[HLP] Bench placement in SketchUp

[NYRfan85]

I've been trying and trying to get the alignment correct for a bench object in my Stadium Seating 2 set, but no matter what I've tried, it does not align correctly, the way the path extras are supposed to! It does rotate around 90* like it should, but it's never aligned right. I'm not sure what's causing the problem.

Either I am:

A) Placing it wrong in SketchUp, using the Path Edge (inner) grid, like so... (I know I don't have the effect points in it yet, I will get to it.)
http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/5610/sketchupgu2.jpg

Or,

B) I am not doing something right, according to Surfingoz's Bench Tutorial (http://surfingoz.byethost4.com/Making%20Custom%20Benches.html), even though I followed it step for step.

Can anyone help me out here? It's really frustrating me that it won't align properly!
http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/4445/shot0016uz1.jpg

And yes, I will get to the effect points, and fix the placement of them. I just want to get the orientation/placement working!:confused:

[gameliker9]

all you neeed to do is fix seat move them back some the hight looks good but the wiath need to be moved back thats it.

[elljhitch]

all you neeed to do is fix seat move them back some the hight looks good but the wiath need to be moved back thats it.
I think its a bit more complex then that.:weird:.

[NYRfan85]

all you neeed to do is fix seat move them back some the hight looks good but the wiath need to be moved back thats it.
Yes, I know about that. I said I will get to it later, that's not the issue at hand. I'm talking about the PLACEMENT of the entire object on the path...

[tycoon4life]

its probably the placement of the new importer (if you're using it)
Try the old one.

[Adnecles]

T4L beat me to it. Was going to say looks like importer is setting it to quarter tile placement.

[adiel19]

when you are creating the ovl file double click the model to edit it . then there is a box where it says left hand up or something like it you have to put it to right hand up z
i would put pictures but i do not know how to take a picture of my computer screen.

[Vodhin]

doesn't matter. you can use quarter tile, full tile- you don't need to use bench placement. What you DO need to do is make sure that the modeling center (X0,Y0,Z0) will be "attached" to a path, otherwise the AI mai not find the bench item.

Just so you know, the bench placement (path inner, usually) simply offsets the model by -0.2 from the modeling center. (it's essentially a "wall placement" that's moved in from the RCT3 grid).

Look at my bench kit and see how I have them set up.

[NYRfan85]

I checked out your benches Vodhin, and I see that you have them off of the path, and you speak of a transparent arrow. I assume this is how the peeps can 'find' the benches. How do I do this? What do you mean by the modeling center needs to be attached to a path? How do I do that? I'm glad to hear though that I can use regular full/quarter tile placement, that makes life much easier!

[adiel19]

when are creating the ovl file this window has to look like this
http://i439.photobucket.com/albums/qq114/adiel1905/positioninghelp.jpg

hope this help

[Belgabor]

Did you set Placement Flag to "Path Edge (inner)" in the Importer? Looks like it, but I want to make sure.

[NYRfan85]

@adiel19: I am using v17 of the importer, and I have the orientation and everything worked out, that's not the issue.

@belgabor: Yes, I have it set to Path Edge (inner). This is what the settings look like:
http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/113/benchimporterdv7.jpg

If it was possible to edit the OVL, without having to remake it, I'd show you how I have that set up too..

[adiel19]

maybe what you have to do is to remake the ovl file. if you do so show me a picture of the edit model window.

[Belgabor]

Very strange. Please do as adriel suggested and show a screenshot of your edit model window.

[adiel19]

my name is adiel

[Belgabor]

Ups, sorry :)

[Vodhin]

Did you set Placement Flag to "Path Edge (inner)" in the Importer? Looks like it, but I want to make sure.

Placement can be anything- as long as two rules apply: the modeling center needs to be on a path; Extra parameters must be "bench(2)"


I checked out your benches Vodhin, and I see that you have them off of the path, and you speak of a transparent arrow. I assume this is how the peeps can 'find' the benches. How do I do this? What do you mean by the modeling center needs to be attached to a path? How do I do that? I'm glad to hear though that I can use regular full/quarter tile placement, that makes life much easier!


Move the model into position in the modeling program- Example (assuming a full tile placement): move the model over 4 units in the modeling program (after rotating it so it's front faces the center). To make the "arrow" make a 2D plane and texture it with a clear part of an alpha texture then delete one of the triangles (so you have the arrow shape, with the point down). Put that arrow at x0y0z0 for player's reference (it does nothing for the AI).

The key is that the center of the model (where you have the invisible arrow) must "attach" to a path- it needs to have the AI "see" it: if a player does not have the "center of the model" on some part of a path, the AI does not see it. This way you can have bench items farther away from a path, as long as the "model's center" connects (and the path needs to be made first, if collision isn't enabled, aparently).


Now, looking at most of the scenery in my bench kit, my placements are all set to "1/4 tile"

[NYRfan85]

Thanks for your help Vodhin, I was able to do what you said, and get the peeps to sit on them! :D However, not many peeps wanted to sit, and I'd only get one or maybe two of them to sit on the object at the same time. And they always sat on the front row, never went to the other rows, any idea why? I have effect points on all 20 seats.

In this pic, when I had the raised path, they would sit, but then when they would get up, they'd get stuck below the seating, so if you are going to use these, you MUST have the path/object on flat land, NOT raised paths!
http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/1438/shot0019pm4.jpg

Here's another one showing how two peeps are sitting in the front row. I know the placement is off, but I know how to fix it, it's a simple fix. I just wanted to show you that I got it to work using Vodhin's method!:up:
http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/958/shot0018up0.jpg

[stu-2693]

you can only have 2 peeps per tile edge ;)

[NYRfan85]

Oh.. Well, that puts a hamper on my grand scheme.. :downcast::haha:

Then I guess my work here is done, back to finalizing the bench object, and continuing to import the regular objects!

[Belgabor]

Well, you just need to be clever about it =)
Make a CS for the floor and several benches, one for two seats in each row.

[errt]

But if stu is right, you'd need a path for each bench. That would be 10 paths for each of this objects.

[Belgabor]

True, but maybe he meant per bench.

[Vodhin]

you can only have 2 peeps per tile edge ;)

you can only have 2 peeps per bench object- you can have as many benches on a path edge as you like, just don't expect them to fill up.

Thinking about this, it might be possible to create a whole "stadium gate" (a section of seating with the entrance tunnel) and create a simple flat ride with it. Then not only would you have the ability to fill a bunch of seats, you would also have a money maker...

[NYRfan85]

That's a pretty interesting idea there, but I don't think I'd be able to enter the world of flat-ride making, haha. I have zero knowledge of Blender, so it would be quite difficult for me!:haha: But If somebody else, who has a knowledge of CFRs, would like to make it, feel free!

[-GS-]

Isn't there some way to make CFR's with SketchyPhysics?

[errt]

No. But animating can be done with hand written XMLs and splines, too, so you don't need Blender. But using Blender is easier for most people.