CUSTOM ROBOTS  PART I  (QUICK, DOWN, AND DIRTY)
 

This tutorial picks up where Custom Objects III left off.  Get the files used in this tutorial
by getting CSTBOT.ZIP

I'm just starting to learn but here's a quick jump start to help you get under way.

When building a robot (or ship) the most important thing to remeber is the direction you build it facing.  Make sure it looking
down the Z axis.  In D3Edit when you look in the SIDE(ZY) window your object should be facing to the right.


I'll use my turret from Custom object III.  First I had to change the orientation.  All I had to do was go back to D3Edit,
open the orf, and rotate it.  I then brought it back into D3tool and put the gunpoints back on.
If you don't know how to add gunpoints see Custom Objects Part III.

Once you have your GUNPOINTS in you need to set up batteries (groupings of gunpoints).
 In D3Tool go to Tools-Edit Window (same dialog box as for gunpoints) and choose the WBAT (Weapons Batteries) tab.  Click 'Add Battery'.  Under 'Gunpoints' you should get an active check box for each gunpoint.
Check the gunpoints you want ifn this battery.  I checked all 4.

Save (export) the .OOF


Next we'll get the .gam page for a robot who's behavior will be a good starting point for us.
I copied the .gam page for a Ras1 Light Security Flyer saved it as a new table.
First I set up the physics so it would use physics to rotate along with it's normal AI setting so this robot will  use both AI and Physics.

AI is what it uses to aim, shoot, manuever. 

Next we need to set up Weapon Batteries.  This is where we tell the robot what to shoot, from where, and how fast or often.  Open the Weapon Batteris branch.  Leave the aiming setting along.  We need to set up the first (and only in our case) battery so open the Battery(0) branch.
 
 

 
First open the Gunpoint Weapons branch.  Here we assign a weapon to each of the gunpoints using the weapon index numbers.  To the right is a table to cross reference the weapon to an index number.

Firing info works in relation to the 'Number Masks'. 'Number Masks' is like a firing sequence loop. 4 masks means the are 4 volleys of fire in each loop.  (Figuired out through testing).

Think of each  Firing Info entry as a volley.  To demonstrate this we'll have the first of the 4 volleys shoot from all 4 gunpoints by setting Firing Info (0) as shown to the left.
Now set up Firing Info (1), (2), and (3) as shown to the left with wait time at .1 (one tenth of a second).  Have (1) shoot from gunpoint 1, (2) from gunpoint 2, (3) from gunpoint 3.

These setting will cause a 4-laser volley followed by 3 single-laser shoots, a one second pause (wait time in Firing Info (0)) then repeat the sequence.

I you want the bot to hold still for you to see this better, turn off 'Uses Physics' and under AI Settings set the MAx Velocity and Max Delta Velocity to 0.00.

Put the robot in a level, save it create the MN3 and check it out.

There's more to come.... I just need to learn it first.

[ MAIN]