SC2Mapster

Been messing around with trying to get some sort of multi-plane environment going.

In theory it works, regions are used for collision, so pathing works. Points are used for a kind of pseudo height map on the upper plane(linear interpolation between points), though i don't expect it to work on non-planar surfaces.

The major issue is unit collision, as there is no way to change collision flags on a unit. Was thinking duplicate the catalog entry at runtime and modify that then create a replacement unit but seems even that is impossible, can only edit the actual entry so all units of that type would be affected by the change. So even that wont work.

So if anyone has any suggestions on how to deal with the collision?

Unit Enters Region will trigger when unit's spawn in the region, even editor placed units will trigger this event if placed within the region.

@Rorax: Go

Indices are 0 1 2 3. Try turning on cliff merging (Tools -> Brush -> Allow Cliff Merging).

Update GPU drivers perhaps?

In this case it would alot be easier to just create a build ability with a range of 360(256 * sqrt(2)), give it to an hidden unit and just delegate the dialog buttons to build orders for that unit. Thus you can use the splats etc.

@Rorax: Go

I Suspect the different placements sets in a footprint define the different cliff levels (there are four placement sets, and four cliff levels)

Apparently the height map has to be a size of odd by odd number, i.e 4x4 will not work but 5x5/3x3 will work for an object sized 4x4.

With that, i think pretty much everything about terrain objects has been sorted out. The reason that none are defined in the data is probably because they are so map specific, one object definition only supports one cliff set and height.

As a side note/complaint/rant, the pathing is still one dimensional, so you while can make interesting looking multi plane terrain, it's still just be one plane that units are able to interact with. i.e you cannot have an overpass.

To allow texture painting on a terrain object you have to add a material type of null and map it to where you want it. Seems like the exporter we currently have does not support this.

Height Codes indeed appear to represent the cliff level of each vertex, but i was a little off on the format. The Height Codes is an array of strings. Each array element representing a row, each string a column

Example (4x4 Cells)

C B B B B
B C B B B
B B C B B
B B B C B
B B B B C

Would place all vertices on cliff level 1 except a diagonal line across from top to bottom. If you input a grid of height codes that have less values than there are vertices they are repeated, but quite sure of the pattern here yet.

Still unable to place terrain objects unless the height map is 27 cells in height however, anything below or above that value it just wont show up. So if anyone has any ideas about that, please post!

Cheers, will update again as the headaches unfold.

@Etravex: Go

Would have to edit the alpha texture, bring down the levels. Or edit the material but that's even more hassle as the export/import pipeline is more or less non existent.

Been playing around with Terrain Objects and have a couple of observations.

Models need to be properly centered, i.e center of bounding box in x, y needs to be the center as the height map only takes the height and width, not a bounding box. This also hides all the cells in that area and although you can paint in hidden cells later it's a pain in the butt when it starts hiding cliffs and other terrain objects. (Will actually hide or delete overlapping terrain objects and undo does not work all of the time) So for other modelers out there, center your terrain objects!

Also for some reason terrain objects won't show up unless they have a height map of exactly 27 cells in height, width can be 1 and it still shows up. This holds true for all the models I've tested with which have all been different sizes. Possibly i might be screwing up the height codes.

Which brings me to the subject of height codes, the default value is BB BB which places the terrain object at cliff level 1. a value of CC CC places the object flat at cliff level 2, AA AA at level 0.

Which leaves me to believe that each literal character defines a cliff level for a vertex in the height map, so CC CC actually only places one face but since nothing else is set everything in the object gets that height, although i have no idea about the order.

And a little side note, I've seen someone mentioning that you are unable to move terrain objects as you move doodads. But terrain objects are still terrain, you can sculpt and paint textures on them, pretty much use all the terrain tools. And height codes determine the mounting location.

I'll post more notes later. Cheers

@Zero0018: Go

Switch the mover to ground, turn on advanced values if it's not showing up. (Unit/Movement - Mover)

@Colt556: Go

Would be pretty easy to do in the data editor. Vulture has ability to lay spider mines (create unit), spider mine has burrow/unborrow and attack. attack is auto cast.