Walker

Up to now I have only experience with creating and animating "iv_class" walkers. Make sure your odf name starts with the letter "i". For example: "ivmywalk.odf" else there will be problems. With the 1.3 patch these problems are solved. But as long as you are using BZ2 1.2 make sure it starts with "i".

For the walker, you will need following animations, defined in the odf:
 
 

animCount = 10 animName1 = "idle" animFile1 = "ivwalk2_idle.xsi" animName2 = "idle2" animFile2 = "ivwalk2_idle2.xsi" animName3 = "idle3" animFile3 = "ivwalk2_idle3.xsi" animName4 = "sitdown" animFile4 = "ivwalk2_sit.xsi" animName5 = "walk" animFile5 = "ivwalk2_walk.xsi" animName6 = "turn" animFile6 = "ivwalk2_turn.xsi" animName7 = "death" animFile7 = "ivwalk2_death1.xsi" animName8 = "death2" animFile8 = "ivwalk2_death2.xsi" animName9 = "death3" animFile9 = "ivwalk2_death3.xsi" animName10 = "run" animFile10 = "ivwalk2_walk.xsi"

The walker needs: a head object, a left foot and a right foot. They are also defined in the odf:
 

headpiece = "head" rightfootpiece = "rfoot"; leftfootpiece = "lfoot";

So the headpiece needs to be called "head" in the XSI. It is the first object that defines the hierarchy of the turret of the walker.

The feet are used in the walk animation, to determin how fast the animation is played. So small steps will be repeated more often than big steps.
For a walker to work, you only need the walk animation. For the rest, you can simply use a nonanimated xsi. However, if you are real about your walker, do as many anis as possible.

Now a short explanation of each animation:
 

• idle:

This animation plays when the walker is just standing there and waiting. Carefull though, it is also played when you are sitting in the cockpit! so dont have it turn around too much, or issueing orders might get difficult.
 
• sitdown:

Thats the animation when you ask an AI walker to pick you up. The pilot jumps out and the walkers goes in the sitting position. Once you enter, the same animation will be played, just backwards.
 
• walk:

Well, the more work you put in the walk animation, the better the unit will look!
 
• turn:

just lift the right and left foot for this animations. its played when the walker turns.
 
 
• death:

One of these animations is played when the walker dies. Dont know if it gets chosen randomly, or sequentially. They are fun to do and also an important part of a walker.
 
• run:

As far as I know, only the fv_class uses this animation. This is played when the Mauler runs, for example.

One more thing: MAKE SURE TO START YOUR HIERARCHY WITH A DUMMYOBJECT !!!
Here an example of my latest walkers hierarchy:

July-18-2002
 

Addon to Walker

As a BZ2 turret object the Walker's 'head' object takes its rotation based on what it's linked to. In other words, I often find I have to stick a 'neck' in there to get the head to rotate properly.

Walkers move based on the movements of the 'feet', but often a new Walker will seem to be 'stuck', or move with tons of inertia. (By Inertia I mean once you get it moving it keeps going, seems unable to turn, and takes a mountain to stop them) I've found the placement of the 'dummyroot' to be critical when this happens. (actually the 'pivot' points of the dummy and feet, although keeping the dummy small seems to help.)

I usually make the head, feet, and dummyroot, link them together, animate, and toss them into the map to test them before I get going much on the rest of the anims. Once I have it moving smoothly I know I can add the rest of the pieces and it'll still work.

The feet shouldn't have any part of their mesh extending down into the terrain, or at least not very far. It seems to make their walking more troublesome if you do.

Walker feet can be invisible, but I've had troubles with their movement when using 'lfoot__h' and 'HP_lfoot', so now if I want invisible feet I just make them too small to see physically as it's the pivot that counts.

I believe either Walker can 'run' if the proper values are placed in the ODF. The Walker just has to hit a certain speed (specified in the odf) before the engine switches over to using the 'run' anim.

July-19-2002