Collision Question

How do you set (CollisionX,CollisionY,CollisionZ)'s Index?

I keep getting an "Index out of range" Error.
And there are no examples with these functions in the command reference.
Also, As I move across a 3D terrain every time I get to a steep hill the camera shows
the inside of the hill instead of the surface.
I use the collision command slide2 mode.
How would I get the camera to automatically go up when it gets to a steep hill
and then decend again when I go down, I think checking CollisionY is the way to go.
What is the best way to do it. Thanks in advance.

well, give the camera an EntityType number then set up collisions between it and the landscape, so that the camera will collide and slide, and shouldn't go thru the landscape. Write back if you need any code :D

I already have the collision checking between camera and landscape set up for slide2 mode. But sometimes when I go up a hill at a slight angle I see the inside of the hill instead of the surface. I need a means of checking the terrain height infront of me instead of right where I am.

before you try checking the height in front of you, try changing the camera range. It's default setting is 1,1000.

change the near value (1), to 0.1. see if that helps.

maybe set a bigger entity radius.

As I walk across my terrain I keep 15 above the terrain surface. But when I come to a hill I need a way to stay 15 away from the surface in front of me. I changed the camera min. range to 0.1 and it did help lessen the problem but I still get it on some hills.
Am I the only one that has this problem?
No other terrain walkers out there?

have you tried sinu's idea of increasing the entityradius? You should also try parenting the camera to a pivot that is on the surface of the terrain and give it collision properties. Then when the pivot goes over a hill the camera will follow it up and down. Create the pivot, give it collision properties. Then create the camera, parent the camera to the pivot then set the camera to the desired height and move the pivot about.

Do you have any code you could show. it will help me to understand what exactly is happening :D

Here is my code so far:


Graphics3D 1024,768,32,1

Global frame_count%
Global fps%
Global fps_timeout%
Global frame_time%
Global slowest_frame%
Global frame_start%
Global sped#=0.1
Global sp#=1 ;speed walking
Global Angl#=30.0 ;max angle of up down look
Global cr=10000 ;camera distance
Global rd=127000 ;Rand max distance
Global strt=0 ;Were to place camera at start
Global af=30000 ;Auto fade distance
Global ab=1700
Global x#=2
Global y#=15
Global z#=2
Global h#=15 ;Height above the ground
Global MMY=-45
Global trees=5000
Dim treeb(Trees*4)
Dim treec(Trees*4)
Dim grass(500)
c=1
; Set collision type value
ground=1
character=2
scenery=3

ClearTextureFilters
SetBuffer BackBuffer()
ClearWorld
SeedRnd 32287 ;usual 32587

camera=CreateCamera()
CameraRange(camera, 0.1, cr)
CameraClsColor camera,40,40,190
RotateEntity camera , MMP,MMY,EntityRoll(camera)
EntityType camera,character ;set camera for collision

temp = MouseZSpeed()
PositionEntity camera,x#,y#,z#


light=CreateLight()
RotateEntity light,90,0,0
Terrain=LoadTerrain( "media/D16.jpg" )

EntityType Terrain,ground ;set ground for collision

Collisions character,ground,2,3
Collisions character,scenery,2,2 ;set collision response

TerrainDetail terrain,600,True
ScaleEntity terrain,500,3200,500
Ent02=LoadMesh("media/cantree.x") ;206 324 34
Ent01=LoadMesh("media/PineTree.x")
Ent04=LoadMesh("media/deadtree.x") ;Bent Tree Trunk
Ent03=LoadMesh("media/Trunk01.x") ;Streight Tree Trunk

Tex90=LoadTexture( "media/1567.bmp",9) ;terrain tex
Tex91=LoadTexture( "media/720.bmp",2) ;terrain tex


Tex01=LoadTexture( "media/720.bmp",15)
Tex02=LoadTexture( "media/721.bmp",15)
Tex03=LoadTexture( "media/722.bmp",15)
Tex04=LoadTexture( "media/713.bmp",15)
Tex05=LoadTexture( "media/713.bmp",15)
Tex07=LoadTexture( "media/1567.bmp",15)
Tex08=LoadTexture( "media/cedar.jpg",9)

sky=LoadTexture( "media/sky.bmp",9)

TerrainShading terrain,True

; Texture terrain
EntityTexture terrain,Tex90,0,1


;*************************************************************************
;Test Stuff Starts Here
;*************************************************************************


