build angles

[Caydr]

OT, sorry - you can't move/rotate units via LUA user-side, can you? Please tell me that's mod-side only.

[Tobi]

Mod side only yeah.

[zwzsg]

Does my Auto First Build Facing LUA widget count?

Just trying to confuse Caydr, sorry.

[Jazcash]

I'd still love an easier rotation system where instead of using '[' and ']' you could for example, point in the direction you want the lab to face with the mouse. Or, make it so 'A' and 'S' keys rotate units like '[' and ']'. Make them active only when building units so it doesn't wreck their other uses.

It's just, '[' and ']' keys are on the other side of the keyboard meaning I have to either take my hand off the left side of the kayboard or the mouse. Really not a fan...

[manolo_]

I'd still love an easier rotation system where instead of using '[' and ']' you could for example, point in the direction you want the lab to face with the mouse. Or, make it so 'A' and 'S' keys rotate units like '[' and ']'. Make them active only when building units so it doesn't wreck their other uses.

It's just, '[' and ']' keys are on the other side of the keyboard meaning I have to either take my hand off the left side of the kayboard or the mouse. Really not a fan...

i would love it, when u could rotate with mouse wheel up and down (maybe also with holding an other key, so zooming is still possible)

[thesleepless]

or click and drag to set building orientation like in c+c generals, that worked quite nicely

[CarRepairer]

I'd still love an easier rotation system where instead of using '[' and ']' you could for example, point in the direction you want the lab to face with the mouse. Or, make it so 'A' and 'S' keys rotate units like '[' and ']'. Make them active only when building units so it doesn't wreck their other uses.

It's just, '[' and ']' keys are on the other side of the keyboard meaning I have to either take my hand off the left side of the kayboard or the mouse. Really not a fan...

http://www.uikeys.txt.com

Also see buildfacing north, buildfacing south, buildfacing east, buildfacing west.

[Jazcash]

I'd still love an easier rotation system where instead of using '[' and ']' you could for example, point in the direction you want the lab to face with the mouse. Or, make it so 'A' and 'S' keys rotate units like '[' and ']'. Make them active only when building units so it doesn't wreck their other uses.

It's just, '[' and ']' keys are on the other side of the keyboard meaning I have to either take my hand off the left side of the kayboard or the mouse. Really not a fan...

http://www.uikeys.txt.com

Also see buildfacing north, buildfacing south, buildfacing east, buildfacing west.

Would that override Attack and Stop commands though?

[Caydr]

I think the problem with arbitrarily rotated buildings (when it's an actual gameplay effect, not just a purely visual cob rotation) is that is messes up the TA - and probably therefore Spring - space occupancy system. Maps are a grid, every little square can be either occupied or not, when there's a unit half-way between it rounds. Rotation of a long unit does not, however, rotate its occupancy, since squares when rotated become larger on the X+Y axis, exploding the universe.

For instance, early versions of AA had battleships with groundplates (the green outline around units) that weren't square. Looked ok until they turned, since the groundplate cannot rotate with the unit.

It's plain to see that it's a pita to do anything about it... If they allowed 45 degree rotation for instance, or even arbitrary rotation, it would mean that...

OK, anyone play the original sims? You know how you can build walls at 45 degree angles but then you can't put anything right up against them and it looks like hell? Same problem.

That's why this thread is asking about purely visual rotation which has no actual effect on the gameplay, just makes buildings look a little more random and TAish. It would be activated by an FBI code and default to 0, so if you didn't want it in your mod, you wouldn't have to have it. In fact, it could even be a UI option that each user can set theoretically. It has absolutely no effect on gameplay, collision spheres, etc.

Using the cob method does it part way but if you allow rotation of more than, say, 5 degrees, it looks ridiculous when the building explodes since the wreck is not correspondingly rotated. Solars, dragons teeth, etc, are particularly idiotic-looking.

[Gota]

In sims 3 you can.

[Caydr]

Yes, but you can't drown people by removing the ladder anymore. Why can't they just get it right the first time?

[Argh]

Using the cob method does it part way but if you allow rotation of more than, say, 5 degrees, it looks ridiculous

Then don't rotate it more than 5 degrees.

Here's all the COB you need to add in Create():

Code: Select all

turn base to y-axis rand(-5,5) * <1> now;

And yes, that will work just fine, no matter what buildfacing the object uses.

[Caydr]

why the "* <1>"?

Argh I'm guessing you haven't played TA, +/- 5 degrees doesn't recreate the effect. Well, no matter, I guess this is a pretty trivial thing to ask for...

[FLOZi]

why the "* <1>"?

Presumably

Code: Select all

<rand(-5,5)>

wouldn't compile.

[Argh]

Yeah, that won't compile like that.

The *<1> means to multiply the result by Spring's angular constant. So, 2 * <1> == 2 degrees.

[Caydr]

turn base to y-axis Rand( <-5.000000>, <5.000000> ) now;

works fine. I guess it's just six of one, half a dozen of the other.