3 - Intermediate Elevators

[moonsense715]

Author: Läubi

Skill level: 3

 

 

First of all, some things you should keep in mind about elevators:

• an elevator might cause problems if there are alot elevators, or if people try to use the same elevator at the same time
• with a slow connection (56k for example) people might fall "through" your elevator and popup at the top after some seconds
• elevators can NOT transport vehicles! You should always take care that the Transition Zones (explained in the tutorial later) are not reachable for vehicles because the wil get STUCK in them!
• elevators often cause problems with beacons, if you try to deplay them ON the elevator plattform

1. First Step is of course, create your elevator. This is myone. Ok its not very nice but thats a 2 min one

 

Basicly an elevator has a platform (in this image the red parts), and a door (the blue parts). Of course an elevator can also have other parts in the deep of complexy you want but for this tutorial this is the best choice.

Always create your elevator in the center of RenX/Gmax.To get an ide of the size of an elevator, the Single Player ones have an aprocxiamte size of L: 6m, W: 6m, H: 12m

You can create a box with these settings to get an idea if your elevator has the right size:

(my elevator is a bit too big as you can see, but the size is your choice, you just get a general idea about the size with this method)

 

 

2. Because the Rengade-Engine don`t like textured objects that are moving we now create some "cages" that later will be invisible, but responsible for the collision parts.

These are basicly just meshes without a texture that covers that elements, that later collide with players.

Activate the W3D hide and collision Settings: Vehicle, Camera, Projektile, for the textured Meshes don`t activate any Collision Settings.

 

 

3. Now it is time for the animation, an elevator has 3 Animation stages:

Stage 1: (Baseframe)

Move all your parts of the elevator so it is on the Top-Part, with the door open for enter at the Top:

 

As you can see I just moved the whoe plattform up, and lowered the ring so if the player can enter the elevator at the top.

 

Stage 2: (On the move)

 

Now klick the animate Button,

Goto Frame 1 and move your door so it is closed (you can use more than one frame if needed, just note this framae somewhere)

Now on the trackbar goto frame 10, and move the elevator down, so it is on the botom with an closed door (same comment as before for the cloe door thing):

The best is you note this frame on a paper or something, because you`ll need this later.

 

Stage 3: (Final Animation)

Now just make an animation when the door moves down, so you can leave the elevator. My one ends on frame 11, because only one frame is used for open the door in my example, of course you can use as many as you need:

Now you`r finihed with this, deactivate the anim Button and feel good that the work is nearly done.

 

 

4. Export the elevator to your Modpacket:

Export it as HirachyAnimated Model and from Frame 0 to the last frame (in my example frame 11):

 

 

5. Open the Commando (Leveleditor), browse to Tiles and press the Add Button

 

Now enter a name, e.g. my_elevator, and switch to the Settings Tab Change the type to ElevatorPhys, Select your W3D and change Collision Mode to STOP, Animation Mode to Manual.

 

Scroll a bit down and set

DoorClosedTop to the frame when the door at the top is closed (that is frame 1 in my example),

DoorOpeningBottom to the frame where the elevator is at the bottom with open door (Thats frame 11 in my case)

ElevatorStartTop that is in nearly all cases frame 0

ElevatorStoppedBottom this is the frame where the elevator is at the bottom with closed door (Frame 10 in my case)

Now cahnge the CloseDelay to the Time the elvator should need to go up/down and press OK and your nearly ready for test your elevator.

 

 

6. Ok, now its time to tell the elevator where people will wait to enter:

Select your elevator again and press Mod, goto the Zones Tab.

 

You see 4 Zones:

LowerCallZone: Defines the zone where the Character has to stay in to call the elevator to come to the bottom

LowerInsideZone: When you are inside this zone the elvator starts to move Up

UpperCallZone: Same as LowerCallZone but for the top

UpperInsideZone: Same as LowerInsideZone but for the top

 

When you doubleclick you can adjust the zones t the size / position you need.

First / Lastframe switsche between the start and end frame so you easy can adjust the zones.

Adjust now all zones like it is explained above.

 

Here are mine:

LowerCallZone LowerInsideZone

 

UpperCallZone UpperInsideZone

 

Now press OK and your done with the setup.

 

 

7. Load your Level and select your elevator then press Add and it will apear on the map:

Export your Map and test the elevator

 

 

8. Congratulation! You can now go up and down with your elevator as long as you want.