So, a rope is chipping away at my sanity.

[Mechagodzilla]

A large weight swinging around on the end of a rope, specifically.
Or rather it would be swinging if it were working properly. Which it is not.

In the process of attempting the device (a large prop_physics_override hanging from a static), I've alternately had the prop weigh so little as to nearly float and so much as to be nearly fastened to the ground. The rope has gone from being too-long to infinitely stretchy, and the prop would fall through solid objects.

Although I did solve the 'falling through objects' problem, and maybe the weight issues. I basically have no idea what I'm doing with ropes.
I have decided to toss what I have now and start the contraption from scratch, hopefully finding an exceedingly simple "rope for dummies"-style step-by-step to get me through these tough times.
Interlopers and HL2-world certainly weren't the usual help in this regard.

So, how do you hang a prop_physics_override one foot off the ground without destroying your mind?
Any help in the matter would be appreciated.

 

[WAR_Nuker]

http://halflife2.filefront.com/file/Hammer_Dynamic_Light_Video_Tutorial;35319 that link lets you download a video that shows you how to make a hanging light that swings around and stuff....just apply whatever you objects and settings you want with the same entities that are in the tutorial and subtract the light entities that the guy talks about. you should end up with a working "weight swinging around on the end of a rope" contraption.

 

[Mechagodzilla]

Thank you, it turns out the HL2-world tutorial I was working didn't provide enough information to make a proper length constraint.

Thanks to my bungling though, I think I've figured out a couple tricks to make an even better swingy object than the tutorial portrays.

 

[WAR_Nuker]

i think i know what tutorial you are talking about actually (HL2-world). the thing was half ass and failed to help me create a working swinging object. well at least i know im not the only one that didnt find it helpful

 

[Flippage]

Easier way:

Make a phys_ballsocket
Put it inside a block with a name or a prop with a name for the part the prop will HANG from ( ie, roof )
Set the entity in the phys_ballsocket to the prop
And then just make a rope connecting the prop and the block ( ie, roof )

Seems to work better for me and you dont have to fiddle around with annoying rope constraints and such.

 

[Mechagodzilla]

I'm going to have to try using the ballsocket method, Flippage, since this trap is still giving me headaches.

The new problem is that, although the prop does hang from the rope, once it starts moving at any speed, it flies around, flips onto the wrong axis, and spins around like a helicopter with a rope attached to one blade.
It takes nearly ten minutes to stop, even with the mass multiplied 5X.

I followed the Ichi3D tutorial word-for-word, and yet this continues to happen. Stupid rope.
Next, I might try parenting the prop to an invisible, intangible physbrush, and then hooking it to the winch with a ballsocket.

It'll make the thing totally rigid, but at least it won't be attempting to fly south for the winter.


Better yet, if you are reading this, try and build this same thing and see if you can have more success.
Just hang a physics_override 'pulleyhook' model (from the c17 folder) from a rope.
If you can do this, and keep it from massive failure, I'll put you in the map credits.
I'm desperate here!

 

[Flippage]

I dont QUITE understand what you are asking for

Do you want something like this:

............___
Pulley ->|__|------------
.............|
.............|
.............| <- Rope
.............|
.............|
........___|___
........|........|
........|........| <- Physics object
........|_____|

???

One thing you should definately check is that both your move_rope and your rope_keyframe have the EXACT same settings for things like length, width, slack, etc.

I'll try to make this for you when I get home. I wouldnt think it would have a weird error like that unless one of your rope settings is wrong.

Of course, I have never used a "Physics_override" before, and I have no idea what it does. Would a regular prop_physics not work ??

I'll try to help you out when I get home.

 

[Mechagodzilla]

Yep, that's exactly the setup. Just a hook hanging from a rope. The other end of the rope is attached to a dynamic prop.

I'm also pretty certain the rope and the keyframe are identical, so that's not the trouble.

Physics_override is just an entity that allows you to give physics properties to an otherwise static prop model. It's essentially the same thing as prop_physics, except that it disables things like breakability.

 

[Flippage]

Right-o, sorry for the late reply (internet was disconnected for a few days, had to get another month while we wait for ADSL :\)

Ill jump into hammer and see if I can work it out for you. And rather than bumping this thread over and over, you should probably just PM me