Setting direction wIth character controller

[Davaris]

I'm learning to use the character controller and want to set the direction of a mesh to be the same direction the character controller is moving. Isubtracted last_position from current_position, to determine the direction vector and then used RotateEntity, but the mesh always faces the same direction. Is there a special function I should be using to get the direction vector that the character controller is facing?

[Marleys Ghost]

I'm learning to use the character controller and want to set the direction of a mesh to be the same direction the character controller is moving. Isubtracted last_position from current_position, to determine the direction vector and then used RotateEntity, but the mesh always faces the same direction. Is there a special function I should be using to get the direction vector that the character controller is facing?

 

 

 

Example?

[Davaris]

#include "engine.h"


int main(int argc, char** argv)
{
Initialize();

//Create a graphics context
Graphics(800,600);

//Create a world
if (!CreateWorld()) 
{
	MessageBoxA(0,"Error","Failed to create world.",0);
	goto exitapp;
}



//Create a camera
TEntity cam=CreateCamera();
CameraClearColor(cam,Vec4(0,0,1,1));
PositionEntity(cam,Vec3(10,15,-5));
RotateEntity(cam,Vec3(45,45,0));

//Load a model
TModel scene=LoadModel("Character_Controllers_Files/scene.gmf");
if (scene==0) 
{
	MessageBoxA(0,"Error","Failed to load model.",0);
	goto exitapp;
}

//Create a light
TLight light=CreatePointLight();
PositionEntity(light,Vec3(0,5,0));

//Create a render buffer
TBuffer buffer=CreateBuffer(800,600,BUFFER_COLOR|BUFFER_DEPTH|BUFFER_NORMAL);



EntityType(scene,2);
Collisions(1,2,true);


//	TMesh cube=CreateCube();
//	ScaleEntity(cube,Vec3(0.4, 1.8, 0.4)); 

float playerheight = 1.5;//1.8;

TController player=CreateController(playerheight,0.4,0.5, 46);
EntityType(player,1);

PositionEntity(player,Vec3(0,5,0));
SetBodyMass(player,1);

float move=0.0;
float strafe=0.0;

//DebugPhysics(1);
TVec3 camrotation=Vec3(0);
float mx=0;
float my=0;

HideMouse();
MoveMouse(GraphicsWidth()/2,GraphicsHeight()/2);

SetBodyDamping(player,0.0);
SetWorldGravity(Vec3(0,-20,0));

//Load the animated mesh
TMesh mesh=LoadMesh("crawler.gmf");

TEntity head=FindChild(mesh,"Bip01 Head");


int sequence=1;
float framebegin;
float frameend;
float frame;

TVec3 currplayerpos, lastplayerpos;

//Main loop
while(!KeyHit(KEY_ESCAPE)) 
{
	if (KeyDown(KEY_LEFT)) { TurnEntity(head,Vec3(0,0.5,0));}
	if (KeyDown(KEY_RIGHT)) { TurnEntity(head,Vec3(0,-0.5,0));}
	if (KeyDown(KEY_UP)) { TurnEntity(head,Vec3(0.5,0,0));}
	if (KeyDown(KEY_DOWN)) { TurnEntity(head,Vec3(-0.5,0,0));}

	UpdateAppTime();


	float jump=0.0;
	//Player movement
	move=3*(KeyDown(KEY_W)-KeyDown(KEY_S));
	strafe=3*(KeyDown(KEY_D)-KeyDown(KEY_A));



	if (KeyHit(KEY_SPACE)) 
	{
		if (!ControllerAirborne(player)) 
		{
			jump=4.0;
		}
	}

	if (KeyDown(KEY_LSHIFT)||KeyDown(KEY_RSHIFT)) 
	{
		if (!ControllerAirborne(player)) 
		{
			move*=2.0;
			strafe*=2.0;
		}
	}

	// SETTING ANIMATION CYCLE or MODE
	// walking
	if (move != 0 || strafe != 0)// || ControllerAirborne(player))
	{
		framebegin=70.0;
		frameend=130.0;
		// running
		if (KeyDown(KEY_LSHIFT)||KeyDown(KEY_RSHIFT)) 
		{
			framebegin=131.0;
			frameend=171.0;
		}
	}
	// idle
	else
	{
		framebegin=0.0;
		frameend=69.0;
	}

	//Animate the mesh
	frame=AppTime()/100.0;
	frame=fmodf(frame,frameend-framebegin)+framebegin;
	Animate(mesh,frame,1.0,0,true);

	//mx=Curve(MouseX()-GraphicsWidth()/2,mx,6);
	//my=Curve(MouseY()-GraphicsHeight()/2,my,6);
	//MoveMouse(GraphicsWidth()/2,GraphicsHeight()/2);
	//camrotation.X=camrotation.X+my/10.0;
	//camrotation.Y=camrotation.Y-mx/10.0;
	//RotateEntity(cam,camrotation);

	//Set controller input
	//UpdateController(player,0.0,move,strafe);
	UpdateController(player,camrotation.Y,move,strafe,jump, 100);

	//TVec3 playerpos=EntityPosition(player);
	//playerpos.Y+=1.75;
	//PositionEntity(cam,playerpos);




	TVec3 playerpos=EntityPosition(player);

	playerpos.Y -= 0.8;

	TVec3 camerapos=EntityPosition(cam);
	camerapos.Y=Curve(playerpos.Y+1.75,camerapos.Y,2.0);
	camerapos=Vec3(playerpos.X,camerapos.Y,playerpos.Z);
//	PositionEntity(cam,camerapos);

	// WHERE THE PLAYER IS
	PositionEntity(mesh,playerpos);

	// THE PLAYERS DIRECTION USING VECTOR SUBTRACTION
/*
	//if (move != 0 || strafe != 0)
	{
		lastplayerpos = currplayerpos;
		currplayerpos = EntityPosition(player);
		TVec3 dir = currplayerpos - lastplayerpos;
		dir = EntityRotation(player);//Normalize(dir);
		RotateEntity(mesh,dir);
	}
	//	RotateEntity(mesh,Vec3(45,45,0));
*/

	// THE PLAYERS DIRECTION USING strafe, move
	TVec3 dir = Vec3(strafe,0,move);
	dir=TFormVector(dir,0,player);
	//dir = Normalize(dir);
	RotateEntity(mesh,EntityRotation(player));


	// ISOMETRIC CAMERA THAT PUTS THE PLAYER IN THE
	// CENTER OF THE SCREEN
	float multi = 1.0;
	TVec3 isopos = Vec3(5*multi,3*multi,-5*multi);
	PositionEntity(cam,camerapos + isopos);


	//Update the world
	UpdateWorld();

	//Render the scene
	SetBuffer(buffer);
	RenderWorld();

	//Render lighting
	SetBuffer(BackBuffer());
	RenderLights(buffer);

	//Swap the front and back buffer
	Flip();
}

exitapp:
return Terminate();
}

[Marleys Ghost]

Have you tried Parenting the animated model to the contoller?

[Davaris]

No I didn't know about that. I'll do a search on it.

[Marleys Ghost]

Something along the lines:

 

   TController player = CreateController(playerheight,0.4,0.5, 46);
  TMesh mesh=LoadMesh("crawler.gmf");
  MoveEntity(Mesh,"To where you want it");
  EntityParent(Mesh, player);
  PositionEntity(player,Vec3(0,5,0));
  EntityType(player,1);
  SetBodyMass(player,1);

 

then you wont need to up date it.

 

off the top of my head.