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Line of Objects

12bPilot

12bPilot

Messages
611
Country
switzerland
Maybe this is also something for the BGLC/RIFF section...

Well, I was thinking of this: I want to place custom taxiwaylamp objects along the taxiway, but how to implement?

So, first that came in my mind:
Put every single one with SceneGenX...-> useless, time consuming, and you won't be able to place them in a perfect line. SceneGenX doesn't provide a object line tool like in Airport 3.00...Arithmetically, it could be done with the bias x y z commands by some calculations (vectors, trigonometry and friends :p ) So I hope they'll make such a option in their next release.

Second idea: gmax itself!
I found out how to place objects along a so called spline. You can even set spacing etc...I attached my lamp library object to a (placeholder) cube und they'll line up perfectly along my spline. Just what I wanted.

But when I looked at the asm Code, I was buffled: The objects are placed with Animation Transform command. And I couldn't see a explicit object call for the library object (via its GUID...)
I only found this "bytecode"

Code: 
attached_object_riff_start_array	label	word
    db  'A','T','T','O'   
    dd  attached_object_riff_end_array - $ - 4

db	0, 16, 4, 0, 2, 0, 61, 0, 44, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
db	0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 43, 181, 222, 253, 223, 152, 34, 70, 135, 221, 243, 24
db	48, 51, 223, 250, 0, 0, 128, 63, 97, 116, 116, 97, 99, 104, 112, 116, 95, 114, 111, 98
db	105, 100, 111, 103, 0, 1, 16, 4, 0, 0, 16, 4, 0, 2, 0, 61, 0, 44, 0, 0
db	0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 43, 181, 222
db	253, 223, 152, 34, 70, 135, 221, 243, 24, 48, 51, 223, 250, 0, 0, 128, 63, 97, 116, 116
db	97, 99, 104, 112, 116, 95, 114, 111, 98, 105, 100, 111, 103, 0, 1, 16, 4, 0, 0, 16
db	4, 0, 2, 0, 61, 0, 44, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
db	0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 43, 181, 222, 253, 223, 152, 34, 70, 135, 221, 243, 24, 48, 51
db	223, 250, 0, 0, 128, 63, 97, 116, 116, 97, 99, 104, 112, 116, 95, 114, 111, 98, 105, 100
db	111, 103, 0, 1, 16, 4, 0, 0, 16, 4, 0, 2, 0, 61, 0, 44, 0, 0, 0, 0
db	0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 43, 181, 222, 253, 223
db	152, 34, 70, 135, 221, 243, 24, 48, 51, 223, 250, 0, 0, 128, 63, 97, 116, 116, 97, 99
db	104, 112, 116, 95, 114, 111, 98, 105, 100, 111, 103, 0, 1, 16, 4, 0, 0, 16, 4, 0
db	2, 0, 61, 0, 44, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
db	0, 0, 0, 0, 43, 181, 222, 253, 223, 152, 34, 70, 135, 221, 243, 24, 48, 51, 223, 250
db	0, 0, 128, 63, 97, 116, 116, 97, 99, 104, 112, 116, 95, 114, 111, 98, 105, 100, 111, 103
db	0, 1, 16, 4, 0, 0, 16, 4, 0, 2, 0, 61, 0, 44, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
db	0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 43, 181, 222, 253, 223, 152, 34
db	70, 135, 221, 243, 24, 48, 51, 223, 250, 0, 0, 128, 63, 97, 116, 116, 97, 99, 104, 112
db	116, 95, 114, 111, 98, 105, 100, 111, 103, 0, 1, 16, 4, 0, 0, 16, 4, 0, 2, 0
db	61, 0, 44, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
db	0, 0, 43, 181, 222, 253, 223, 152, 34, 70, 135, 221, 243, 24, 48, 51, 223, 250, 0, 0
db	128, 63, 97, 116, 116, 97, 99, 104, 112, 116, 95, 114, 111, 98, 105, 100, 111, 103, 0, 1
db	16, 4, 0, 0, 16, 4, 0, 2, 0, 61, 0, 44, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
db	0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 43, 181, 222, 253, 223, 152, 34, 70, 135
db	221, 243, 24, 48, 51, 223, 250, 0, 0, 128, 63, 97, 116, 116, 97, 99, 104, 112, 116, 95
db	114, 111, 98, 105, 100, 111, 103, 0, 1, 16, 4, 0, 0, 16, 4, 0, 2, 0, 61, 0
db	44, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
db	43, 181, 222, 253, 223, 152, 34, 70, 135, 221, 243, 24, 48, 51, 223, 250, 0, 0, 128, 63
db	97, 116, 116, 97, 99, 104, 112, 116, 95, 114, 111, 98, 105, 100, 111, 103, 0, 1, 16, 4
db	0, 0, 16, 4, 0, 2, 0, 61, 0, 44, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
db	0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 43, 181, 222, 253, 223, 152, 34, 70, 135, 221, 243
db	24, 48, 51, 223, 250, 0, 0, 128, 63, 97, 116, 116, 97, 99, 104, 112, 116, 95, 114, 111
db	98, 105, 100, 111, 103, 0, 1, 16, 4, 0
attached_object_riff_end_array label word

