Cinematic editor - Simplifying movement
Fragmagnet
Join Date: 2010-07-26 Member: 72873Members
Join Date: 2010-07-26 Member: 72873Members
I've mucked around in the cinematic editor for a while, and moving actors is easy, but can be ridiculously tedious.
I suggest a tool where you select an actor and then draw a path for the actor to follow.
Then you would designate the movement type. (running/walking/crouched)
It would have the movment speeds that go to each model. (marine, skulk, etc) and would mark the end keyframe for reference purposes.
You could have the actor turn with the drawn path as well.
The actor would stay on the ground the entire way also. (unless designated as a lurk or jetpacker)
This would simplify the cinematic editor so much, and would also make things not take as long.
I suggest a tool where you select an actor and then draw a path for the actor to follow.
Then you would designate the movement type. (running/walking/crouched)
It would have the movment speeds that go to each model. (marine, skulk, etc) and would mark the end keyframe for reference purposes.
You could have the actor turn with the drawn path as well.
The actor would stay on the ground the entire way also. (unless designated as a lurk or jetpacker)
This would simplify the cinematic editor so much, and would also make things not take as long.
Comments
I don't think that this would need any bot code.
This is for the cinematic editor, not the actual game itself.
You draw a path for an actor to follow.
You arn't making waypoints.
The model is forced to move along the path at the designated speed and its angles could be automatically adjusted so the front of the model is always facing the direction that it's heading.
You could designate at which point along the path the actor rotates.
And then change the speed to strafing or backstepping.
Simple.
And what if you wanted to show a slow rotation?
I'm actually not well aware of how the cinematic editor currently handles movements, could you summarily explain it to me?
And what if you wanted to show a slow rotation?
I'm actually not well aware of how the cinematic editor currently handles movements, could you summarily explain it to me?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Are you saying something like this example.
A marine is staring at a door.
The marine walks forwards 1 meter.
The marine walks left 1 meter while still looking at the door.
The marine walks backwards 1 meter while still looking at the door.
The marine walks right 1 meter while still looking at the door.
For that, you could draw 4 paths with different parameters, or draw one path and designate the marine to not change his facing throughout the move, and at each corner you could change his speed to strafing, then backstepping, then strafing, etc.
I'm pretty sure you can already show a slow rotation since the flythrough of ns2_Tram has a few.
This will probably be a bit of a lesson for some people, but you seem like you will understand it.
To move an actor
Place the actor.
Click, Create key frames.
Move the timeline to when you want the move to end.
Click, Record key frames.
Move the actor via origin coords or the move tool.
Click, Record key frames.
NOTE I don't think you can make curves this way.
..actually... that doesn't sound as confusing as I thought it would.
Ah, okay, I think I get it. Do you set which animation you want to use? So would something like sprinting at walking speed be possible? :P
Would it be helpful if you could set the actor's orientation/rotation and the actor's movement path independently?
I'm just unsure how it might handle the different animations. If, like in the 1m square example, you drew the square movement path for the key frames, and set the orientation/rotation to be nil throughout the key frames, would the cinematic editor already know how to deal with the animations? (You know, assuming that backstepping and strafing look different to walking forward).
Naturally, you'd also want an option that has the rotation change with the movement path.
So something like,
- You draw the actor's path, set speed parameters.
- Editor generates keyframes.
- Rotation initially set to nil throughout the path (always facing the same direction).
- You can choose an option to specify a base rotation and then "fit" the rotation to the path (so you could specify the base rotation to 90 degrees, and strafe along a circular path).
- You specify the rotation (by dragging an arrow, for instance) for certain keyframes along the path. Editor interpolates where necessary.
- Editor chooses the correct animations.
This is for the cinematic editor, not the actual game itself.
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