Camera/object movement along path

[Makumba666]

Hi all,
Is it possible to draw some path (suppose some complex curve) in IrrEdit or some 3d design program and then move camera/object along that path?
I dont mean some mathematical masturbation inside program code - just some invisible spline made in 3d designer.
Is such thing possible?

[Virion]

yes, there is a scene node animator in irrlicht called follow spline scene node animator. (ESNAT_FOLLOW_SPLINE )

[JP]

Yeah the spline animator (Demo application in the examples folder of the SDK has one of these in action) will do the trick. It doesn't draw it for you though, but you don't actually seem to need that option so that's fine!

[rogerborg]

Don't listen to these hippies. No, Irrlicht does not provide any built-in mechanism to load a spline that was created in an external application. You have to use "mathematical masturbation" to define all the points.

However, you could model and save out an invisible mesh composed of nothing but joints, and automate the masturbation, something like this:

Code: Select all

    core::array<core::vector3df> points;
    scene::IAnimatedMeshSceneNode * joints = smgr->addAnimatedMeshSceneNode(smgr->getMesh("splinesMesh.X"));
    for(u32 jointId = 0; jointId < joints->getJointCount(); ++jointId)
    {
        scene::IBoneSceneNode * joint = joints->getJointNode(jointId);
        points.push_back(joint->getPosition());
    }

    scene::ISceneNodeAnimator * splineAnimator = smgr->createFollowSplineAnimator(device->getTimer()->getTime(), points);

[JP]

I call for rogerborg to be banned for talking about automated masturbation!

[dlangdev]

Don't listen to these hippies. No, Irrlicht does not provide any built-in mechanism to load a spline that was created in an external application. You have to use "mathematical masturbation" to define all the points.

However, you could model and save out an invisible mesh composed of nothing but joints, and automate the masturbation, something like this:

Code: Select all

    core::array<core::vector3df> points;
    scene::IAnimatedMeshSceneNode * joints = smgr->addAnimatedMeshSceneNode(smgr->getMesh("splinesMesh.X"));
    for(u32 jointId = 0; jointId < joints->getJointCount(); ++jointId)
    {
        scene::IBoneSceneNode * joint = joints->getJointNode(jointId);
        points.push_back(joint->getPosition());
    }

    scene::ISceneNodeAnimator * splineAnimator = smgr->createFollowSplineAnimator(device->getTimer()->getTime(), points);

damn, that's bordering fetishism already.

good code. been lookin for a solution but hesitated to ask it here.

[pera]

Bah! It doesn't curve in motion there, just a broken line movement, not to mention all the must.

If you want a really nice curly motion, without any coding at all, don't listen to these punks and hippies. I mean really smooth movement with camera looking around and everything. No programming at all. Don't listen to anyone.

[dlangdev]

i will use this technique when i set up a sample custscene sometime later. the code is a good example, tho i still need to figure out how to synch it to a dialog. and background music is something i have to study too.

a custscene manager is needed, then a cutscene class will have to be coded. i'm sure there's going to be a timeline object in there along with quaternions and slerp as well.

there's just too much complexity right there, hope i can do it and make a sample custscene.

[rogerborg]

Careful! Don't tell us too much about your ideas or we might steal them and trade them for beer and hookers.