EntityTexture Ent03,Tex08 ;This is a Tree Trunk
FitMesh Ent03,-1,-1,-1,2,2,2,True
ScaleMesh Ent03,1,1,1
TurnEntity Ent03,0,0,0
te = 80
ScaleEntity Ent03,14,24,14
EntityAutoFade Ent03,ab,ab+300 ;These are not effected by dynamic EntityAutoFade
EntityType Ent03,scenery ;set trunk for collision


EntityTexture Ent04,Tex08 ;This is a Tree Trunk
FitMesh Ent04,-1,-1,-1,2,2,2,True
ScaleMesh Ent04,2,2,2.5
TurnEntity Ent04,0,0,10
te = 80
PositionEntity Ent04 ,-2,-2,-0
RotateEntity(Ent04,0,0,0)
ScaleEntity Ent04,2,8,2
EntityAutoFade Ent04,ab,ab+300
EntityType Ent04,scenery ;set trunk for collision


EntityTexture Ent01,Tex01
FitMesh Ent01,-1,-1,-1,2,2,2,True
ScaleMesh Ent01,24,24,20
TurnEntity Ent01,0,0,0
te = 80
PositionEntity Ent01 ,te,TerrainY(Terrain,te,0,te)+42,te
ScaleEntity Ent01,2,2,2

EntityTexture Ent02,Tex01
FitMesh Ent02,-1,-1,-1,2,2,2,True
ScaleMesh Ent02,20,20,20
TurnEntity Ent02,0,0,0
te = 140
PositionEntity Ent02 ,te,TerrainY(Terrain,te,0,te)+28,te
ScaleEntity Ent02,2,2,2
Gosub fade1

.skippit

;

Tree2 = CopyEntity(Ent03,Ent01) ;another tree

;EntityType Ent01,scenery
For tt = 1 To trees
Treeb(tt) = CopyEntity(Ent01) ;another tree
RotateEntity(Treeb(tt),0,Rnd(0,320),0)
xx=Rnd(10,rd)
zz=Rnd(10,rd)
ScaleEntity Treeb(tt),4,4,4
; EntityType Treeb(tt),scenery
PositionEntity Treeb(tt),xx,TerrainY(Terrain,xx,0,zz)+80,zz

Next

Tree3 = CopyEntity(Ent04,Ent02) ;another tree
For tt = 1 To trees
Treec(tt) = CopyEntity(Ent02) ;another tree
RotateEntity(Treec(tt),0,Rnd(0,320),0)
xx=Rnd(10,rd)
zz=Rnd(10,rd)
ScaleEntity Treec(tt),4,4,4
PositionEntity Treec(tt),xx,TerrainY(Terrain,xx,0,zz)+70,zz
Next


Gosub fade1


Gosub fade2




;*************************************************************************
;Main Loop Starts Here
;*************************************************************************

ty=0 ;tree update count
tey1#=5
h#=15
LP=0 ;lap count

While Not KeyDown( 1 )

frame_start = MilliSecs()
;Keyboard control
sped#=sp# + 0.1
tey1#=tey#

If KeyDown( 31 ) Then sped#=0.1 ;S key
If KeyDown( 16 ) Then sp#=sp#+0.1 ;Q key
If KeyDown( 17 ) Then sp#=0.1 ;W key
If KeyDown( 18 ) Then sp#=-0.09 ;E key
If KeyDown( 42 ) Or KeyDown( 54 ) Then sped# = 1 ;L & R Shift
If KeyDown( 29 ) Or KeyDown( 157 ) Then sped# = 5 ;L & R Ctrl
If KeyDown( 44 )=True Then h#=h#-sped# ;Z key
If KeyDown( 30 )=True Then h#=h#+sped# ;A key
If KeyDown( 31 )=True Then h#=20 ;S key
If KeyDown( 205 )=True Then TurnEntity camera,0,-1,0 ;Right
If KeyDown( 203 )=True Then TurnEntity camera,0,1,0 ;Left
If KeyDown( 208 )=True Then MoveEntity camera,0,0,-sped# ;Down
If KeyDown( 200 )=True Then MoveEntity camera,0,0,+sped# ;up
If KeyDown( 45 ) Then PositionEntity camera,strt,90,strt ;X Key
If KeyDown( 32 )=True Then cr=cr-10 Gosub cam01;
If KeyDown( 33 )=True Then cr=cr+10 Gosub cam01;


;If KeyDown( 46 ) Then CameraRange(camera, 1, cr)

