SSE Translating Objects Over Long Distances

[HeirOfTheSeptims]

So I'm trying to make an object (currently an activator, might use a furnishing) move over a long distance on a loop. Specifically I'm trying to make a boat float down a river, disappear at the end, move back to the start and repeat. I'm using TranslateToRef() and it works for moving it. The issue is that everything gets wonkey when its supposed to return back to the start (using MoveTo). It wont return when I expect it to. Sometimes it will return if I run back down to where it disappears (it is gone) then back to where it starts, but when this happens the script has been somehow reset and it wont move until I activate it again (Using OnActivate() to start it moving for testing), even though it supposed to move to the next position as soon as it stops. I can post the script here if someone really thinks its the problem (or at least can be fixed with the script), but I'm pretty sure that its not the problem.

 

What I think the problem is is the fact that the boat mesh gets so far away that it unloads, which might explain why its resetting the script. I figured "ok, easy enough to fix", I flagged it as "Is Full LOD" to stop it from unloading, but apparently the game doesn't like to translate references with that flag so it stops working entirely.

 

Does anyone have any ideas on how I could fix this or get around it? I thought of just continually spawning new boats, but I don't know if that would end up causing frame rate issues from too many references (not sure if deleted objects would do this, I don't think they actually go away until reloading the save but I could be wrong).

Edited April 11, 2020 by HeirOfTheSeptems

[HeirOfTheSeptims]

*Update: I tried moving my activator to the other end of the river so I could start the script while it wasn't loaded, the boat didn't start moving until I ran back to the other end. So that means that even spawning new boats wouldn't work, since there would be times where you are out of range of the start zone, but still should have the boat moving. So I somehow need to get it to stop unloading.

Edited April 11, 2020 by HeirOfTheSeptems

[maxarturo]

All "Translate" functions works only when the player and the object are in the same cell either if it is an interior or exterior, once the object or the player leaves that cell the "Translation" will automatically STOP, or start malfunctioning while the distances keeps growing from the actor's inhabited cell.

In your case the "Translate" will stop/start malfunctioning when the object passes through the cell's border that the player is in.

The only work around to this restriction is to make the boat an "Animated Activator", but this requires at least a good knowledge of NifSkope.

Or make the whole scene to take place in the same cell, but this narrows down the visual fx you want to achieve like a boat disappearing into the horizon...

This is one of the main reason why Skyrim does not have moving carriages, boats, ships,... etc.

Edited April 12, 2020 by maxarturo

[HeirOfTheSeptims]

Problem solved!

My boat is now an actor with waterwalking that walks down the river, thus allowing it to continue even while out of range. Its juryrigged as hell, but it works!

[maxarturo]

What is "juryrigged" ? i don't know this word and the translator gives me nothing...

[HeirOfTheSeptims]

"To assemble quickly or from whatever is at hand, especially for temporary use." Basically anything cobbled together in an unusual or unexpected way.. Like making a boat out of an npc..

[RichWebster]

It's actually not as unusual as you might think.

 

[Rasikko]

What is "juryrigged" ? i don't know this word and the translator gives me nothing...

You got the detailed explanation, but in terms of Skyrim it's "90% of the time the only way to accomplish what you want"

 

Anyway, this is a problem for any reference that is moving and the player leaves the cell. That's why vanilla patrols only appear as encounters. You can test this by moving out far enough that they unload, then come back, and notice they are all out of sync, or are not in a straight line anymore.

 

TL;DR: Things get buggy when a moving object unloads and reloads.

 

Also deleted objects are gone for good, so long as nothing is pointing at them, however, PlaceAtMe is a latent function(takes frames to do its thing) and continuous calls will cause traffic jams in the VM.

Edited April 15, 2020 by Rasikko

[maxarturo]

"You got the detailed explanation, but in terms of Skyrim it's "90% of the time the only way to accomplish what you want"

Thanks Rasikko for this extra explanation.

Although my english is excellent but is not my native language, and i very often encounter translation problems when the word is 'slang' or i'm trying to make a detail translation from greek to any other language or vice versa since the language is so complex and detailed.

Stay safe at home !.

[Rasikko]

For the 90% of the time part, I was being slightly 'tongue in cheek'(joking) and a bit cynical.

 

Yeah, translating cultural idioms from one language to another is really hard. My second language is Finnish and many English idiomatic phrases don't exist(and I tend to create new ones on the fly), and Finnish idioms don't exist in English,

Edited April 16, 2020 by Rasikko