Past Lesson #2 Homework Submissions

DarkRider · August 22, 2010

With a node activated, just hold crtl and left click on a second existing node to link them. Or if you need to create a new node hold ctrl and right click to place a new node that is already connected.

Cheeka · August 22, 2010

I was looking at your example but I still dont see how you coneect the cross in a box witheout stacking, I always end up with two on at least one of them.

DarkRider · August 22, 2010

Alright, no biggie, pathing can be very confusing at first, don't be discouraged, we'll get you sorted out. :wave:

The house is small, so go ahead and delete your old pathing to start fresh. Then begin again by placing a single node in the cell like this:

You'll notice the node has the green "active" indicator, that's because it's the only node and the most recent one placed. Only one node should be active at once (bad things happen when you activate multiple nodes at once :evil: ) If a node is ACTIVE that means you can link other nodes to it. The trick is to master the key+mouse combinations needed to get the result you want.

With this first node activate, HOLD the ctrl key on your keyboard and RIGHTmouse click a bit above it to place a second node. By holding ctrl the new node is automatically linked to the first.

If you had released ctrl, and done the same thing you would have placed a new UNLINKED node instead. That's what we want to do next, leave the ctrl key unpressed and RIGHTmouse click to the left of those two nodes and place a new unlinked node. Place another unlinked node to finish the square.

This is where it might get confusing. What you want to do is activate one of the unlinked nodes, let's start with the lower left hand node. LEFTmouse click on that guy once to activate him. Then HOLD ctrl. Now that he is active and you are holding ctrl, one at a time, LEFTmouse click on the other three nodes to link him to all three.

As a note here, this works the same way in reverse. If you have an active node and you hold ctrl and LEFTmouse click a node it is linked to they will become unlinked.

Now that you have those three new connections, release the ctrl key and LEFTmouse click on the node in the upper left to make that one the active node. HOLD ctrl and LEFTmouseclick the nodes it is not linked to to finish the set.

You may need to practice this a few times, until that pesky pathgrid lightbulb in your brain clicks on for you. Let me know if you have more questions.

Cheeka · August 22, 2010

Thank you so much it looks a lot better now and makes so much more sense. Here is the SS of it done properly.

I am going to re-install Oblivion now but not with UFCOM cant face that again lol so it should take care of my missing meshes. I haven't even played yet I've just been teting to make sure there was no problems and low and behold there is, tho' I got to say I have no idea why those meshes are missing very strange

.

Ok I've sorted out my Games folder and I think all is well now. Here is the table as it is in the CS, here is the carrot as it should be lol and this is how the table is in the CS, I thought I would put these in also because you couldn't see the necklace very well. So hopeully I'll have no more odd stuff in the game anymore.

Edited August 22, 2010 by Cheeka

DarkRider · August 22, 2010

Well done Cheeka! Full marks you may head to Lesson #3

Cheeka · August 22, 2010

Once you showed me how it was easy, but thats how everything is I guess.

stankirby · September 10, 2010

DarkRider,

I completed lesson2, homework and extras.

Photos of dining table, door, custom container, pathgrid, apparatus, books and various clutter in:

http://tesalliance.org/forums/index.php?/gallery/album/3835/193-stan-kirby-photos/

Thank you,

Stan Kirby

DarkRider · September 10, 2010

Very very well done stan :bow:

Everything is well accounted for, you may move ahead to Lesson #3 at your ready.

Ouija · September 17, 2010

WOW ... does my head hurt! :yes:

Here's the assignments.

4 Place Settings

Okay, only took me a better part of TWO days on this but I finally got it to where stuff doesn't fly everywhere when the PC sits down. I hate Havok! I learned new swear words cause of this :pints: . And I found out I really am OCD because if I don't like how it looks, I'll change it all and start over! *shakes head*

Cheap City Guides, Apparatus, Clutter

Let's see. Okay one of the things that always kinda bothered me is when I see stuff that's lined up all perfectly. Mostly because to me it seems less lived in and more set up. So I did the lesson with standing books and then added my sloppiness that seems more real to me. (Or maybe I am just a pig LOL) Had fun with the apparatus stuff and used an old wine rack I found to add the potions in the corner from a days work in the little lab. The wine for the extra credit is in this shot too.

