Path Creator

Path Creator


Description - One of the most diverse tools in the game. This tool allows you to draw out the points of a path for various uses. This path can be used as a rail slide. This path can control and move townspeople, enemies, vehicles, blocks, locators, cameras and even some set pieces. This path can be used to limit where your character is allowed to move. It slices, it dices ... it does almost everything you could wish for.


Use - To use this tool, simply drop the green point where you would like your path to begin. The green dot is always the 'starting' point of the path. Your cursor will then turn to a yellow dot. Drag these dots to form the path in the shape you want. Continue dropping yellow points until you have created your path. Then select 'End' to stop creating this path. If you need more points later on, simply highlight any of the yellow points and click the ‘+’ button (the theme button). You will then be able to add more points onto your path.


New Path Connection: - Use this option to connect objects to this path creator.


Properties:

Activate - (On/Off) This option will turn on or off the path. If off, then the path tool will not perform any of it's functions. The path can be turned on/off with this option or by sending a 'Turn On' or 'Turn Off' input.
Speed - (1-300) This is the base speed that an object will travel along all the points of this path.
Looped - (on/off) If on, the last point of the path will connect itself to the starting point of the path.
Rail Slide If set to on, this path can now be used as a rail slide by all Players.
Auto-Start Objects when Connected If set to on, then any object connected to this path will instantly begin travelling along the path. If set to off, then objects will not automatically start moving.
Visual Effect on Path (None, Green Sparkles, Fire, Splashing Water, Spraying Water, Sparkle Trail) - Setting this option to anything but None, will create a visual effect along the path to make it visible without the wand.
Visual Effect on Checkpoint Path(None, Green Sparkles, Fire, Splashing Water, Spraying Water, Sparkle Trail) - Setting this option will create a visual effect along a checkpoint path (used primarily for creating a race or course)

2D Character Movement - The 2 options in this menu are specifically used for locking a player to a path where they can only travel along this path in 2 dimensions. They can still travel as high or low vertically as you wish. Perfect for platforming.

......Width (0 - 100) - This is how far away a player can move away from the path laid out by the path creator. This is measured in distance where the value 4 is equal to 1 block width.
.....Force 2D Character Facing (On, Off) - If set to on the character can only face towards the next point or towards the previous point on the path.

Default Path Checkpoint Display (None, Racing Gate, Rings and most collectibles) - This option sets what will be displayed on every point of the path if the path is being used as a Checkpoint Track (for racing)
Race Lap Count (1 - 100) - This option sets how many laps a player must complete on the path when it is being used as a Checkpoint Track.

Path Point Options - All points on a path have the following options, including the main (green) point.

Path Checkpoint Display (None, Racing Gate, Rings and most collectibles) - This option allows you to set an individual point to display a different object than the one set in default, when Checkpoint Track is active.
Speed Modifier (Percentage) (1 - 300) - This adjusts the speed of objects travelling on this path. They will accelerate /decelerate from the previous point to achieve this speed. This number is a percentage of the base speed of the entire path. (i.e. - The speed of the path is set to 200. A point is set to 50%. When an object reaches this point it will be travelling at 50% of 200, or at the speed of 100)


Inputs:
On - This will activate this path, if it has been de-activated.
Off - This will deactivate this path, so any objects travelling on it will stop.
Reset and Stop - This will bring all objects on this path to their respective reset points (explained later) and stop all movement on the path.
Reset and Play - This will bring all objects on this path to their respective reset points (explained later) and begin all movement on the path.
Start Checkpoint Path Tracking - (1-10) This will activate this path to be used as a race course. Points on the path will display their selected display item and laps will begin to be counted.
Stop Checkpoint Path Tracking - (1-10) This will deactivate this path from being used as a race course.
Connect Triggering Actor to Path This will attach the triggering actor to this path, so it will now travel along this path.
Activate 2D Character Movement This will turn on 2D character movement. This mode limits Players so they can only travel along this path, and can only move as far from the path as the Width option is set to.
Restore 3D Character Movement This will turn off 2D character movement.


