Lua : Navmesh function returning array of points

[YouGroove]

Would be great if LE3 could propose to just return in Navmesh a list of points to navigate.

This will give us total liberty to use any character or physics with any size and navigation, this will open lot of possibilities.

I use cheap system that do same navigation for some 15$ in another 3D package, and it just works as great as LE3 , it creates the navmesh and proposes functions to navigate like returning all points in some array.

 

I wish LE3 to have in Lua same possibility of array of 3D points to navigate to be able ot use it with vehicles, any physic shapes or for anything like magic homing 3D missile particle effects for example.

[Christian Clavet]

You mean be able to access the geometry of the generated navmesh and edit vertice informations from Lua or C++? By navigate what are you meaning? Setting manually a destination point by specifying a vertice?

[YouGroove]

Just call a navigation function like Goto(3D point)

It would return all the 3d points of the path the character must follow to reach destination.

 

This way you could call Navmesh to give you the path points and you could use path for not only characters , but vehicles or 3D physic shapes of any size.

For example you would not have anymore to use character controller with it's fixed size cylinder shape that is too restrictive specially if your game don't use same humanoid sizes and could use robots , dinosaur or other stuff.

[gamecreator]

You mean something like this?

http://www.leadwerks.com/werkspace/topic/7958-navigation-without-physics/

[AggrorJorn]

I am not sure but I thought someone mentioned that for Lua these points are not exposed. But the link gamecreator is refering to would be the solution.

[YouGroove]

Yes this is exactly what GameCreator posted.

 

For LE3 navigation and different character sizes, i do'nt think different navmesh, it would be a mess in the workflow part specially if you had lot of different units size.

 

Others solutions i seen elsewhere for size problem and navigation : some narrow space between two houses

1) block the access putting invisible blocking geometry

2) put custom 3D points at begin and end of narrow space , if the character is near one of them use navigation to redirect him to another special 3D point you would have placed that would allow to have navigation not taking that narrow space in it's path

3) only some tagged "small" units could access to some room reachable only passing throught a narrow space.

 

Character size and navigation issues are lot more a matter on what game you make, how you make your level (contain or not narrow spaces) or how you restrict some areas to big units.

 

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Josh stated that navigation takes account of physic shape size, but once again like some others i would just need Path exposed in Lua.

I have lot of cases of games where the size will never matter and having just pathfinding points will work :

Example :

- Small level map like some square place with some walls or houses with good space between them to allow all units size to move between

 

 

The narrow spaces are very dependant on how you make your game, it's to you for example block the access to narrow spaces putting invisible blocks at begin and end, or make simply make the level in another way or restrict Entities to move to some zones.

 

Well having that path exposed to Lua would just open up lot more possibilities and flexibility as character controller fixed size, is just a big fail in my space aliens game, the shape don't fit the alien that is less height and lot more large, this is wher ei would need to use my own custom physic shape.

 

I use in another 3D app, and a plugin navigation system, where size is not taken account, it just returns the points or navigation and it's just prefect, as i'm not bounded to character controller or character size shapes, i use it for big Vehicle and character and it just works.