a triggered animation.

    If i had to use interp actors , then wouldn't i have to use each and every block of the rock as a seperate interp actor?

    i am just not so clear about the vertex shader workin off a player position part... :icon_question:
  • sprunghunt
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    sprunghunt polycounter
    JZAcH wrote: »
    But what if , what i wanted was.. like the platform forms randomly, and splits just like that too.. like the ones in the portal level inside the tower (in darksiders itself) then i guess we cant go for the blocking volume with a triggered animation.

    If i had to use interp actors , then wouldn't i have to use each and every block of the rock as a seperate interp actor?

    i am just not so clear about the vertex shader workin off a player position part... :icon_question:

    Completely random is impossible. And I doubt the darksiders example is random. You could make a single tile of this using interp actors and matinee and encapsulate it using a prefab. And then repeat the prefab around.
  • ambershee
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    ambershee polycounter lvl 17
    The DarkSiders example really just looks like something you'd do quite easily with matinee and a trigger.
  • Xendance
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    Xendance polycounter lvl 7
    I'd imagine that is easier to do in Unreal Script than messing around with matinee and triggers. That is if you know how to code Unreal Script.
  • passerby
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    passerby polycounter lvl 12
    i like the vertex shader, driven off the players position vector solution. do that and have a extra mask, so it appears that things are coming upwards in a more random manner.
  • JZAcH
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    JZAcH polycounter lvl 12
    if its matinee, then each of those piece of rock must be made separately with its own collision and stuff right.. hmm.. How is it goin to be easier coding.. i mean what is the principle behind it..
  • JZAcH
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    JZAcH polycounter lvl 12
    would reverse animations work?
  • passerby
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    passerby polycounter lvl 12
    JZAcH wrote: »
    would reverse animations work?

    ya maybe 1 model, but setup different tiles on bones, and drive the animation using matinee in udk.

    i was experimenting with the vertex shader idea for it, was able to make the ground raise up below the player, but the problem is that it is happen per vertex, so it's warping the shape of tiles.
  • JZAcH
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    JZAcH polycounter lvl 12
  • Macattackk
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    Macattackk polycounter lvl 7
    JZAcH wrote: »
    if its matinee, then each of those piece of rock must be made separately with its own collision and stuff right.. hmm.. How is it goin to be easier coding.. i mean what is the principle behind it..

    couldnt you just have a collision mesh already there for the bridge, then those pieces would just be static meshes used as art but not actually walked on

    are there any tuts or documentation on the vertex shader method you guys are talking about?
  • JZAcH
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    JZAcH polycounter lvl 12
    Macattackk wrote: »
    couldnt you just have a collision mesh already there for the bridge, then those pieces would just be static meshes used as art but not actually walked on

    are there any tuts or documentation on the vertex shader method you guys are talking about?


    yes but when the blocks deform again, the player would be standing in empty space instead of falling down... here lies a major problem.
  • passerby
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    passerby polycounter lvl 12
    JZAcH wrote: »
    yes but when the blocks deform again, the player would be standing in empty space instead of falling down... here lies a major problem.


    give the mesh that does this no collisions at all, than have a invisible collision mesh that you enabled and disable via kismet.
  • Xendance
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    Xendance polycounter lvl 7
    JZAcH wrote: »
    yes but when the blocks deform again, the player would be standing in empty space instead of falling down... here lies a major problem.

    I thought the idea was the this is a distance based thing, thus the player would never be near a path that wouldn't have the "bridge" up.
  • JZAcH
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    JZAcH polycounter lvl 12
    Xendance wrote: »
    I thought the idea was the this is a distance based thing, thus the player would never be near a path that wouldn't have the "bridge" up.

    the idea has been taken to the next level :poly122:
  • JZAcH
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    JZAcH polycounter lvl 12
    passerby wrote: »
    give the mesh that does this no collisions at all, than have a invisible collision mesh that you enabled and disable via kismet.

    can you actually time a blocking volume like that using kismet?
  • passerby
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    passerby polycounter lvl 12
    JZAcH wrote: »
    can you actually time a blocking volume like that using kismet?

    ya could enable and disable one with kismet, or make a mesh, set vis to none, and place it as a interp actor, and move it around with maintnee.

    collision for something like this don't have to be accurate, since as the player it's hard to tell if your standing right on something or slightly above.

    so do the actually art part in a 3d package as a skeleton animation, and drive both that animation and the moving of the mesh your using for collisions with maitnee
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