Bedroom Clutter

Bedroom all cluttered up with clothes on the dresser, scroll on the table, some shoes on the floor and a planter in the window. Both custom chests are in this shot too.

CS Pathgriding and Contents List

Here's the pathgrid. Not sure why but I found this the most interesting and fun thing about this lesson. I'm not sure I got exactly what you wanted here but so far in my testing, Vilja reacts perfectly! I'm so excited.

Extra Credits

Foods n stuff

Okay the foodstuffs are on the table and I added a fruit bowl in the middle for color and decoration.

Door!

The door! I am really not sure if it's in right or not. I couldn't tell what way it was suppose to go. There was like no front or maybe it was the back but was like just a box. *shruggin* I also added the benches in and both are approached from the front so companions don't get messed up. Vilja seems to sit on them fine. Not happy with the pelts as decoration so I will end up changing that I'm sure.

Custom Container 2

And custom container 2 that is named aaouCustomContainer2 which is a different name than the first. I just added the number on the end. Hope that's right. In this one, there's a glass mace for Vilja, the other one has the sword.

Thanks so much for this lesson! I'm going to go take some Advil now :pints:

DarkRider · September 17, 2010

Very nice Ouija full marks! I really like your attention to detail, that makes for a good modder. You may head to Lesson #3 when you are ready :yes:

Hawke5781 · October 9, 2010

DR

Here is Lesson 2, Homework, Extra Credit,

Finish Clutter 1

Orginal Custom Chest

Orginal Custom chest contents

Added Door

Finish Clutter 2

Custom Barrel

Custom Barrel Contents (Mutton Stew)

Forth Place Setting Food and Wine

Added Guides and Apparatus

Path grid and List of books

Thanks for your Time

Edited October 9, 2010 by Hawke5781

DarkRider · October 9, 2010

Very nice homework Hawke, full marks!

Your pathing is very nice but has a few more connections that could be made. No need to repost an image though, you appear to have the concept down.

Now to your questions!

Should I try to get a path node under the start point of all animations?

With pathing close is often close enough, if you just have pathing around the table they can process a bit of a skip from the nearest node to the furniture animation node without being lined up under it.

Why won't ctrl-Z remove the last placed path node?

Pathing is hardcoded a bit differently in the system, it's just one of those quirks. :no:

For a future mod I am planning, can you do a path grid outside and cause a NPC to follow a specific route?

You can yes using blue priority nodes, however, NPC behavior gets a bit more challenging and unpredictable outside in the exterior world. You may need more than pathing to keep the character on course, but you won't know until you get there. :yes:

Hawke5781 · October 10, 2010

DR,

Thanks for your time and the answers.

elizb · October 13, 2010

DarkRider,

Can you safely apply the same technique used in this lesson to quest items that you do to chests (changing the ID and in this case unchecking Quest Item) to get a new item for decorating. It seems like a logical step to me, but if there are any issues with it, I'll restrain myself. :rofl:

DarkRider · October 13, 2010

Yes you can. As long as you change the ID and uncheck quest you may use those items as well. :rofl:

elizb · October 14, 2010

Here we go! Hope I did all right with the pathgrid. It seems like something that is difficult

in the beginning but becomes intuitive later.

DarkRider · October 14, 2010

Very nice eliz! You have a small section in your pathing by the table where to have two paths and three nodes connected A to B and then A to C in a really tight area by that wall. Better to pull the center node out a hair away from the chair and link them A to B to C and skip the extra path. Other than that one area you did very well, no need to repost a fix. Just note it for next time, and you may move on to Lesson #3. :rofl: