To enable spies to perform their special moves and to enable Mercenaries to use ladders we use Geometric Events: let’s call them GEs.
To add and edit GEs in the editor we have to be in GE mode; just click the GE button in the right toolbar. To exit GE mode, press the button again.
In GE mode you will not be able to use any Unreal functions except viewing and editing geometric events and moving the camera around the map.
Creating Geometric Events:
Creating an event depends on the type you need. Most often it is done using Shift plus another key and left clicking on the brush or SM edge where you want to place your event (easy to do in wireframe mode in perspective view).
Editing Geometric Events:
You can select geometric events by clicking on them or dragging a selection box around them, you can edit them by selecting and moving their vertices.
Ledge Grab
“Ledge Grab” is the GE that allows the spy:
· to grab and hold on to a ledge;
· to move along a ledge by grabbing at it, even going round corners;
· to pull himself up to reach the next horizontal surface;
· to climb obstacles;
· to jump over obstacles like fences quickly.
To add a “Ledge Grab” GE: you must be in GE mode. Hold Shift+L and left click on the edge where you want the character to grab the SM or the brush (easy to do in wireframe mode in perspective view).
Example of correct position of “Ledge Grab” GEs.
208 Units: Minimum height to allow the spy to grab a ledge above him.
320 Units: Maximum ledge height that a spy can grab from wait position.
448 Units: Maximum ledge height that a spy can grab if he runs and jumps, but the move isn’t looking good and you better use smaller heights.
115 Units: Minimum height for a climbable obstacle (if less than 115 the spy will simply jump it).
64 Units: Minimum surface size, from a ledge to a wall, to allow the spy to pull himself up and stand on a platform touching a wall.
32 Units: Minimum Ledge length.
From 88 to 128 Units: fence height to allow the spy to perform the “fence jump” move, but we recommend you to make it 96 units high.
The red lines in the example show the correct GE position to allow the “fence jump” move.
Hand-over-Hand
Hand-over-Hand is the GE that allows the spy:
· to hang on to and move along horizontal pipes.
To add a “Hand-over-Hand” GE: you must be in GE mode. Hold Shift+H and left click on the edge where you wish to create the GE.
In red, an example of the correct GE position.
Minimum Clearance needed to performhand to hand = 216
EXAMPLES OF PIPE SECTIONS: FRONT VIEW.
Pipe Climb
This is the GE that allows the spy:
· to climb vertical pipes.
To add a “Pipe Climb” GE: you must be in GE mode. Hold Shift+P and left click on the edge where you wish to create the GE.
Remember to move the GE vertex of the horizontal segment in order to place it aiming in the direction that the character is supposed to come from to catch hold of the pipe.
EXAMPLE OF VERTICAL PIPE SECTION: SIDE VIEW
This is the correct configuration to allow the character to reach a platform from a vertical pipe correctly.
Ladder
This GE allows spies and mercs:
· to climb ladders.
To add a “Ladder” GE: you must be in GE mode. Hold Shift+E and left click on the edge where you wish to create the GE.
In red, an example of the GE in the right position.
Spies climb the bars two by two so the number of bars must be a multiple of 2; the minimum number of bars is 8.
EXAMPLE OF LADDER SECTION: SIDE VIEW.
This is the correct configuration to allow the character to reach a platform from a ladder, performing the correct animations.
Zipline
this GE allows spies:
· to slide down sloping cables by hanging on to them
To add a “Zipline” GE: you must be in GE mode. Hold Shift+Z and left click on the edge where you wish to create the GE.
The GE is placed corresponding to the upper edge or face of the zipline mesh.
Zipline radius = 2 units
The character can hang a zipline over himself at a maximum height of 384 units from the floor.
Minimum clearance needed to hang a zipline = 198 units.
Minimum clearance needed to hang a zipline when tucked = 161 units.
Fence Top
· to go across the top of a fence.
About fence climbing:
The climbable surfaces are defined by a flag in the texture, not by a GE. To set a texture as climbable, right click on it and select propertiesèEchelon then put 1 at bClimbable. Save.
If you want to have a fence that you can cross via the top, you will need to add a FenceTop GE.
To add a “FenceTop” GE: you must be in GE mode. Hold Shift+F and left click on the edge just below the top of the fence.
In red, an example of a correct FenceTop GE position.
You can connect horizontal and vertical pipes as shown in the pic.
You have to take care to connect GEs placing their vertexes snapped at the same position where a Pipe Climb GE meets a Hand-to-Hand GE, as shown in the pic.
In the same way you can connect a vertical pipe to a zipline.
COOP MOVES
This allows 2 spies to cooperate and reach places too high for them to go on their own.
To create a coop move, you need a ledge GE (Shift + L) that must be at a height of 512 units above ground.
To play its animation correctly when reaching the platform, the 2nd spy needs an empty space of 144 units deep, up on the platform.
GE key summaryShift+L – add Ledge Grab
Shift+H – add Hand-over-hand
Shift+P – add Pipe climb
Shift+E – add Ladder
Shift+Z – add Zipline
Shift+F – add Fence-top
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