The secret of creating walkable stuff with changing +Z

[Ardenian]

I would like to know how to create walkable units/destructables ( can units with the Portal ability be walked ?) and what you need to know about it.
I aim for a generation of custom +Z cliffs, cliffs you can walk over custom ramps in positive Z direction.

Basic example: A room splitted into two sides.
One side is default ground/cliff level, the other one is completely filled by a walkable destructable.
If a unit walks now walks on that walkable destructable, it will move up in positive Z direction, as it walks on the destructable.

How do I create a custom model for this, on what does the unit walk/what do I have to consider when making such a model ?

I would like, for now, know how to do it via object editor/modelling, not via trigger with changing a unit's Z.

 

[SAUS]

You can use invisible platforms. You can move them up and down by holding shift (or maybe Ctrl...) and pressing page up and page down. Line it up so the bottom of the checkered box is where you want the units' feet to be.

 

[The_Silent]

It only works for destructibles in the bridge category as far as I know.

 

[Ardenian]

@SAUS But when simulating a ramp, wouldn't that require a lot of them, to make the unit not jump strangely ?

@The_Silent So how would I create a custom bridge units can walk ?

 

[The_Silent]

Any destructible in that category should be walkable by default as long as the path dosen't blocks it.

 

[Ardenian]

Any destructible in that category should be walkable by default as long as the path dosen't blocks it.

I can remember bridges are a pain to modify, especially with a custom model.

So I cannot create my own shapes, but only take the ones form the default bridges, walkable-wise ?

 

[SAUS]

For a ramp, you can slant them (I think) by using the negative max pitch angle trick. I have not tested this, but it's worth a shot. It can get bad if you need a lot of angles, though.

You can also raise the ground and move the ramp until it lines up nicely so that you only see the ramp, but the ground matches it right underneath. The units will just stick their feet into the ground a tiny bit. It won't work if there are any transparent parts / you need things visible underneath, and it may make the surrounding terrain awkward, so it's probably not going to fix all of your problems.

 

[Ardenian]

Haha, there is no surronding terrain around it, at least no pre-placed. My map project does not support any kind of preplacing, no doodads, units, cliffs, water, ...
But since I would like to have different height levels in certain situations, I posted this thread.

So, to summarize, invisible platforms with a uniform height can form my platform.
So I need to create the model I will place as custom cliff in a way that everything of it is -Z, so it looks as if there is a platform with positive height, whereas the model has actual negative.

About that negative max angle trick, could you please elaborate that further ?

 

[Emm-A-]

You can actually create your own specific pathing textures by following this tutorial: (e.g.) custom pathing maps

you can make any destructable walkable by just checking the walkable box and then importing your own walkable pathing map and storing it to the destruct in object manager. (you can really make it fit to the dimensions of your destruct quite well)

So, if you need the dimensions of your rooms in advance or if you know at least a few combinations, it is much easier to use your own custom pathing texture instead of the standard wc3 invisible platforms (so you dont have to create 1000s of them and it can be much more precise).

 

[Avahor]

Hi mate. some tips about walkables.

As Emm-A- says a destructable that has "walkable" attrib enabled makes all its Z view surfaces walkable (mmm I don't remember the surface's exact name but all z coord are included, like diagonals and curves). you can set any kind of model walkable as destructable. Some models have alternate views that makes posible walkable changing positions. a good example is the orc stairs used into "fortress siege" map.
As I can remember z coord changes on a walkable surface kills automatically any walking unit over there (maybe you must set unit movement type as fly). I don't know if it has been updated on recent war 3 versions.

z coords are absolute, at least for ligtnings, so you could reference z coord via GetlocationZ for accurate positioning.

use pathing blockers for borders of walkable surface. you can do any walkable form with correct use of these two elements. (pathing blockers and walkable destructables)

 

[Ardenian]

Wow Emm-A-, thanks a lot, pathing is clear now.

However, I still don't understand how and when the unit changes its Z.
I do need invisible platforms for it, don't I ?

Rectangular, invisible 'helper' surfaces in my model help the unit walk over the cliff edge.

What does the author of the tutorial refers to ? He does not mean invisible platforms, does he ?
So does the model mesh decides over Z height ?

EDIT: Thanks Avahor!

So pathing with custom texture,
Z height either with invisible platforms or with playing around walkable option and surface

 

[Emm-A-]

Wow Emm-A-, thanks a lot, pathing is clear now.

However, I still don't understand how and when the unit changes its Z.
I do need invisible platforms for it, don't I ?

So does the model mesh decides over Z height ?

No and yes. Let me share some knowledge I have gathered around the wc3 forums. If something is wrong, I am sry.

1. For example, just make a destructable walkable like "rocking arthas". There you can clearly see, that your unit even follows the destructs animation (as I interpret it), so this means:

-> you do not have to use invisible platforms nor any pathings for a destruct to become walkable perse. Units are set on top of the mesh of the highest destructable.

2. You will need some walkable platforms in case of unwalkable terrain like water. that pathing texture placed by the "platform" actually is just there to tell warcraft 3 by its color code, that here is a place of walkability. So wc3 recognizes this spot as walkable and sets the unit on top of the mesh of the highest destructable at this position (which can be the platform itself).

-> you need to have some color-coded walkability indication, if you want to place walkable destructs over water.

3. Invisible platfroms can be handy anyway: I use custom invisible platforms in my maps, where i just give a customly shaped pathing texture to a "normal" invisible platform and place it at a position of a doodad, which is not walkable. That is, where you need the Z position of your invisible platform: It is a destruct and therefore walkable (if the option is checked), so your unit will be set on top.

4. be careful, as I have read in several threads, that walkable destructs could cause desyncs in combination with the native GetTerrainZ() (dont know how it is called exactly atm).

 

[Ardenian]

Alright, thanks a lot, I will test it next days to see how it works and what I myself need