SUBSIM Radio Room Forums - View Single Post

peabody · 02-26-09, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WEBSTER

Quote:

Originally Posted by peabody

This is what I sent in the PM, if you highlight the parts you don't understand maybe I or someone else can help.

To add a visibleunderwater controller. Open S3D and open the .sim file (that is where I usually put them)

1. In the submarine.sim file just select a node, any node so it will put it next in line.

this response sounds dumb but i dont understand you, i just dont know what your asking. do you want me to select the first column or the second one that opens?
and am i supposed to pick something thats there and says stuff or am i supposed to find an empty one?
***First, let's start with my mistake.

You specifically were asking about the TBT/UZO and that is in the tower. So object folder, not the submarine.
1. In this case it doen't matter, selecting a node or child node (the one that opens up) only puts it "next in line" So you only need to select a node so that it can put it somewhere. As you do these, you can keep similar ones grouped together by selecting the node and it will be placed next. (for example if you wanted to keep all your Turrets grouped together) That's all, just so you know where it is going to go. So if you have a specific place you want something to go then you need to be specific on which node you select. (now every rule has exceptions and I don't pretend to understand them all, probably not even most of them)

2. No do not find an <empty> one. It would not replace it anyway it would go "next in line" And some <empty> nodes are not empty they just don't have a label to tell you what it is. I have seen some that seem to really be "empty" but I do not know why they are there.
3. You can also put this in the .dat file under the UZO node but I just felt it would be easier to explain doing it this way. If you look at the TBT in the US sensors you will see.

node-NSS_TBT_base
3d model
label

node-NSS TBT
3dmodel
A Nss_tbt

So it would be just a little more confusing to expain it, because when you put in the controller, it would jump to the bottom of the .dat file, because it doesn't know what to link to, until you take the ID and put it in the Parent ID slot of the controller. Then it would pop back up into place.

4. You can also do this by copy/paste or by exporting chunks from an existing underwater controller and then import into your object, but I find in a case like this, it is quicker to do it then it is to find one to copy.
*************************************************

2. Right click and in the dropdown menu select Append New Chunk then Controller (10) and then Controller (10/-1)

this i understood but how would you decide which one i needed if i was doing something else? is there something like a definitions for use section somewhere?

*****************
The only one I have encountered in my work is a 10/-1 a general controller, the other ones are listed as specific controllers and what they are for. I have never used them. (such as "position keyframes" "rotation Keyframes" etc.) If I was to do one of these I would definately do the export chunks (where you export each line, make sure to preserve Header with the checkbox so they know how they are connected when you import them) When I did some export chunks, I numbered them in the order they needed to be imported. Then select node where you need it to go "next in line" and import the chunks in the same order you exported them.
Another way is copy/paste (Thanks to skwasjer-fairly new feature) and you open two S3D windows and copy/paste each line from one to the other.
**********************************

3. An <empty> node will appear (if you do this in a .dat file inside another node it usually drops down to the bottom of the list, but will come back up when you link it to the object)

ok

4 With <empty> selected, right click and choose Append New Chunk then Properties then SH4 then SHControllers then scroll to the bottom of the list and find VisibleUnderwater and click on it.

i never got this far but this i understand ok

5. !! VisibleUnderwater node will appear. ok

6 One the right hand window it will say "Under=false". Click on that and at the bottom of the screen will be a checkbox for "Value", put a check in the box and then it will be "Under=true"

ok, sounds good. but in this case dont i want it "false" so its not visable underwater?

Well of couse you do. I must have been getting tired. (ok, so I'm just stupid

) Sorry, my mistake.

7. Select <empty> and copy the ID (not parent ID)

umm, where at do i select empty?

**************************
It is the controller you just put in and it still says <empty> until you do step 12. After you do step 12 the node for the controller and the child node for the Properties have the same name and it makes it harder to explain.
************************************

8. Select !!VisibleUnderwater node and paste the number into "Parent ID". The node should "tuck in under the <empty> node.

errm, ok??? i guess i cant do this part wrong but im not sure if i completely understand whats going to happen. do you mean it will become a child node?

****************
Exactly, I just worded it that way simply because I don't know what you know and what you don't know. I Meant no insult, but if I said child node and you didn't know what a child node is it may become more confusing.
*****************************************

9 Go up to the top right and click on .dat and the subs .dat file will open.

ok

10. Find the node of the object you want to be invisible. Usually it is a "node-cfg#xxx" Select that node and copy the ID (not parent ID)

ok, here it gets fuzzy again. do i open the whole tree for that object or just the main node?
*******************************
In most cases main node, but the TBT has a base and the TBT itself, so you could link to the TBT which is a child node and leave the base on the boat. (I think that will work, I haven't actually tried it) So basically to cover most cases, link to the object you want to be invisible.
*************************************************

11. Go back to the .sim file and click on <empty> and paste the number into "Parent ID"

again "empty" where? just find something somewhere at the bottom of the list?
********************************
No not 'any' empty, The same empty you just added, the contoller for the TBT. If I knew you understood the child node, I would have had you do step 12 earler, and thereby eliminating a lot of the confusion because the node would have a name instead of saying <empty>.
The main node is the controller and the child node is the "Properties" for that controller. Any nodes you add using this procedure will say <empty> when you first put them in. S3D only knows you put in a controller, it doesn't know which one until you tell it. In this case with step 12.
************************************************** *******

12. Now with <empty> selected go to the right to the "Name" box and type a V, from the list that drops down select visibleunderwater.

ok

13 So now <Empty> should say "node-VisibleUnderwater" The other node should be indented under it and the "!!" should be gone. And it should be linked to the object in the dat file that you want invisible underwater.

ok

Peabody

now in step 1 you say to use the subs sim file, but what if i want to make this change to all subs in the game? is there a way to do that or must i do each one seperately?
*********************************************
Yes you can do them all at once, the TBT for US subs is in the Library/USsubparts/Sensor_Sub_US.dat, .sim etc. The German one is UZO and is in the Germansubpart/senzori_sub.dat sim.
*********************************************

hopefully this will help you understand where im getting confused at.

******************************************
I totally understand. I am not very good at explaining stuff, but I do my best. In fact for one person, I actually used CamStudio and did a video because it was easier than explaining it.
This all sounds very complicated, but if you can do it once and have it work, at least in this case; you will find it is actually faster to do this then to find a "visibleunderwater controller" to copy.
**************************************************
thanks, webster

I hope this clears some stuff up. If not let me know. If you ask something I don't know the answer to, I will tell you that. I am not afraid to say "I don't know". But I am willing to help when I can.

Peabody