[LE] Navmeshing - is it possible to prevent followers entering certain areas.

[bongodoctor]

Just finished my first go at navmeshing and it wasn't as hard as I thought - it also didn't work as I expected. From what I had read I was under the impression that if an area wasn't navmeshed then a follower etc wouldn't be able to use it or pass through it. However it seems that they can follow you into un-navmeshed areas but they just get stuck on any obstacle in the way, because they can't see them. I was planning to not navmesh near crafting stations and weapon/armour racks to prevent them from getting too close or nudging me off the station whilst crafting etc - but obviously this is not going to work.

 

So is there a way of making certain areas off limits to followers - anti-navmeshing if you like - which tells them not to enter this area?

[greyday01]

A nav-cut block. You can use those also if you want to place a house onto an existing nav meshed exterior to prevent NPC's trying to walk through the walls, or from trying to cross a raised drawbridge. They are useful because they can be enabled and disabled by script ass needed.

[bongodoctor]

Excellent - how do I add one of those? Is it a navmesh tool, or an object you click and drag onto the render window?

A nav-cut block. You can use those also if you want to place a house onto an existing nav meshed exterior to prevent NPC's trying to walk through the walls, or from trying to cross a raised drawbridge. They are useful because they can be enabled and disabled by script ass needed.

[bongodoctor]

Worked it out you have to add a primitive cube or sphere (or plane) then in the primitives tab select LNavCut :smile:

 

But still a bit confused - upon testing them the follower either ignores them and follows me through it - or they are unable to follow the large nav-mesh gaps between them. Do they have to be activated with a script - or will they just work by default was created - I don't want to turn them off. Does these primitives HAVE to cut through navmesh, or can they work by themselves standalone?

 

Maybe I need to use the L_Avoidbox primitive instead - as the crafting stations are in the corner with no navmesh under them - there is no path to follow as such - will try avoidbox see what happens....

Edited July 15, 2022 by bongodoctor

[maxarturo]

Remember your previous NavMesh related post? You actor was able to navigate through an Un-NavMesh section of your cell because your cell has NavMesh in a lower section of that cell, in a lower floor.

Copy pasting from the previous post:

"NPCs use NavMesh not to exactly navigate through the terrain, but NavMesh shows the AI where the npc can navigate, or where is allow to."

"2) You don't need to match the geometry of the mesh or the landscape for the NavMesh to work, for example if you make a 'Flat NavMesh' to cover your complex landscape cell and you drag the entire NavMesh bellow the terrain, the NavMesh will still work."

[bongodoctor]

There is no lower floor in this cell - I split the original layout into two separate cells - so there isn't any navmesh at all in those areas. I have also tried using L_navcut and L_avoidbox primitive collision cubes/spheres and these do make them avoid an area and find a way round if there is another way - but if there is no other way they just follow me into the area eventually anyway... Still trying to find a way to stop them coming into the area immediately around a crafting station...

 

Here is an image: https://imgur.com/UmPvItd

 

 

Remember your previous NavMesh related post? You actor was able to navigate through an Un-NavMesh section of your cell because your cell has NavMesh in a lower section of that cell, in a lower floor.

Copy pasting from the previous post:

"NPCs use NavMesh not to exactly navigate through the terrain, but NavMesh shows the AI where the npc can navigate, or where is allow to."

"2) You don't need to match the geometry of the mesh or the landscape for the NavMesh to work, for example if you make a 'Flat NavMesh' to cover your complex landscape cell and you drag the entire NavMesh bellow the terrain, the NavMesh will still work."

 

Edited July 15, 2022 by bongodoctor

[maxarturo]

If there isn't any NavMesh below or above and the actors continue walking into non NavMesh parts, then all i can say is that this is the first time I've ever hear of this, and especially on Skyrim's engine.

If there is no NavMesh, then the engine will not generate navigation path for the npc.

* Unless you are using a follower that teleports to you, those follower mods don't use NavMesh to move the npc to you, but just a code that doesn't care about NavMesh.

* If i want to exclude an area to be used by npcs, I either use NavCut or i just don't NavMesh that particular area.

[bongodoctor]

Initially I only navmeshed the areas I wanted them to walk in - which excluded all of the corners where the crafting stations where etc - the follower will follow me anywhere even if there is no navmesh - this did suprise me as I thought without navmesh they wouldn't be able to move around at all. I am using Vanilla Skyrim SE with no mods - so this is very confusing. I am planning to delete all of the navmesh and see if they still follow me through the building....

 

Even the navcuts and avoidboxes do not stop them - they try to avoid it but if they can't find another path they just follow me anyway...

Edited July 15, 2022 by bongodoctor

[bongodoctor]

Ok so I deleted all of the navmesh apart from a single green triangle by the entrance door - Jenassa followed me where ever I went as long as she could see me. If I hid around a corner she did not follow me - so this is with no navmesh at all - she also found her way around obstacles as well - which is very weird. So obviously nav mesh is needed for independent navigation to a point they cannot see - but she seemed able to follow me no matter where I went...

Edited July 15, 2022 by bongodoctor