So what's that? Is it the library object in "binary-format"?
My basic question is: Does it make sense to make a line of object the "gmax-way" :cool: I mean, what's fps friendlier in the end? Are those Transform commands (with their matrices) "cpu-heavier" than placing every object one by one? Or is the bias x y z command a "camouflaged" animation in the end? So both those methods is the same old bull in the very end?? :banghead:
I wonder how a XML generated bgl's sourcefile looked like...

Regards
Jeff
 
Hi Jeff,

Jeffrey Stähli said:
So what's that? Is it the library object in "binary-format"?
Click to expand...

Yes, that is how attached objects look in the source code. It is a definition of all the attachpoints with the library objects linked to it.

Jeffrey Stähli said:
My basic question is: Does it make sense to make a line of object the "gmax-way" :cool: I mean, what's fps friendlier in the end? Are those Transform commands (with their matrices) "cpu-heavier" than placing every object one by one? Or is the bias x y z command a "camouflaged" animation in the end? So both those methods is the same old bull in the very end?? :banghead:
Click to expand...

That is a difficult question, as there as not been done a lot of research on the new format and its framerate effects yet. But I think there will not be a big difference between doing it like this or with the XML code.
 
Hey Jeff,

Can you post your procedure of how you got the proxy box to follow the spline and the spacing. I could really use this technique with my project.

Thanx in advance

Sean E.
 
Sean_E said:
Can you post your procedure of how you got the proxy box to follow the spline and the spacing. I could really use this technique with my project.
Click to expand...

1. In gMax, draw a suitable spline for the path (eg. a curve or a line)
2. Select the object you want to distribute along the path (make a group first if it consists of several parts)
3. Open the Spacing Tool (Tools menu or Shift+i )
4. Define the amount of objects or the spacing along the path and other details
5. Click the 'Pick Path' button and select the spline - and - there you have your objects neatly lined up...
6. Click Apply to make the objects stay

Bamce
:stirthepo
 
Last edited:
Sorry Sean, just discovered your post today...

But it's like Bamce has already described, so thanks there :)

Regards
Jeff
 
Here I go bumping up another old post, but I'm having grave problems using the spacing tool. The object is visible in FS when I'm not trying to space it. But as soon as I attach it to a path and export it again, it does not show up. I've spent the past 3 hours trying to fix it, and getting quite frustrated. :banghead: I've tried both exporting only the spaced objects and exporting the spaced objects and the line they're attached to. I'm assuming somebody has had success with the spacing tool?? Help??

Thanks.
 
Does the attachtool script work normally? It could very well be that you have an exclude causing the attached objects not to work for example.
 
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