Call of Duty 5: Dynamic Entities : Ropes

This tutorial will show how to create ropes in COD:WAW.

Introduction

The ropes created using the method that follow can be used in a variety of mapping situation:

• Between 2 posts
• Telephone/electrical cabling
• Dangling objects

Theory: The rope is created within radiant, a rope entity is placed then a info_null sets the end of the rope and potential model target.

Rope between 2 posts

This example will explain how to add dynamic ropes between 2 poles.

Example

• In Radiant, create the 2 posts:

• In the 2D view, right-click > rope then place the new Entity where you need the rope to start:

• Deselect all and now still in the 2D view, right-click > info > null and place where you need the end of the rope to be;

• Take a note of the distance between the center of both new Entities, in this example it is 64 Units:

• Now Select the Rope Entity then the info_null and press W to connect them together.

• Now select only the Rope Entity and press N to bring the parameters, for this example i use those:

Note that the length input is 100, this is to allow for a curve in the rope as the distance between the 2 posts is 64 Units.

• Save the lot as a prefab and add to your maps!

Electrical cables

In progress

Rope for Dangling Objects

The example below will show how to get a dangling fish on a rope.

• In radiant, in the 2d View right-click where you want the rope to start and select rope as shown below:

• Deselect all and now create the info_null:

• Noe deselect all again then select the rope entity first then the info_null and press W to connect them together:

• Now selecting only the rope entity, press N to bring up the parameters for the rope;

Valid Keys:

• length - This will set the length of the rope, it will be auto calculated if not set.
• length_scale - This will sale the length of the rope giving it some more slack.
• target - Specify info_null node to set the end point of the rope. info_null can then target a dyn_model/brushmodel or script_model/brushmodel to hook the rope to it.
• target2 - Can be set to target a dyn_model/brushmodel or script_model/brushmodel to hook the rope to it.
• health - Specify health on the rope and it will break if the dyn_model/brushmodel it is attached to takes damage. dyn ent must have health set also.
• width - Cet the width of the rope.
• force_scale - Sefaults to 1, decrease to have wind, bullets and grenades affect the rope less.
• material - Assign a material to use for rendering the rope, if not specified it will use a default rope texture.

• For this example here are the values used:

• The rope is now ready, lets attach a model on the end
• In the 2d View, right-click > Misc > Model, for this example i selected static_peleliu_dead_fish02
• Place the fish/model on the middle of the info_null which represents the end of the rope:

• Make the fish/model a dyn_model by Right-click in 2D view > Dyn > Model

• With the model still selected, press N and tick the box for AUTO_GEN_PHYS_PRESET:

• Deselect all, now we need to create a Dynamic Constraints Entity for the Fish/Model (also see HERE)
• In the 2D view, right-click and select dyn > pointconstraint:

• Place the new Entity just underneath where the rope Entity is
• With the newly created Entity selected, also select the Fish/Model and connect them by pressing W:

• Final step is to connect the end of the rope (info_null) with the Fish/Model, select the info_null first then the Fish/Model and press W to connect

• Now you can save this as a prefab and use in your Maps/Levels!

 I will have the prefab for download very soon!