Outputs:

On - This will send a signal when the path creator is turned on.
Off - This will send a signal when the path creator is turned off.
Reset and Stop - This will send a signal when the path creator is told to 'Reset and Stop'
Reset and Play - This will send a signal when the path creator is told to 'Reset and Play'
Checkpoint Path Tracking Started - This will send a signal when Checkpoint Path Tracking is started.
Checkpoint Path Tracking Stopped - This will send a signal when the Checkpoint Path Tracking is stopped.
Checkpoint Path Lap Complete - This will send a signal when a play completes a lap while the Checkpoint Path Tracking is on.
Checkpoint Path Race Complete - This will send a signal when a player has completed the number of laps assigned in properties.
2D Character Movement Activated -This will send a signal when 2D Character movement is turned on.
2D Character Movement Deactivated - This will send a signal when 2D Character movement is turned off (with the Restore 3D input)

*** Special Note - The following Outpoints are available to ALL points on the path.

Point Reached by Object on Path - This will send a signal when an object reaches this point on the path.
Object Took Main Path -
Path Checkpoint Reached by Player - This will send a signal when a player reaches this point on the path while Path Checkpoint Tracking is activated.

Objects Attached to Path - There are other properties to control an object when it is attached to a Path Creator. These options will appear in the attached objects Properties list.

Properties: Path Tools
Speed - (1-300) This will force this object to travel at a percentage of the base speed of the path creator it is attached too.
Orient along path - (off/on) This will force the object to orient itself to always points forward as it travels along the path (to turn with the path). If set to off, the object will always point in the same direction.
Reset Point (percentage) - (1-100) This will set how far down the path this object will move to when a reset message is sent to the path creator. (Default 0)
Start Point (percentage) - (1-100) This will set how far down the path this object will move to when a start message is sent to the path creator, or it is looping on the path. (Default 0)
End Point (percentage) - (1-100) This will set how much of the path this object will travel before receiving an end path signal. (Default 100)
Horizontal Offset - (-50 to +50) This will move the object to the left(-) or right(+) of it's current position on the path. Each 4 units is equal to 1 block width.
Vertical Offset - (-50 to +50) This will move the object down(-) or up(+) from it's current position on the path. Each 4 units is equal to 1 block width.
Forward/Backward Offset - (-50 to +50) This will move the object to the back(-) or forward(+) of it's current position on the path. Each 4 units is equal to 1 block width.
Rotation - (0-360) This will rotate the object in 15 degree increments.
Movement Style - (Loop, One Way and Stop, Back and Forth, Reverse Loop, Reverse One Way and Stop, One Way and Delete) This will set how the object will travel along this path. It may loop, or only travel once and stop or even travel the path once and then delete itself.
Use Driving Physics - (on/off) This option is only available on ground based vehicles. It will force the vehicle to travel along this path using proper driving physics. This means it will stay on the ground and if a turn is too tight, it will turn properly before trying to resume it's path.


Example:

[jeremiahdaws]

Great post! Very helpful. Have you figured out the branch aspect? I figured out you can hit RB (on Xbox) and branch the path. Then the branch has it's own settings. BUT, I can't figure out how to use a button or anything to affect the branch. Like a switch track thing for railroads. Any thoughts?

The Up house can fly! Not much else yet I can find

@jeremiahdaws - I will do some testing and see what I come up. I know there is an output from path points called object took main path . That likely has something to do with branching .

Is there a way to get enemies to spawn in the 2D plane? I'm making a platformer and I'm not sure how to get enemies to generate on the path, they seem to be able to go any direction, no matter what I try.

So far I haven't found a way to lock the enemy to a 2D plane. The best work around I've had so far, is to design your platform so it is only 1 block wide. Your player can't fall off, and enemies have to stay on the 1 block of terrain. Then put a scalable barrier block around the 1 block wide terrain so enemies can't fall off it.

@jeremiahdaws, @semerien After doing some mucking around in the tool with the branches (created on PS4 by targetting a path point with the wand and hitting L1) I have found the following. you can, in properties, turn indvidual branches on and off as well as set weights for each branch including the main path. The only way to turn the main path off is to set it's weight to 0. Since you can't connect to individual path points with another toy (sadness) you can't use another toy to activate/deactivate/change weights on paths dynamically. Thus the only way to have even a modicum of control over what goes where is by setting the weights according to your wishes as to how often you want things to go down each branch. Multiple branches are possible from a single path point. Someth9ing I feel worth noting, if you have an object on a path and it takes a branch, that branch will become that objects path, always so having one on a loop will loop it from the point where it branched off, it will NOT send it back to the beginning. I will continue to do some expirimenting to see if I can figure anything else out. Sorry for block of text but I am typing this on my PS4 as my laptop decided to have a coronary last week and I haven't found a way to insert a carriage return even though I am using a keyboard, if anyone knows how to fix this please let me know, thanks.

Thanks, Elmseeker, that is very helpful. I'm trying to populate my "town" with people moving around realistically, and I think branches will help make this a simpler job instead of having multiple paths.