Using Animations for Laser Weapons

[VR_Dev]

Beam Sword

This is my attempt to build a custom lightsaber for my Gundam Mech, which I believe I pretty much accomplished. The beam is slightly transparent, glows, and disappears and reappears. The collider disappears as well, which means it won't bash into things when the beam is turned off.

I have yet to program the beam to cause damage to objects it comes in contact with, but it is still fun to bash things.

I also used the technique for a beam cannon. This animation turns on, then off after a few seconds.

Beam Cannons

How I achieved the beam saber, the technique was kind of reversed for the cannon.

In blender:

-Create the object with the beam where it should be when toggled on. So I created the handle with the beam fully extended.

-THen I added a 1 frame LocScale animation where the beam shrinks down(really, really shrinks down) and moves just above the handle. I didn't want it to touch it because if damage ever gets added I don't want it destroying the handle.

In Unity:

-I loaded it into unity and gave the handle and beam convex mesh colliders.

-For the beam I used additive particles and played with the colors to get the pink glow I wanted.

.cfg

-Give the part and animateGeneric module and you should be set to go.

cb

Edited September 6, 2014 by clown_baby

[nli2work]

been trying to figure out some FX stuff myself. I think the emitter has to be in a separate mu file, with no visible mesh. when you switch the sword on, the game spawns the FX mu file at a transform you place in the sword mu file. I'm pretty sure that's how engine particles work. Hot Rocket FX mod thread has a tutorial that might help.

[philotical]

I can't help in unity editor, never used it much - but I've seen a lot of editor tuts while searching for API tuts

However - I'd suggest to write a plugin anyways.

The linerenderer,emiter is well documented for scripts many examples online..

(but why do you use particles and not just a line? Isn't a light saber just a line anyways? will safe FPS compared to constently emiting that many particles to make it look like a line..)

Also damage could be done much more precise in a plugin - what ever get's touched by the sword will overheat..

currently working on star trek mod - there I've added Phasers and torpedos - in my opinion, this sword can be done wizh 2 or 3 dozens lines of code..

[hydran101]

Oh, btw the sword is called a "Beam Saber"

[VR_Dev]

been trying to figure out some FX stuff myself. I think the emitter has to be in a separate mu file, with no visible mesh. when you switch the sword on, the game spawns the FX mu file at a transform you place in the sword mu file. I'm pretty sure that's how engine particles work. Hot Rocket FX mod thread has a tutorial that might help.

[nli2work]

yeah LineRenderer would be much more efficient than particles, but as far as I know there're no stock LineRenderer FX you can take without writing a plugin.

[VR_Dev]

Well I guess i could give it a shot. I thought the particle sword looked cool though. Like what a plasma sword would look like

I found this which should help

private LineRenderer line = null;

    protected override void onFlightStart() {
        base.onFlightStart();

        // First of all, create a GameObject to which LineRenderer will be attached.
        GameObject obj = new GameObject( "Line" );

        // Then create renderer itself...
        line = obj.AddComponent< LineRenderer >();
        line.transform.parent = transform; // ...child to our part...
	line.useWorldSpace = false; // ...and moving along with it (rather 
                                    // than staying in fixed world coordinates)
        line.transform.localPosition = Vector3.zero;
        line.transform.localEulerAngles = Vector3.zero; 

        // Make it render a red to yellow triangle, 1 meter wide and 2 meters long
        line.material = new Material( Shader.Find( "Particles/Additive" ) );
        line.SetColors( Color.red, Color.yellow );
        line.SetWidth( 1, 0 ); 
        line.SetVertexCount( 2 );
        line.SetPosition( 0, Vector3.zero );
        line.SetPosition( 1, Vector3.forward * 2 ); 
    }

    protected override void onPartFixedUpdate() {
        base.onPartFixedUpdate();
        // As our part moves make the line point downwards to planet's center.
        Vector3 gee = FlightGlobals.getGeeForceAtPosition( transform.position ); 
        line.transform.rotation = Quaternion.LookRotation( gee.normalized );
    }

[philotical]

as far as I know, you can use these little scripts also in editor - just save it there as .CS and "drag-drop" it on your part object (at least that is what I remember from a tut I've watched once..)

