Adding Placeable objects to azone generated map files

[Derision]

In the case of Unrest and the Undead Barkeep, you can 'fix' this by altering the rule Map:FixPathingZMaxDeltaMoving from the default of 20.0 to 12.0. The reason this works is because the difference in height between the floor of the bar room and the room below is around 13.0.

I can't recall why I chose 20.0. It was probably arbitrary, but you should keep an eye out to see if this re-introduces hopping in other zones if you make this tweak.

[Angelox]

Can I build a new set of 'default' azone2 maps without the Placeable objects (other than ones already done), and continue adding the Placeable objects?
Or do you need the maps to be complete with the objects?

EDIT: I made the change 'Map:FixPathingZMaxDeltaMoving from the default of 20.0 to 12.0' and will post latter on today how that worked.

[Derision]

Originally Posted by Angelox

Can I build a new set of 'default' azone2 maps without the Placeable objects (other than ones already done), and continue adding the Placeable objects?
Or do you need the maps to be complete with the objects?

It doesn't matter whether there are objects or not. If there are objects and a mob tries to path through them, the code I am talking about would potentially give them a Z value on top of the object, unless the object was hollow, like a table, in which case it would keep them at floor level. I guess it would be possible to add some logic to try and detect things like tables, e.g. if there is a valid Z value <=3 units above the mob, then it's probably something like a table, so move them up to that level.

So, you can build a new set of default azone2 maps.

[Angelox]

Originally Posted by Derision

It doesn't matter whether there are objects or not. If there are objects and a mob tries to path through them, the code I am talking about would potentially give them a Z value on top of the object, unless the object was hollow, like a table, in which case it would keep them at floor level. I guess it would be possible to add some logic to try and detect things like tables, e.g. if there is a valid Z value <=3 units above the mob, then it's probably something like a table, so move them up to that level.

So, you can build a new set of default azone2 maps.

I'll get to work on the new azone2 maps and try have it all done today. Is the original azone2 still the valid code I should use? just to make sure something newer passed me by

[Derision]

Originally Posted by Angelox

Is the original azone2 still the valid code I should use? just to make sure something newer passed me by

Yes, I've not made any changes to it since the original post.

[Angelox]

Originally Posted by Derision

In the case of Unrest and the Undead Barkeep, you can 'fix' this by altering the rule Map:FixPathingZMaxDeltaMoving from the default of 20.0 to 12.0. The reason this works is because the difference in height between the floor of the bar room and the room below is around 13.0.

I can't recall why I chose 20.0. It was probably arbitrary, but you should keep an eye out to see if this re-introduces hopping in other zones if you make this tweak.

This worked fine, I pulled stuff from floor 1 to the top and the all followed as they should, nothing came and attacked from below. The Unrest bartender will not fall through anymore, no matter how he follows from behind the bar.
I also went to the original sky hopping test-zone (Lake of Ill Omen) and there still was no sky hopping.
Anyways, I'll keep watching as I play see what else might happen.

[Angelox]

These are all Azone2 converted Map files.
Just to be sure nothing got broke during transfer, you should have a total of 459 files in the package (watermaps included).
None of the files on the package have placeable objects added, as the batch I made would not deal with the ini file properly (kept mixing all the objects to all the maps), not to mention all the work involved in converting them - I have to keep on making those out as I can
What I did was rename my old maps to MapsOLD , and started a new Maps directory with these new maps. Then I replaced the maps with placed objects
A few maps may not work right, namely Lavastorm and Nektulos , because these were done with the eqg file present.
If so, post here and I'll make non-eqg ones.

[Angelox]

Derision;
No matter what map I use here, the Mobs stand under the huts instead of in them.
They used to stand in them

here's the updated hollowshade map

[Derision]

Originally Posted by Angelox

Derision;
No matter what map I use here, the Mobs stand under the huts instead of in them.
They used to stand in them

I think you found a bug. The aspect ratio of the huts in Hollowshade looks wrong in OpenEQ (using the same file loader routines as in Azone2). I'll look into it at some point, but it won't be for a while.

[Angelox]

Originally Posted by Derision

I think you found a bug. The aspect ratio of the huts in Hollowshade looks wrong in OpenEQ (using the same file loader routines as in Azone2). I'll look into it at some point, but it won't be for a while.

Any idea on how I can bring it back to how it was? I tried the original azone hollowshade map, and that had same results.

[Derision]

Originally Posted by Angelox

Any idea on how I can bring it back to how it was? I tried the original azone hollowshade map, and that had same results.

Since the BestZ changes were first introduced, those mobs should always have been standing underneath the huts. Setting Map:FixPathingZMaxDeltaSendTo to 1 (or 0) should fix it for static mobs (not on a grid), at least it did on the one I tried, but as always when changing these global rules, you don't know what side effects it may have (shouldn't cause pathing mobs to hop though).

[Angelox]

Well, Mr 'D, you fix things with out even trying to fix it!

I started my blundering ( I always do when things don't want to work); my first idea was to set all of the Map:FixPathingZ* from 20 to 12 (since it worked so nicely with the Map:FixPathingZMaxDeltaMoving fix), and now they stand in the huts (glad it was a short blunder, I've blundered for days, even weeks).
I checked the old 'hopper zones', and it all looked good (no hopping at all). So I guess they are better to default to 12 instead of 20.

Now, if I could only get the moonwalkers to stop ( I hate moonwalkers!).

[Angelox]

When I did all my work in Hollowshade, must have been before Best Z fixes - time flies in cyberworld!

[Angelox]

Today I noticed many missing maps in my current posted Map package. I think Azone2 didn't make them all, as I used the same batch-script as the one for Azone (not sure though).
I just made a new package which should have all the maps, including all the ones I had posted here to date.
You can get it here
If you were seeing problems like spells not landing, or bots/pets not attacking in certain zones, then this might solve your problem.
I took away all other links to map files on my site, since they are all in this new package, and these files are humongous HD space- eaters.
If you spot any more missing zone maps, post here and I'll add it.

[Derision]

Originally Posted by Derision

I think you found a bug. The aspect ratio of the huts in Hollowshade looks wrong in OpenEQ (using the same file loader routines as in Azone2). I'll look into it at some point, but it won't be for a while.

I found the cause of this. Each instance of a placeable object in the .WLD file has an X and Y scale factor associated with it. This is so that a single base model can be included for that object, then various different size instances of that object can be placed in the zone.

There doesn't appear to be a Z scale factor. (I checked in OpenZone and that doesn't use a Z scale either), so the WLD processing code in OpenEQ and azone2 just sets the ZScale to 1.0.

This turns out to mean that any object that is scaled in relation to the base object looks skewed in OpenEQ and is put into the .map with the wrong geometry by azone2.

I analysed every S3D file, and in every case, the X and Y scale factors were always the same, so I changed the code so that the Z scale factor is set to whatever the X and Y scales are. The huts in Hollowshade seem to have the correct proportions now, and I built a hollowshade.map including models 9 and 10 (the huts on stilts) and the mobs stand on them correctly, even with Map:FixPathingZMaxDeltaSendTo set to the default value.

I've updated the downloads:

Source: http://www.rama.demon.co.uk/azone2/azone2.rar

Windows Executables: http://www.rama.demon.co.uk/azone2/az2exes.rar

This means that any maps with placeable objects using the previous versions should really be rebuilt. This only affects placeable objects. If you have azone2 generated base maps with no placeable objects, then they will be fine.