Multiple projectile nodes

[Moraelin]

So the gatling laser has the beam starting from more than one point. Looking into the .nif, there is a NiTransformController on the projectile node, and it seems to go in a line between two of the barrels.

 

Ok, so I try to make a two-barrel assault rifle, of the over-under arrangement, copy the projectile node including the transform controller to it, edit the coordinates to match the muzzles of the two barrels. Should work, right? Nope. It doesn't do a frikken thing. Only one barrel is firing.

 

Okaaay. Second attempt: I start from the gatling laser, and make basically a two barreled blaster cannon out of it, with two thick finned barrels side by side. Again, I edit the coordinates of that transform controller to move the projectile node between then muzzles of the two barrels. Load the game, fire the darned thing... and it still fires from the old coordinates. Which is to say, the beam still goes around in a circle and starts from the base of my longer barrels instead of the coordinates I set.

 

So far I'd say that the transform controller in the .nif is ignored, just like for most other weapons. Which, of course, doesn't help me much...

 

Anyone has any idea where is that actually stored? What do I have to edit?

[Ghogiel]

I'm going to guess the projectile node in the gatling laser is animated. Which would put the controller in the character animations.

you can set up the transforms and then add a new controlled block to the character animation involved, and paste that transform data into that. As long as everything is named correctly the block you have the projectile node under should get animated.

 

actually, thinking about it, you could just create a loop anim for the projectile node and have it run independent of the character anim, that should work :unsure:

Edited January 15, 2012 by Ghogiel

[Moraelin]

Thanks for the info, but unfortunately that all went over my head.

 

Where would I look for character animations, please? I've had a look in the GECK, but I can only find idle animations.

[Ghogiel]

I would totally try animating the projectile node in the weapon nif, try what you did before but set the cycle type from clamp to loop. I can't see why it wouldn't work if it is a loop animation... if it's just looping the whole time it should play irrespective of the character animations, If I understand you correctly you want an alternating shot fired from 2 barrel ends, much like the gatling gun... what I am guessing that the gatling gun does is the projectile node is a clamp anim, and is being controlled by the firing animation.. I'll have a look at it.. no point speculating when it's all installed..

 

OK yeah it works like I thought. in the characters\_male\2hhattackloop.kf you will find a controlled block for ##ProjectileNode. I am guessing that is for the gatling gun. what you could do is try just making a loop (as opposed to setting it as clamp) anim and have the animation embedded in the nif and see if that works, Or basically add a new controlled block to whatever attack animation your weapon uses, I guess the 2hr or 2ha or what ever assaults are, and basically copy pasta the projectile node controlled block out of the 2hhattackloop.kf into the animation set your weapon uses, the transform data is really only a few keys and you can just modify the transform data in the keys just like you did in your previous failed attempt.

[Moraelin]

Thanks, I'll look into that.