Effects and Trailers positioning

[**Monarch**]

Hi All!

Problem, I'm creating a fighter and trying to add a flare to the engine area so it moves with the jet as a trailer but the trailer spawns at the center of jet or pawn. I need it to go in back and to the left. code looks like ef=spawn(class'engineflare',Self);

Ive tried adding a location by adding self.location*x+98);

and a bunch of other things along those lines which didn't work
or had no effect.
Is there a way to change it in that part of the script?
thanks in advance

Monarch

 

[mr.s-d]

Are you using the Trails tute from CHiMERiC or just something with PHYS_Trailer?

 

[jb]

I should probably not say this as I dont have all the answers in front of me (at work) but take a closer look at the spawn function. It has 5 or 6 paramters you can give to it. One of them is the postion where you want the spawn object to apear. However I can not remember all of the details but I am sure someone here can post code that explains what each does. I know its in one of the "core" files of UT but can not remember.. I believe once you have the sytanx you can spawn the flare in the right spot.

 

[**Monarch**]

no, I saw the tute but didn't want to go that route unless I have too.

I thought there should be (or hoped there would be) a way to do it from the spawn command.

I don't know what all the parameters are for the command if any one out there can help with the 5 or 6 parameters are and there meaning I would really appeciate it. and how to use them .

Thanks

 

[Captain Kewl]

It's usually a good idea to try digging through the sources if you've a question about a function.

//
// Spawn an actor. Returns an actor of the specified class, not
// of class Actor (this is hardcoded in the compiler). Returns None
// if the actor could not be spawned (either the actor wouldn't fit in
// the specified location, or the actor list is full).
// Defaults to spawning at the spawner's location.
//
native(278) final function actor Spawn
(
	class<actor>      SpawnClass,
	optional actor	  SpawnOwner,
	optional name     SpawnTag,
	optional vector   SpawnLocation,
	optional rotator  SpawnRotation
);

Though if you want it to move with the jet as a trailer it's probably easier to just spawn it, set it to PHYS_Trailer, and adjust the prepivot...

 

[**Monarch**]

Thanks Captain Kewl


So i guess it would go like this?

eh=spawn(class'engineeffect',self,,0,48,28.rot(0,0,0));
X Y Z
or

eh=spawn(class'engineeffect',self,,Location(0,48,28).rot(0,0,0)));
X Y Z

?


P.S The phys is already set to trailer

 

[Captain Kewl]

Shouldn't have to bother with the spawn location then, since PHYS_Trailer will automatically recenter the actor on its owner. Try setting bTrailerPrePivot and bTrailerSameRotation to true and then give it a PrePivot vector, something like (X=2.000000).

 

[**Monarch**]

Would that be in the EngineFlare Effect script its self or in the script thats calling the spawn?

 

[phx]

is it fair to say that using phys_trailer is the equivalent of setting actor.base?

 

[**Monarch**]

Thanks Captain Kewl,

that worked, BUT a new problem creeped up,

I did the BePrePivot=true

and PrePivot=(x=10,y=15)

and BTrailerSameRotation=True

That Moved it to the right Location but when the plane is flying and I turn the trailer dosent stay were its supposed to.
It trails the plane but if I turn the trailer dosent rotate with it.

Its not rotating with the plane or the player anymore it just follows it.

Any other Ideas?

 

[Captain Kewl]

Actor.Base is literally the base that the actor is resting on, no? (I'm not sure.) PHYS_Trailer makes an actor follow its owner.

I dunno about the trailer. Maybe you need to update prepivot?

 

[phx]

hmmm i thought it was possible to use actor.base for effects... i use it atm to attach a 'this player has been flashbanged' invisible actor to... to affect aim etc.... and i find that when i give it a mesh it follows them around. from looking at some code it seems that the location is relative to its base (same with rotation etc)... i might look into this tonight

 

[navboy]

On a similar note, i've been wondering what the difference is between use PHYS_trailer (which i've never worked with) and setting an actor's AttachTag to be that of the actor you want it to move with (which i have done successfully in several cases, but only by attaching to movers) ...

 

[**Monarch**]

I couldn't get the trailer to rotate properly to its owner, so I Cheated.....

I made a small Particle mesh and set its mesh orgin to the location I needed then put it all in the effect script I made with the properties to Phys_Trailer and bSameRotation to true and used the flare texture.

That did the trick had to make 2 scripts and meshes one for each
engine but it worked.

Thanks All!!!