Trying to make a simple wrecking ball

[Polishwonder74]

I'm learning my way around the physics stuff by trying to make simple things like catapults and bridges that break and other stuff, and now I'm trying to make a simple wrecking ball hanging from the ceiling.

So far, I'm using 2 rope_keyframe's, (one sitting in space by the ceiling, one 'parented' to a great big brush that I turned into a physbox, the keyframes use each other as the "next keyframe". I have a lengthconstraint going from the 1st keyframe (the one by the ceiling) to the physbox. I tried using a constrasint system manager, too.

This doesn't seem to be acting very natural. The big physbox wrecking ball jitters like crazy, and when I snap the rope & lengthconstraint with a button, the rope doesn't dangle or anything. I tried getting a ball & socket in between the rope keyframe and the wrecking ball, but then it wouldn't swing from the rope.

How would you fellas suggest making a cool wrecking ball like this? What does the 'speed' setting do to a rope? Why can't I shoot or interact with the rope even though I have collisions turned on? Can I have 2 ropes/lengthconstraints attatched to either side of a wrecking ball?

Thanks for reading! :cheers:

 

[Polishwonder74]

oops, my bad, I made both rope keyframes breakable and now the rope dangles after it's broken by the func_button.

Sorry 'bout that.

Edit: One more quick question: what do the 'mass scale' and 'ignore mass' settings do?

 

[Polishwonder74]

Here's what I've got so far (.bsp and .vmf) in case you wanna see:

catapult2.rar ~30kb

 

[Flippage]

Just as I thought.

Use a phys_ballsocket

Keep your ropes there, but take out the contrainst.

Put the rope and keyframe_rope in the right place, you have them all over the place.

Should work after that