Maybe that saves the full plugin - but as I said - not much clues about editor..

How about you send me your part, and I give it a try..

Although I'm sure, you can learn and grow on your own, faster than you expect - might be a funny project for you..

if you try, you can ask me what ever you don't get - I'll do my best to clarify - but I also just started with KSP coding a few weeks ago..

so don't expect me to be a university totur..

here some first hints:

>line.SetColors( Color.red, Color.yellow );

I suggest to use Color.red for both..

as the code is now, it would make a color-gradient - red at the root, yellow at the top..

you either want red or magenta on both ends..

>line.SetWidth( 1, 0 );

This will make a line like this:

1m at the root thinning out to 0 at the tip.

you probbably would want to use values like

=>line.SetWidth( 0.125, 0.08 );

This is a 12.5cm at the root thinning out to 8 cm

(depends on the scale of you model ofcourse..)

>line.SetPosition( 0, Vector3.zero );

This is the definition for the root position..

0 = first point - 1 = second point - see below

>line.SetPosition( 1, Vector3.forward * 2 );

This code line defines the end of your sword.

position 1 - see above - The Vector.forward defines what axis the line follows - the "* 2" is a shortcut to define a lenght..

the here shown definition will draw a 2m line in the "forward" direction - if your part is rotate correctly in editor, this is what you want.

maybe that 2m length is ok, maybe that is too long - depends on the size of your model..

to adjust, simply add the desired meter value there..

for example

Vector3.forward * 1.7584 wil produce a 1m 75 cm and 84mm line

I guess you get the point..

HTH

Good luck..

[nli2work]

as far as I know, you can use these little scripts also in editor - just save it there as .CS and "drag-drop" it on your part object (at least that is what I remember from a tut I've watched once..)

Certainly worth trying, I experimented with embedding KSP Particle in a model that I tried to turn on/off with a generic animation, didn't work out. But if embedding a line renderer works out, and you can toggle it on/off with ModuleAnimateGeneric it'd be alot easier than dealing with a plugin.

[VR_Dev]

How about you send me your part, and I give it a try..

It's really just a cylinder right now. But I could send it to you if you want. What file format?

I'm down to learn new stuff, I just taught myself blender and unity for my zoids, I just don't have a whole lot of free time right now

[philotical]

It's really just a cylinder right now. But I could send it to you if you want. What file format?

I'm down to learn new stuff, I just taught myself blender and unity for my zoids, I just don't have a whole lot of free time right now

best is a KSP part..

gameData/Sword/

with model, texture and CFG

if i can load it in the game, I can work with it..

[VR_Dev]

here's the handle

https://www.sendspace.com/file/gmysxh

[philotical]

ok I've started - it's actually allready working - but the origin seems to be off - unity is stubborn as allways..

May I ask, is this part screwed up in editor or are all axis where they should be according to docs..

Forward = z = straight up (if I'm not mistaken)

In case you don't really know, what I'm talking about, please send me the unity asset so I can check my selfe..

[VR_Dev]

ok I've started - it's actually allready working - but the origin seems to be off - unity is stubborn as allways..

May I ask, is this part screwed up in editor or are all axis where they should be according to docs..

Forward = z = straight up (if I'm not mistaken)

In case you don't really know, what I'm talking about, please send me the unity asset so I can check my selfe..

I think y is up. I'll fix it tonight

[philotical]

k - I got close to the desired result in meantime..

with that info, I should be abele to get it done, if not, I'll let you know..

