Multi-Passenger Vehicle

shiftey · Post by **shiftey** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 12:58 am

I have extracted the blackhawk model from DaMaNs awesome map oc_waking_dead. I plan to fix it up and redo textures in the future and also add passenger slots.

It would be helpful if I could gather some tips/instructions from anybody that has knowledge of this matter. I want to make the chopper an NPC like the combine heli, except I want it to carry players. I have a few questions and requests.

1. Would I be able to use entity npc_helicopter and change the custom model to my modified blackhawk? This would eliminate the need for me to ask skidz to make a new NPC.

2. How do I attach and setup passenger slots on a new vehicle? (preferably outside of the Hammer editor)

3. This one is a request for skidz: Would you code in my animations for player entry/exit of the chopper once I make them?

My weapon of choice is 3dsmax 9 so if you can please try to explain things relative to that. Otherwise I don't have a problem trying out XSI.

If I can get this completed I would also like to make a few ground vehicles as well. All of which I'd have no problem distributing to anybody making an OC map. It would be nice to expand the list of OC NPCs anyway.

shiftey · Post by **shiftey** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 5:00 pm

I'm starting to think everybody is busy playing farcry 2...

Blues · Post by **Blues** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 5:09 pm

Actually you could only create multiseated vehicles in hammer by using prop_vehicle_prisoner_pods and setting the heli as their parent, i think.

We don't even have multi-seated jalopies yet. And i'm not sure if skidz and hyper will ever code them...

shiftey · Post by **shiftey** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 5:11 pm

So could I use instead of the prisoner pod, a buggy seat and set it to "don't render"? Creating the illusion of the player climbing into and sitting in a seat in the heli?

EDIT: Couldn't I technically make a new vehicle consisting of only a playerseat and assign it as a prop_jeep?

Blues · Post by **Blues** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 5:25 pm

You could actually do this but prop_vehicle_jeeps have engine and driving sounds.

I'll have a quick look into the prisoner pod script and see if you can somehow change the animation for players that are in it in the TXT file

Edit:
No, it must be in the code, not in the script...
But maybe you could have a modified buggy script in which you change the sounds and then make a seat model instead of a buggy model.
Then you could attach them to the heli with some hinge constraint or whatever.
As you can set the script to use in the entities properties which i just remarked. I'll test how this works

shiftey · Post by **shiftey** » Sun Oct 26, 2008 3:13 am

Can I make a custom model of a seat with only one attachment point(the player seat attachment) and load it with a prop_vehicle_prisonerpod? I can always parent that to whatever other vehicle. But is it possible to change the model and animation?

DaMaN · Post by **DaMaN** » Sun Oct 26, 2008 7:01 pm

If you're trying to make custom vehicles in hammer, check out a few of my prefabs, they might give you some ideas. In particular, the Flyable Transport Helicopter and the Controllable Combine Scanner is a good idea to look at.

Link: http://obsidianconflict.de/forums/viewt ... 9247#39247

A tutorial on how to make brush vehicles can be found here: http://www.hl2world.com/wiki/index.php/ ... sh_Vehicle

shiftey · Post by **shiftey** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 5:22 am

Ok I figured it all out. I need to make a prop_vehicle_jeep and set it with a custom model (which I would make: some type of seat). I could then create a new script for the vehicle that changes all sounds to a silent one. Then I can parent the prop_vehicle_jeep onto whatever transport vehicle I want and the player will appear to be sitting in a seat, idle. As soon as I finish my current map I'll start work on this.

If any of this won't work and you know it please give me a heads up. Oh and any help with it would be appreciated.

If I can get this to work, I'll release the necessary files and write a tutorial so other mappers can get transport vehicles into their OC maps.

Blues · Post by **Blues** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 1:36 pm

I just noticed that you can't really parent the prop_vehicle_jeep but you will have to use phys_constraint to attach them to the heli

But you really got what i meant to say before. And it should work, as i've tested it with a prop_vehicle_jeep using the apc model and script. Be sure to add all necessary attachments and place them somewhere appropriate for a seat model (you can look up their names in model viewer and then place them like you think they would fit best to your seat model)

Also i could offer my assistance making the model, but i'm somehow ill and it could take some time though a seat would maybe be a model that's really easy to make.

shiftey · Post by **shiftey** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 4:22 pm

Yea that'd be great. If I make a vehicle model with multiple attachment points, could I attach the seats to those points? Because I'm going to be making a blackhawk model and a truck model, and I could make those additional attachments for the seats. It will attach at the seats origin right? (0 0 0)