1. #1

    Follow Path Event & Nodes issue

    I'm having a huge problem using the Follow Path event. Three of the four carts will move as they're supposed to, but the one in the back will move to the next node much faster than all the other carts. They are all the same distance away from the target nodes but for whatever reason that last cart wants to be difficult.

    The second problem I've encountered is rather consistent thankfully. From 0 to 499.99, the carts move along the path to each node in order. However once the location along the path reaches 500 units, all of the carts simultaneously will snap to the next node without any animation.

    Normally when placing the nodes, I have found a thin black line leading from one node to the next, which I assume is a vector path that the game generates as you connect nodes. But for whatever reason, some of these nodes have two or three lines, and even lines coming out of lines. I've tried deleting one and adding a new one, but that new node will still have two lines coming out of it on one side.

    I have prepared a brief video illustrating these strange issues:

    https://youtu.be/9bBCFhfpO5s
    Share this post

  2. #2
    The reason you have 2 black lines is because you are using different start nodes, each node draws its own animation path. I'm thinking your problem may have something to do with your animation values.

    With the Path follower event, the animation value should go from 0-10,000 (Animation Start Value, and End Value.) Place nodes where you want the animation to go. Just lay them down and they will be automatically connected in the order that you set them down. Then select the first node from the Path Follower Event. This will automatically draw the animation path (black line) through all the nodes you put down, in the order you placed them.
    Then set a Curve Data Source to the Animation Value in the event, and set it from start at 0 to end at 10000. What that means is, it divides the path from start node to the last node by 10000 steps. If you offset the value of different carts by using Animation Start Value, then the animation value is smaller, so the steps will be larger... thus making the animations go faster the larger the Start Value is. So, if you set the second cart to the Start Value of 1000, then the animation is only dividing the path up by 9000, so the steps will be larger, and the animation will move faster.

    The purple dotted lines connect the nodes. The black line is the path the animation follows. You only need to select the start node for each event. The nodes will automatically draw the path between them in the order you placed them. If you mess around with Next Object and Previous Location, you must have them all selected in order for it to work. Hope that helps, I didn't see what you were using for animation value.

    For what you are doing, I would animate one cart to do what you want it to do. Then just delay starting the next carts and have them follow the exact same animation as the first cart.
     1 people found this helpful
    Share this post

  3. #3
    If you offset the value of different carts by using Animation Start Value, then the animation value is smaller, so the steps will be larger
    Changing the distance between each node will also affect the speed. A distance of 5m apart will travel faster than 2m, so the nodes must also be equally spaced. And using that you can make an animation speed up by simply placing the nodes slightly further apart. I'll use that occurrence to simulate gravity.
    So, if you set the second cart to the Start Value of 1000, then the animation is only dividing the path up by 9000, so the steps will be larger, and the animation will move faster.
    All of the carts have a start value of 0, so when they complete the loop around the track they would return back to where they started, as the last node overlaps the first.
    If you mess around with Next Object and Previous Location, you must have them all selected in order for it to work.
    I know that when you place the nodes, it automatically sets up the next node and previous nodes so if I needed an extra, I would link its prev and next, and then go to the before & after to make sure that they are linked to the new node appropriately.
    I didn't see what you were using for animation value.
    Gas & Brake > Set Value:Increase & Decrease > Variable Data Source.

    I am trying to use path nodes to have multiple carts on a track, and I thought by simply having them start at one node back from the next that they would follow the circuit accordingly.
    So cart_A starts at node 4
    Cart_B at node 3
    Cart_C at node 2
    Cart_D at node 1
    Then the last 4 nodes in the circuit would overlap the first 4 so that when it resets to 0 after 10,000, the cart wouldn't skip around. I know a circuit works because I made a moose run around in a circle .
    Just trying to accomplish that four times on the same track.

    Thank you for your input, there is some new information.
     1 people found this helpful
    Share this post