If KeyDown( 46 ) Then cr=10000 Gosub cam01
If KeyDown( 47 ) Then cr=100000 Gosub cam01
If KeyDown( 48 ) Then ModifyTerrain Terrain,2,2,0.9,False
If KeyDown( 49 ) Then ModifyTerrain Terrain,2,2,0.0,False


;Mouse Control
MMP=EntityPitch(camera)+MouseYSpeed()
MMY=EntityYaw(camera)-MouseXSpeed() ;turning



If MMP >angl# ;Looking down
MMP=angl#
ElseIf MMP < -angl# ;Looking up
MMP=-angl#
EndIf

RotateEntity camera , MMP,MMy,EntityRoll(camera)


If Abs(mmy - ty)>1 Then Gosub fade3
ty=MMy


If MouseDown(2) ;move forward
y#=y#+sped#
MoveEntity camera,0,0,sped#
EndIf

If MouseDown(1) ;move backard
y#=y#-sped#
MoveEntity camera,0,0,-sped#
EndIf


If MouseX() < 2
MoveMouse GraphicsWidth()-2, MouseY()
tempX = MouseX()
ElseIf MouseX() > GraphicsWidth()-2
MoveMouse 1, MouseY()
tempX = MouseX()
EndIf
If MouseY() < 2
MoveMouse MouseX(), GraphicsHeight()-2
tempY = MouseY()
ElseIf MouseY() > GraphicsHeight()-2
MoveMouse MouseX(), GraphicsHeight()-2
tempY = MouseY()
EndIf

.tst
;Camera rendering


x#=EntityX(camera)If x#<0 Then x#=128000 ElseIf x#>128000 Then x#=0
y#=EntityY(camera)
z#=EntityZ(camera)If z#<0 Then z#=128000 ElseIf z#>128000 Then z#=0
tey1#=TerrainY(terrain,x#,y#,z#)+h#


;auto camera ranging here
If y1#<>y# Then LP=0
If LP =199 Then cr=120000 Gosub cam01
If LP >200 LP=200 Goto sk01

If TrisRendered()>56000 Then cr=cr-1000 Gosub cam01

.sk01
y1#=y#
PositionEntity camera,x#,tey1#,z#
UpdateWorld
RenderWorld
frame_time = MilliSecs() - frame_start
show_info()

Text 10,0, "direction: " + (EntityYaw(camera)+180)
Text 10,48," X: "+x#+" Y: "+y#+" Z: "+z#+" CR: "+CR+" AF: "+af
; Text 0,72,"Height : "+H#
Text 10,60,"Distance : "+ EntityDistance(Terrain,Camera)+" Height : "+h#

Flip False
lp=lp+1
Wend

End



.Fade1
EntityAutoFade Ent01,af,af+600
EntityAutoFade Ent02,af,af+600
EntityAutoFade Ent03,af,af+600
EntityAutoFade Ent04,af,af+600
RenderWorld 0
Return

.Fade2

For tt = 1 To trees
ShowEntity treeb(tt)
ShowEntity treec(tt)
If Not EntityInView(Treeb(tt),camera) Then HideEntity Treeb(tt)
If Not EntityInView(Treec(tt),camera) Then HideEntity Treec(tt)

EntityAutoFade Treeb(tt),af,af+300
EntityAutoFade Treec(tt),af,af+300
Next
Return


.Fade3
For tt = 1 To trees
If Not EntityInView(Treeb(tt),camera) Then HideEntity Treeb(tt) Else ShowEntity treeb(tt)
If Not EntityInView(Treec(tt),camera) Then HideEntity Treec(tt) Else ShowEntity treec(tt)
Next
Return
.cam01
CameraRange (camera,0.1,cr)
Return

.cam02
CameraRange (camera,0.1,100000)
Return

Function show_info()

frame_count = frame_count + 1

If MilliSecs() > fps_timeout Then
fps_timeout = MilliSecs() + 1000
fps = frame_count
frame_count = 0
EndIf

If frame_time > slowest_frame Then slowest_frame = frame_time

; Text 10,0, "direction: " + (EntityYaw(camera)+180)
Text 10,12," Triangles: " + TrisRendered()
Text 10,24," Millisecs: " + frame_time
Text 10,36," FPS: " + fps
; Text 10,48," X: "+x#+" Y: "+y#+" Z: "+z#+" CR: "+CR

End Function

;End

You will need your own trees, trunks, and textures for leaves though.

Any chance you could e-mail me the source code and the media files. Send to

rosscrooks@...