Vehicle Workshop

ObjectEditor modes

Object mode

The object mode is the default mode in the ObjectEditor. Select it by clicking on the object mode button in the ObjectEditor toolbar or use CTRL+1. This is the general mode for tweaking and working with objects.

Sound mode

The sound mode is used when tweaking and selecting sounds. Is has the ability to display an engine sound tweaking interface. Selection shortcut: CTRL+2.

Effect mode

The effect mode gives control over effects; you can play, pause and stop them. Different background colors can be selected when viewing and playing effects. There is also a choice to draw the effects as spheres. Selection shortcut: CTRL+3.

IK mode

The ik-mode is used when controlling soldiers in vehicles. You can move the soldier position or if an ik-component is created, the hands and elbows of the soldier. Selection shortcut: CTRL+4.

Ammunition mode

In the ammunition mode you can select different types of ammunition and shot them through the camera to test impact effects, sounds and so on. Selection shortcut: CTRL+5.

Import

To import an object you made in Maya, make sure it's saved somewhere in your RawData-directory and that it's has the required structure and format. Select File->Import from the menu (or press CTRL+I), browse to your Maya-file and click Ok. The file will now be imported and all new files will be copied to your bin-folder and added to Perforce if source-control is enabled. If an error occurs, info will be written to the output window so make sure to have this visible. When done, you can find you imported object in the ResourceTree.

Auto-import

When a Maya-file in your RawData-folder has changed, the editor will automatically detect that and ask if you want to re-import it. However, this will only happen if you have the appropriate option set, you can find it under Options->ImportSettings.

Working with the Object Editor

There is some general functionality that all the modes in the ObjectEditor share.

Input modes

There a three different input modes. Free Camera allows you to fly around. Input gives you your keyboard and mouse input to the active object, this will allow you to pretty much anything with a vehicle, from flapping the rudders of a plane to driving a jeep.

Enter actually puts you in the vehicle, just as if you would enter it inside the game. Your camera-view will change to the driver-camera and the engine will start.

Physics on/off

The physics update can be toggle on and off in the editor. It’s done with a button in the plug-in-dialog. With physics on you will be able to drive you vehicles, fire off weapons and test the collision.

Zoom to object

Reset vehicle position

If no terrain is visible, this button resets the vehicle position to the middle of the grid.

Instant Tweaker

By selecting this mode every tweak reloads the object.

Reload object

Some parameters that are tweaked or set require that the object is reloaded to take effect. Use this button to reload the object.

Tweaking objects

To tweak an object you have to make sure it’s loaded. Then you drag it from the Resource-tree to the scene-view. Now the objects properties will be editable in the Tweaker.

Moving/Rotating

The selected object is highlighted in the scene view. You can move it by click-dragging the different axes of the pivot-marker. Holding down SHIFT will allow you to rotate the object. Children that have been added in Maya will not be able to move but will snap back to its original position after you release you mouse.

Hierarchy

When dropping an object into the scene it becomes active. The active object’s hierarchy will be show in the resource tree. There, you can select the object’s children and thereby activating them for tweaking.

Add new child

You can a new child to an object by right-clicking it and choosing "Add new child". Choose which type you want the new object to have, then enter a new name.

Add existing child

If you right-click an object you can choose to add an existing child. Selecting this will allow you to browse to the object you want to add. Click Ok and it’s now added as a child. NOTE! SimpleObject cannot have children; change it to Bundle in Maya.

Add cloned child

If you know an object that you’d like you add to you vehicle but you know you’ll want to change something on it to make it unique, you can choose to add a cloned child. Browse to the object you want to clone, enter a new name and click Ok. You will now have an entirely new object but with the same attributes as the one you cloned.

Inherit Settings

You can copy the properties of one object to another, this can be useful e.g. if you made a new car and want to copy the properties of another car's engine to your new one. Right-click your engine and choose "Inherit Settings", browse to the other car's engine and click Ok. All the properties are now copied.

Wizard system

The editor has a wizard-system that is supposed to make the life a little bit easier for the vehicle-maker. It contains a set of Error-, Warning-handlers and Utils. The errors and warnings can detect such thing as missing cameras and entry points. The will also fix the problem for you if you want to. The Utils help you out with operations that are time-consuming and repetitive, such as adjusting grip on all wheels of a tank.

Show Camera view

When you want to position the camera there is a nifty little utility to make this easier. Just right-click the camera in the hierarchy and choose “Show Camera View”. The camera view will now popup in a separate window and as you move the camera, the view will change. This allows high precision tweaking of the camera position.

Adding a soldier

To add a visual soldier in a vehicle position there are a few steps you have to go through. First, right-click the object you want to add the visual soldier to and choose “Make Seat Parent”. Right-click the PlayerControlObject and choose [enter]. You will see a soldier in default-pose. Now switch to the AnimationEditor. Drag and drop the vehicle into the RenderView. Select the PlayerControlObject of your choice and click Change. Then browse to the animation system you wish to set. Switch back to ObjectEditor and change to IK-mode from the toolbar. Now you can move the soldier and the soldiers sub parts by choosing from the dropdown in the plug-in dialog.

Cockpit

When a player enters a vehicle, the system will try to show a cockpit-lod, you can specify which lod this is in the Tweaker. Select the PlayerControlObject you like to modify and find the tweak called “CockpitSubGeom” and “CockpitLod”. They are found under the “PlayerControlObject” tab.

Adding barrels to firearm

If you have a firearm the MultiFire-component, you can add several barrels to it. Add the objects you want to use as barrels as children to the firearm. Right-click them and choose “Make Barrel”. The firearm will now fire from the barrels.

**Editor Layout**