map enhancement idea

[Half Track]

I don't know whether to post this here or in the map section, but as it is an enhancement idea I will post here and hope that if the moderator needs to move it they will.

Basically my idea is this:
If objects had an order of precedence, when making maps you could create a tunnel by making an arc of the size you want your tunnel, setting its color to invisible, making it shootthrough & drivethrough and then positioning it in the object where you want to have your tunnel through.

I would be quicker than having to carve an object in a 3D modeller.

What do you think!?

[^nightmare^]

so bassicly you want to be able to make holes/tunnels through boxes, pyramids, etc.? Sounds cool. I know thumper has done it with python, but it would be even better if you could do it with just bzflag map file

[Spazzy McGee]

i STRONGLY agree. this would be brilliant for us mappers that use little or no visual aid, and make maps in a text editor.

prehaps have something like a 'negative' parameter:

meshbox
pos 0 0 0
size 100 100 20
end

meshbox
pos 0 0 0
size 100 20 10
negative
end

this would make a 100x100x20 with a 20x10x100 tunnel though the middle.....

good idea?

[Half Track]

the idea came to me when I tried to make a tunnel through an elongated arc.

I made another arc for the tunnel made it shoot through and drive through and then placed it in position within the elongated arc the color was black (so I could check the position) and it was an easy matter to make it invisible.
The only problem is that the object you are making the tunnel through retains the original characteristics. so you cannot use it to drive/shoot through

If you bz handled objects in an order of precidence you could then 'force' the conditions of the invisible arc so you could add gaps spaces and tunnels wherever you want.

As it is it looks pretty cool in a map (esp if you leave it black) just a pitty it doesn't work completely.

[Spazzy McGee]

yeah, but one problem - bzfs dosn't draw objects that have both shootthrough and drivethrough........

[L4m3r]

yeah, but one problem - bzfs dosn't draw objects that have both shootthrough and drivethrough........

Yes it does. I just omits them from the geometric figuring (flagspawn, tank spawn, rico, etc).

I've suggested 3D booleans before, but I was pretty much told to just use a 3D modeller.

[JeffM]

what you are describing is constructive solid geometry. or the ability to subtract objects from others.

you can't realy do it with adding an object with an "invisible"color. A clear color would just make that object transperant and you'd see the other object thru it ( you can do this now ). Computer graphics just don't work that way. What you are asking for requires the object that you are subtracting to compute the interesection and create new geometry and edges to cut a hole in the shell of the other object.

A simple order wouldn't do it ether, since the order you renderin thigns would be dependent on the view, not some arbitaray order.

many modelers allready do this, then you can just save the object out as a mesh and use it. It's very simple