BSP and RBN utilities

Productive day today...

- version is 0.9.7
- only one added feature: detecting CONTENTS_WATER by checking all func_water entities

Just committed to the CVS repository, the usual download location has been updated as well.

The detection of CONTENTS_WATER seems to work but is not really exploited by NodeMachine.cpp which checks whether the origin of the player (i.e. his/her waist) is in water. While, AFAIK, it is enough to have water up to the ankle to make a deep downward jump ???

==> will try to change NodeMachine:add()

-eric

[stefanhendriks]

i just check for contents water, if there is water, then the bot is 'in the water' and therefor needs to 'jump out'. Ofcourse, you can make a check for the waist or not, but hence its very hard to determine when you are 'just coming out' or 'just coming in' or whatever; and then make a decision on that (especially when you want to exclude nodes). Add that with the distance check and you might add up with some serious troubled connections.. hmm...

Just added to the CVS repository:

- bumped version to 0.9.8
- DrawNodes can now draw in different colors the reachable nodes from a specific node
- Bsp2Run is now using a brand new cNodeMachine::add2 function 
- Bsp2Run detects more walkable surfaces
- Bsp2Run better detects water

As usual, pre-compiled version for Linux & Windows are on:
http://www.students.hec.be/~evyncke/cs/realbot/

Comments welcome

-eric

[V or 'Tex]

So the bridge on Aztec is fixed? Good work.


I think as official member of the team your new job is to increase the # of nodes because mindmaze2 can easily be over 6000 nodes when you consider all the jumps, the huge amount of land, nooks, crannies, etc.

Perhaps from 12 bit (4096) you could just take it to say, 14 bit (16384)...

But then there would need to be optimizations in the node-searching.

Originally Posted by V or 'Tex

So the bridge on Aztec is fixed? Good work.

Indeed, it is fixed.

Originally Posted by V or 'Tex

I think as official member of the team your new job is to increase the # of nodes because mindmaze2 can easily be over 6000 nodes when you consider all the jumps, the huge amount of land, nooks, crannies, etc.

Perhaps from 12 bit (4096) you could just take it to say, 14 bit (16384)...

But then there would need to be optimizations in the node-searching.

Regarding mindmaze2 which is part of my test suite, I'll first try to optimize the nodes locations.

The RBN file should probably be changed in order to record how to go along a neighbourhood relationship: jumping ? ducking ? horizontal jump ? ... ???

I've seen also a couple of issues on how bots move (like always trying to go to 3 nodes ahead). I'll make some more tests.

You probably have read that Josh ported Pierre-Marie's navmesh in realbot (not in CVS). This could be an alternative.

Thanks in advance for any feedback

-eric

[V or 'Tex]

A relational setup would work very well too, which I presume is what the navmesh is. You specify large planes and thus drastically reduce the number of calculations because each plain is uninterrupted. Movement within a plane could be given a high level of entropy and provide quick access to important knowledge, as anything inside the plane would be immediately accessible, so it would be best for a bot intent on hiding to go to a different area.


I don't know, but I hope to see more nodes and more executables released, as the last release on the official site was a month and a day ago.



As for other data, I think the best system would be a mix between a navmesh and a node system, allowing both open rooms with planes (to save on unneeded nodes) and specific points. Using this system you could decrease the number of nodes specified in a high traffic area by a huge number (because a rectangle can be formed from two points) and then using this extra space and reduced CPU usage you could add features or special-use areas/nodes... such as nodes that specify another node as an aiming point for camping purposes. Ergo: You manually specify Area 1, and then you go make Area 2, and you specify that Area 1 is linked to Area 2 (but not vice versa).

[Josh_Borke]

from what I can see, the navmesh reduces the number of calculations needed to connect a path.
The thing about using nodes is they lend themselves well to the bot because they are more easily described by a single vector, where as with a plane you have "many" vectors to choose from.
what I'm "attempting" to do with the mesh is to choose a random vector within a plane for the bot to head to and then to look at.
meh, I've run into a few more problems so yeah...

@evy
from what I can tell, the bot only looks 3 nodes ahead when it doesn't have an enemy. i think it is an arbitrary (sp?) choice. perhaps something where it looks at a more dangerous location?

Minor changes commited into the CVS repository (as well as a newer Nodemachine.cpp):

 
- bumped to version 0.9.9
- small changes: adding ducking nodes and improved support for ladders

HTH

-eric

[[BBB]sluggo]

I feel mighty stupid right now... but how do I use it?

I can drag maps to the bsp2rbn.exe and it executes something but where goes the outputfiles?

Well, I know I must have missed some thread somewhere but I can't find anything on how to use it so if someone could post a link?

Thanks in advance

[dstruct2k]

It will either put nodes in the folder Bsp2Rbn is in, or put them in the folder the maps are in. Look around.