Past Lesson #2 Homework Submissions

[DarkRider]

Very nice Aralore. Your pathing could use a few more grid connections, but overall it's functional as is, full marks. You may head to Lesson #3 when you're ready

[Rosswell21]

Homework+Extra Credit done

Dinner Table

Alchemy Table

Bookshelf

Custom chest with Mithral Armor in it

The front door

And my pathgridding

For the pathgridding, is it recommended to bring the node close to where the animations start on furniture?

[WhoGuru]

VERY nicely done Rosswell! And fast as well! Your pathing is just about perfect! not too many nodes or cluttered connections. It's usually a good idea to have a pathgrid node in or next to the activation marker for furniture, which you have done very nicely in your interior. My only suggestion would be to move the node by the chair in front of the fire a little closer to the activation marker.

Otherwise, job well done! And I'll just go award points and you may move on to lesson 3!

[Game3nder]

Pathgrid - I'm worried it's too crowded, but didn't want to make it overly minimalistic and have stuck NPCs

Front Door

Clothing, book, and wine

Custom Desk

Alchemy table, bookcase, flowers, and dinner

[DarkRider]

Looks grand, pathing is well within the acceptable range (very good for an early go), extra credit completed, full marks, you may move on to Lesson #3 when ready. Well done

[oT4YLORo]

My Cabin 2

Tableset, Wine and Food

Custom Chest

Pathgrid

Clothes, Clutter etc.

Bookcases with City Guides

Apparatus with Helbourne Alchemy Chart

EDIT- Forgot to upload the Door

Edited March 15, 2011 by oT4YLORo

[DarkRider]

Very Good work T4YLOR, couple notes, on your custom chest you do not want to start IDs of any kind with a number 0-9. The reason is that when used in scripts, IDs that start with numbers can cause a script to not function, so you want to get into the good habit of starting IDs with letters (using aa will bring your stuff to the top of the list too, same as the 1) so that down the road you don't have issues.

Your pathing looks pretty good but you have a couple spots that need some work. Please read back through the section on Excessive Pathing and correct those spots in your grid to pass this class.

[oT4YLORo]

Thanks, Pathgrids are new to me. Is this better?

Fixed Pathgrid

[DarkRider]

Might be a bit too far to the other extreme, too few connections can cause your NPCs to freeze because they have no pathing options.

Attached is the image of your original pathing with the two trouble spots highlighted. Basically excessive pathing I indicated referes to these two places where you have 3 nodes, A, B, and C. You linked A to B and B to C, there's no need to link A to C because the NPC already gets to C through B.

Don't worry, once you get this down, you'll have it, it just takes a bit of practice. Absolutely typical, have another go.

[oT4YLORo]

ok this Pathgrid good?

[DarkRider]

Well done, full marks. You can move ahead to Lesson #3, great job sticking with it.

[HaltOCarrick]

Homework Assignment + Extra Credit:

Bookshelf

Clothes, Ingredients, Apparatus

Dining Table

Door

Special Container

Is this okay? I don't really get pathgrids.... PathGrid

[WhoGuru]

Hello Carrick! Rider is offline for a few days while he and his lady move into a new house and he's asked me to sub in for him here.

All your screens are looking terrific! I particularly like the placement of the clutter on your bookshelf. Clutter is essential to any homey home. Makes it look lived in and you seem to have an eye for it already.

Now the pathgrids. Such a pain those things. I hate them. LOL Yours are almost perfect. Just need a little tweaking. Anywhere you have a piece of useable furniture like a chair or a bed, you want to place a red node so that it sits right next to or partially in the green figure of the NPC. That's the activation zone for that piece of furniture that allows an NPC to use it.

Also, always be sure that none of the connecting lines between nodes are going through anything solid. While the Node itself tells an NPC where to stand, the line tells them where to walk. If you have a line passing through a wall or other solid object, NPC's will be stuck trying to walk through it.

I've circled a couple problem areas in your screen here. You can see you have some yellow connecting lines on the right side passing through solid objects. Also on the upper left, looks like you have more connecting lines than you need to that one node. Simple is best with connecting grids.

Here's a look at some correct pathing for comparison: See how the nodes are placed so the NPC can use the furniture easily and all the connecting lines are clear of any obstruction.

Tweak your pathing and post an updated screen and we'll get you moved on to Lesson 3.

[Citrus]

Pathing

Cluttered Dining Room

Custom Shelf Contents

Custom Shelf in the CS

The Glass Longsword chest...

The bookshelf

The bedroom

Shoes

Stillwater Marsh, Phase 2

Only editor shots for now. Once I am done with lesson 4, I'll get some pretty ones in-game. Well, no so pretty because I can't really handle all the eyecandy but anyway...

[WhoGuru]

Pathing

Cluttered Dining Room

Custom Shelf Contents

Custom Shelf in the CS

The Glass Longsword chest...

The bookshelf

The bedroom

Shoes

Stillwater Marsh, Phase 2

Only editor shots for now. Once I am done with lesson 4, I'll get some pretty ones in-game. Well, no so pretty because I can't really handle all the eyecandy but anyway...

LOVE the line of shoes under the cupboard. Fantastic touch!

and another pathing nudge. Your pathing is spot on. I'd suggest moving the nodes next to your dining chairs a bit closer to the activation zones but that's all. I'll award the points and pass you on...soon as I go have a look and figure out how to do that. Gimme a tic.

** Little tip here. When you test your houses in game, drag a companion along. They will be able to show you if you've placed a node badly and have them walking into furniture or walls.

[HaltOCarrick]

Here: Pathgrid 2

By the way, for lesson 1, I did the extra credit too...

[WhoGuru]

Here: Pathgrid 2

By the way, for lesson 1, I did the extra credit too...

MUCH better!! Move on to lesson 3 and congrats!

And yeah Just saw neither you or paredon are on the class roster. I'll fix that and award points to both of you for both lessons and the extra credit.

Edit: And have you both added to the class list now and all points awarded.

[Citrus]

** Little tip here. When you test your houses in game, drag a companion along. They will be able to show you if you've placed a node badly and have them walking into furniture or walls.

I'll have to get a friend then. I'm ronery now... I'll update the paths then. Just a nudge closer... I'll take care of that and move on to lesson 3.

[WhoGuru]

I'll have to get a friend then. I'm ronery now... I'll update the paths then. Just a nudge closer... I'll take care of that and move on to lesson 3.

I have two I bring with me whenever I test just to find my bad pathing. And there's always something.

and....ronery...please don't make me start singing Team America