What Are Bounding Boxes and How Do I edit them?
 

I am in the process of setting up firing arcs for a new ship set and I have discovered that the shipset viewer has this options call Bounding Boxes.

I noticed that the ships I am working on have these boxes but they do not surround the ship like they do in other sets. The bounding boxes are oriented in a top down direct and not level with the ship. They share a common center point, but while the ships face say N and S, the bounding boxes face Up and Down. Very odd.

So does any one know anything about bounding boxes, what they are for, and how to adjust them?

Re: What Are Bounding Boxes and How Do I edit them?
 

Up and down you say. Hmm, well if a ship flies into a planet it will move up, bound perhaps, and the same if it takes up the same space as another ship, except when ramming. I'd guess this bounding box is to tell it when to move up, or down, when it moves into another ship/planets bounding box area.

Re: What Are Bounding Boxes and How Do I edit them
 

Aaron gave me some very helpful information. I would like to share it here with you all.

Re: What Are Bounding Boxes and How Do I edit them
 

Thanks for that info!

Re: What Are Bounding Boxes and How Do I edit them
 

So it appears by reading this that smaller/sleeker models have an advantage.

Re: What Are Bounding Boxes and How Do I edit them
 

Not anymore due to a fix in v1.24.

Whether a weapon will hit or not is decided before the animation is drawn. However there was a bug where a weapon fire that was suppose to miss would hits it target due to the target's movement and it would damage the ship - in that case your statement would be true. But now when that happens, it won't do any damage...

Re: What Are Bounding Boxes and How Do I edit them
 

I just need to find out how to reposition them so they are surround the ships instead of facing up and down and only covering a portion of them.

Re: What Are Bounding Boxes and How Do I edit them
 

I think I've figured it out, AT. You've rotated your models in the XFileClasses but the box stays with the model's original orientation. It can be fixed, but you're not going to be happy. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif You would have to go back and rotate the models in the .x file. The downside is that doing this will screw up all your engine glows and firing points. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

Re: What Are Bounding Boxes and How Do I edit them
 

Thanks, I just won't worry about it then for the time being. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: What Are Bounding Boxes and How Do I edit them
 

I'm a little concerned that bounding boxes might be abusable by "cheat sets".

For example, if you put the bounding box outside of the ship, does that mean that all shots fired at that ship will miss?

Re: What Are Bounding Boxes and How Do I edit them
 

I wouldn't worry too much about it myself Spoo. Any cheat sets that surface will be quickly IDed and banned from play-be-web etc. The only place they will surface would be solo games and lets face the truth. If anyone is using a cheat set in a solo game it is either to test something or the AI has been improved that much. Oh and lets not forget about the consequences to reputation for the person who puts out a cheater set. They would be blackballed and it would take several more fresh non-cheat sets to repair the damage. It's not like you can say it was an honest mistake.

Re: What Are Bounding Boxes and How Do I edit them
 

Bounding boxes don't work that way. They are a final line of hit detection only after all other calucations are made. Right now there is no way to alter the Bounding Boxes so don't worry about it. Ships are still damaged and destroyed as proven by many many combat tests.

Re: What Are Bounding Boxes and How Do I edit them
 

Okay. Good to know.

Re: What Are Bounding Boxes and How Do I edit them
 

There must be something I don't understand. Why would the model or boxes have anything to do with determining hits in combat?

I would think that the calculations and determination of hit/miss would be done by the game engine and a hit/miss decided; then the game graphics would be drawn to show a hit/miss as appropriate. Sounds fishy.

Re: What Are Bounding Boxes and How Do I edit them
 

You need hit detection for at least seeking weapons and collision avoidance.

Re: What Are Bounding Boxes and How Do I edit them
 

From what I understand, it has nothing to do with the determination of hit/miss. It has to do with what a hit or a miss will LOOK like. You don't want a 'hit' to be several feet off the side of a ship, do you?

Re: What Are Bounding Boxes and How Do I edit them
 

Well no; not several feet anyway. However, I would be just fine with several hundred meters! Say right on the side of their ship! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif

Re: What Are Bounding Boxes and How Do I edit them
 

I disagree that it should involve models. Every object has a position, from which its range to other objects can be determined. That can be used for all weapons:

beams & PD (Range determines hit %, which is instantataneous)

seekers & warhead (Range = 0 = hit)


If there is a hit or miss, then the graphics engine should THEN be directed to draw it that way. The tail is wagging the dog here if graphics determine collisions in any way; and it can lead to it affecting hit percentages.

Re: What Are Bounding Boxes and How Do I edit them
 

It doesn't, Slick. Check to 1.25 patch notes.

The idea is when the projectile hits you don't have it drawn on the other side of the screen from the target ship..

Re: What Are Bounding Boxes and How Do I edit them
 

ah. Now that makes sense. Just drawing it so that the player sees it. I knew there was something I didn't get. Thanks.

Re: What Are Bounding Boxes and How Do I edit them
 

it's being done server side though, so PBW HAS to have all the shipsets installed, this is going to be a PITA for PBW admin.

it should have been set up so it was worked out on replay.
but aaron doesnt see it as enough of a problem to recode it.

Re: What Are Bounding Boxes and How Do I edit them
 

I don't see why they have to have them installed. If a shipset is missing it is replaced by a generic one. How does that effect the person sitting at home processing their turn using Atrocities Klingon set. I don't get it are you saying the players are playing on the server itself? Otherwise combat will take place with generic sets which won't effect the combat results at all.

Re: What Are Bounding Boxes and How Do I edit them
 

The problem is that that generic shipset change is permanent. The player at home will see the new randomly chosen shipset.

We really need to get Aaron to make the hosting process shipset-agnostic.
The more people who email him about this, the better.

Re: What Are Bounding Boxes and How Do I edit them
 

So what you are saying is, if the shipset is changed at the server when the turn is sent back to the player they are no longer using there chosen shipset? Instead they have been forced into changing to the new set? Well I haven't heard that one yet. Considering that new info it really does need to be fixed!

Re: What Are Bounding Boxes and How Do I edit them
 

Indeed; as an example, me and SE5a started a game, each using a shipset the other did not have.

He processed the first turn, and my shipset was changed to Druk with Phong flag.
I processed the next turn, and his was changed to Abbidon with Phong flag.

And... the game died after 5 turns.