[VR_Dev]

philotical has been a huge help at getting this far, but it's still slightly off base. The part and plugin source are in the updated OP if you think you have any ideas. Thanks a lot

cb

[xEvilReeperx]

Your Unity GameObject seems to be displaced slightly from the actual meshes. Make sure you zero out its position (and center the meshes again) before you export it. It looks like philotical was on the right track to figuring it out though:

swordTransform = this.part.transform;
//swordTransform = this.part.transform.Find("Cylinder.002");
//swordTransform = this.part.transform.Find("GundamBeamSaber");

So close It should work with the existing model with this little change:

swordTransform = part.FindModelTransform("Cylinder_002");

[nli2work]

you want to put the pivot of the grip at the cylinder's center so the beam will center on the grip.

then you can change the surface attach node in the sword config and offset it in the X by the radius of the grip so you can attach it properly to the IR hinges

damage is more complicated. you need a raycast from the grip, in the same direction and length as the linerenderer to check for collisions. if collision is detected, damage is applied to the detected object. I believe you can spawn particle FX at the point of collision as well. I'm don't know enough programming to code it though. :/

[VR_Dev]

Your Unity GameObject seems to be displaced slightly from the actual meshes. Make sure you zero out its position (and center the meshes again) before you export it. It looks like philotical was on the right track to figuring it out though:

swordTransform = this.part.transform;
//swordTransform = this.part.transform.Find("Cylinder.002");
//swordTransform = this.part.transform.Find("GundamBeamSaber");

So close It should work with the existing model with this little change:

swordTransform = part.FindModelTransform("Cylinder_002");

Its all 0s in unity

[nli2work]

might just need to update your export then. when I pulled the mu into unity the pivot was off to the side, where the beam is in your screencap

what's the position of the parent object?

[xEvilReeperx]

Its all 0s in unity

Look at its parent GameObject

[VR_Dev]

Look at its parent GameObject

I'll check again when I get to my computer but I can pretty much guarantee that's all 0s as well

[xEvilReeperx]

Are you absolutely certain? Could you have a older export in the zip? Here's what I get with a little debug test:

var pT = DebugVisualizer.Point(part.transform, 0.25f);
var modelT = DebugVisualizer.Point(part.transform.FindChild("model"), 0.25f);
var cylT = DebugVisualizer.Point(part.FindModelTransform("Cylinder_002"), 0.25f);

pT.renderer.material = modelT.renderer.material = cylT.renderer.material = ResourceTools.ResourceUtil.LocateMaterial("DebugTools.XrayShader.shader");

pT.renderer.material.color = Color.red;
modelT.renderer.material.color = Color.blue;
cylT.renderer.material.color = Color.green;

Log.Write("Finished adding debug spheres");

Part part = FlightGlobals.ActiveVessel.parts.Find(p => p.partInfo.name == "GundamBeamSaber");

So, Part top-level GameObject in red, model transform in blue, and the point my previous snippet will find in green:

No question that in the model provided in the zip the MeshRenderers and MeshColliders are displaced. Maybe you intended it to export this way? But then why make it radial-attachable if you only want it to attach at a single point? Hmmm

[VR_Dev]

you want to put the pivot of the grip at the cylinder's center so the beam will center on the grip.

then you can change the surface attach node in the sword config and offset it in the X by the radius of the grip so you can attach it properly to the IR hinges

damage is more complicated. you need a raycast from the grip, in the same direction and length as the linerenderer to check for collisions. if collision is detected, damage is applied to the detected object. I believe you can spawn particle FX at the point of collision as well. I'm don't know enough programming to code it though. :/

Sorry I missed this comment. I think the node_attach is to blame. I thought thats how surface attach worked, but I guess node attach can be center and surface attach will still work?

[nli2work]

Sorry I missed this comment. I think the node_attach is to blame. I thought thats how surface attach worked, but I guess node attach can be center and surface attach will still work?

node_attach are surface attach nodes and don't show as green ball in editor; for something like your saber grip, it would be offset in the X direction by about the radius of the object. if there is no offset the objects will clip, which may or may not work depending on your clipping settings in cfg file, Alt-F12, and collision mesh setup.