Aligning Statics!

[spheron]

I recently downloaded an awsome modders resource, however, I've notice that a lot of the meshes don't align and what not, is there a way to global align an enviroment? Like I want to set all the set pieces to X,Y,0 (0 being the Z axis) That way I can start the long process of aligning every single piece on the X and Y.

 

If not thanks anyways

[fap6000]

Snap to grid... Buildings, walls, floors, an such uses grids in 16's, like 16 32 64 an so on. We don't really use the grid on statics though, because it almost always is below or above the floor. Say you build your room on a 16 grid, so everything lines up. Now you start placing statics. Even though they are both on a 16 grid, it's not going to line up, because it two different things. Pretty much the 16 grid is just to line up the walls an floors perfectly, then higher settings like a grid 64 are so the modder doesn' t make mistakes. For each different set of walls/floors some use different grids, 16 will almost always line up, but it's harder an there's more chance for mistakes. So most people will figure out which grid this set uses, an then build the room. I just use a 16 grid an do it the hard way, which is just checking everything.

 

Statics are all different, so it's like a bunch of different sets of walls/floors. You would need a different grid for each piece, and it would take a endless amount of time trying to figure out which one. Also if it was the case where your statics were on a grid, and all perfectly aligned. It wouldn't mirror the real world. Everything in this room I'm sitting in is at different angles. Some 45 degrees some only 2 degrees. That randomness should be put inside any area you place items. Maybe I hang a picture, well tilt it a degree or a few. Same with anything else.

 

Pretty much drag an drop your statics into the GECK render window, then Ctrl F for fall (fall to floor) Have the Grid turned off though, because if you Ctrl F with the grid on it will fall to the exact floor I.E. 2344.9453, but if you move it in anyway it's going to snap to the nearest Grid location I.E 2345.0000 an now it's floating above the floor.

 

You can use a 1 grid in some cases, drag an drop the static into the GECK render window. Now double click it in the render window, an you'll see the location an rotation. Make sure it's set to a even or odd number an not inbetween I.E. 2034.0000 Not 2034.3425, this will keep your statics moving in 1.0000's Which is really only helpful if you were trying to align two objects to perfectly meet without knowing the grid you would need to do so.

 

Something like 99% of the time though, the grid is turned off. Snap to angle might also be turned off as well if you are trying to make it look unique rather than a fake game world. I.E. too perfectly lined up. Take a look at how the Bethesda Team did it, the fallout world is a mess, an random. You can line it all up perfect, but it won't turn out being your best work when you go in the cell to view it in the game.

[fap6000]

So Soory my bad... Ctrl F is for "find" you just press plain old F to "fall" But "find" is helpful too, say there are 4 different types of walls for shacks, okay, you can look them all up an drag an drop them in yah, but it's mo easy to just drag one, duplicate that Ctrl D 4 times spreading it out an lined up wall to wall, so it's a long wall, then select a wall an ctrl F to find, which brings up the available items you could replace with, so then pick 2, then 3 on the next an finally number 4, I don't use it that much though.

[spheron]

Yeh, I realised that before haha, Its so bad because I'm a huge perfectionist and love everything to be on the exact whole number, but it doesn't work that way, once I've come to terms with it though I'm sure i'll be able to handle it, I still like starting had 0,0,0 though hahaha. But yeh thanks for the help anyways! :)

[fap6000]

HA! Well after you do some more work with this stuff you'll see to make it look perfect you kind of have to make it perfectly random. If there is such a thing. You might like it better if everything lines up. It just seems kind of fake when it's all perfect though. To get some imersion just move stuff around randomly, mostly the rotation.

 

Like an example

 

I have 46 ammo containers put on 6 different shelfs. They all line up perfect. If I go back as a last step an delete a few of them here an there, then double click an rotate a few of them a few degrees one way or the other. Then each shelf might be rotated 180 degrees from the one next to it, or a little off from the other. Doesn't have to be a whole lot, just a little of this will make it feel like you didn't just open the geck an put that stuff in there, but where where could that stuff have come from, I wonder who moved it, or threw it, or knocked it over on it's side. OH MY GAWD SOMEONE IS IN HERE WITH MEH! haha hahaaha Well maybe it just will make it feel like the stuff was always there.