Placing path node tips anyone?

[chewmyheadoff]

Iv had so many annoying problems placing path nodes, the main problems are:

- Zombies just stop moving, you have to run up to them.
- Zombies don't try to knock down door.
- Zombies wander around aimlessly.

I was wandering if it was better to place path nodes along the ground, my nodes float at about waist height, does this matter? What other tips do people have to make a good path network?

 

[avp2501]

Click "tools" > "Review Paths"

I'm finding that this is really helping me with my pathing issues such as "too big a gap between this and this node" and "you really need a jumpnode here you know that right?"

The one i can't figure out how to fix is "No navigation point associated with this mover (door)"

Although this would explain why they quite often get stuck on my doors

If anyone knows the answer to this i'll give you 1 smartie but you have to send me a stamp to claim it hehe. And no complains if its not your favourite colour smartie either

 

[shiyou]

use forced and probihited paths

 

[chewmyheadoff]

I do, but they dont have any 'more' effect than they do if they were normally connected. They only connect to path nodes that have something that is blocking its way.

 

[dextronaut]

use the Path node view.

 

[Murphy]

What you are describing sounds like your whole path network seems faulty.

I find that just placing them along ways works pretty well. Maybe one at every intersection plus one at least every 512 units. Just rightclick on the ground, select Add PathNode here and leave it where it is. In most cases this should work fine and in the cases where it doesn't work you'll recieve an error message the next time you rebuild your paths so you'll know what went wrong with what PathNode and you can fix it relatively easily.

This should let your specimen do pretty everything they need to do except for special situations like jumps. If you have a problem with something other than generic pathnodes we need to solve that, but we need a little more specific info.

 

[thrash242]

When you place them, right-click on the 3D view on the floor. That ensures that they're at the right height. If you place them from the other views, they will probably end up at the wrong height. This is true of any actors that should be on the floor or ground.

Show the path nodes in your views and see if they connect. This helps immensely. When I discovered this and looked at my paths, they were all messed up, so whenever you place nodes, check the paths that they create.

Also remember that when you place nodes, if you just put them straight down the middle of a hall, zombies will follow those paths and make 90 degree right turns (at least until they get pretty close to players). This doesn't look very natural--they move more like robots. I usually put groups of two down a hallway, one on either side of the hall and at intersections, I put four--one near each corner. That way, they move more naturally. The point is, think about how you'd move through a level and put nodes accordingly.

 

[knightmare106]

i once noticed that placing a pathnode a little too high made them retarted like they would gather at the slightly too high node and ...try to get to it or something, so i try to keep them close to the ground as possible without shoving half of it into the ground ya kno

when dealing with rooms and large hallways, including pickups and all the other shiz that is used as a pathnode, i make webs so that like someone previously said they dont turn in 90 degree paths and too little pathnodes in rooms makes them do stupid shiz like walk all the way passed you until they hit a wall or in our case a pathnode too far away to snap them out of their cookie trail trance.

if there is a problem with doors please check your doors because i had a big problem where they would go up to doors and do nothing, then i realized the door wouldnt open until i mash E or throw a nade at it. DO check the doors also and make sure they open and close over and over without getting stuck or jamminated o.o

If everything checks out good....add more nodes between and to intersect existing ones to give them more paths, as long as the lines are white or green then you have no probelm with the path, blue is not as good but hasnt given me any problems, other colors mean not reccomended methinks

 

[thrash242]

i once noticed that placing a pathnode a little too high made them retarted like they would gather at the slightly too high node and ...try to get to it or something, so i try to keep them close to the ground as possible without shoving half of it into the ground ya kno

As I said above, you should right-click the floor in your 3D camera view to place path nodes. This eliminates any problems with the height, since placing them this way automatically puts them at the correct height.

After you place them, move them around from above (X-Y view) all you want, but don't move them up or down.

 

[driftwood]

When do you need "jumpnodes" as mentioned by a few people in this thread and what is the actor called exactly? I know about jumpspot but thought that was to do with the destination of a UTJumpPad. In general, I find zombies jump over static meshes and geometry effectively without me doing anything special?

 

[Murphy]

The destination for a UTJumpPad can be a regular PathNode as well. Doesn't matter. The JumpSpot is used as the destination point for a jump where the bot might have to do more than just jump.
In UT2004 you can, for example, use it to tell the bot to always double-jump. For small jumps this is not needed as bots should be able to do those automatically if the PathNodes on either side are connected (if they are not you can force the path to connect them).

 

[chewmyheadoff]

Is there a limit to how many you can place, and will placing more mean decreasing performance?

 

[Murphy]

Placing more means there are more possible connections between them so rebuilding time goes up and more paths also means a slight increase in cpu-usage ingame because specimen have to decide which path to take.
To be honest, I wouldn't worry about this too much. Just place your paths as you need them, make sure they work as intended and forget about them. As long as you don't lay down a carpet of PathNodes you should be fine.

EDIT: As for a limit, I have no idea.

 

[Dragonfel666]

well...aquastudy has 2000 pathnodes, if that gives you an idea of how many you can use.

Also for big open areas make sure you put a few scattered nodes so the have a choice.

On hallways, I like to zig zag their path down the hall, so they dont just walk in a straight line.

 

[Basic_Infantry]

If a pathnode is too high it will tell you so after you rebuild

 

[chewmyheadoff]

Also where does the patriarch spawn? Does it pick any node and spawn there, because I don't want it spawning on a tall building, where zombies jump off.

 

[Murphy]

Try adding ZombieBoss as a DisallowedZEDs in your ZombieVolume. I don't know if it's him but it sounds like it is.

 

[chewmyheadoff]

Oh right ok, one more thing, whats the DoorPathNode for in KFdoormover? Would that be the path zombies have to take to break down the door?

 

[Dragonfel666]

Oh right ok, one more thing, whats the DoorPathNode for in KFdoormover? Would that be the path zombies have to take to break down the door?

if your paths are right, the zombies will break any door that is in their way automatically w/o ne more triggers

You can also edit the spawn room with allowed and disallowed zombies, If all you want it the Pat to spawn there, then goto allowed zombies and add the patricarch, thats it.

 

[driftwood]

if your paths are right, the zombies will break any door that is in their way automatically w/o ne more triggers

So what is ideal pathing then when it comes to doors? As a guess, I have been putting a pathnode about 48 units on EACH side of the door, but I HAVEN'T put one on the door/in doorframe. It seems to work well enough but I do encounter the issue of zombies not breaking down a door