Weight trigger help

[_HL4E_halfLife_]

ok here's what i want to do i have a set of doors in the floor that cover an opening to an elevator shaft now what i want to happen is when a certain amount of weight is setting on the floor doors (ie some phys objects)i want them to open up and drop whatever is setting on the doors down the shaft and than the doors close again and the process is repeated when the weight limit is reached again.

 

[Raeven0]

If func_door can be used in a constraint system, I'd say func_doors + phys_constraint.

 

[_HL4E_halfLife_]

can u explain in a little more detail

 

[Rof]

Actually quite a tricky problem because of the reseting aspect. Most of the constraints can be set to break on too much force/weight, but I think they all break permanently, and can't be reset.

Maybe make "physics" doors (func_physboxes with phys_hinges), and hold them up with a phys_spring (with a very stiff spring constant). Stop the doors from being pulled upwards by placing a func_clip_vphysics (filtered to the doors only) over the top of them.
Have a trigger_multiple just (a few units) below the door, also filtered to the doors, that sends a SetSpringLength output (with a large length) to the phys_spring when it's triggered. After a few seconds, send another SetSpringLength to reset it to the former length.

It should work like this: As you put stuff on the doors, they'll open slightly (depending on the spring constant of the spring holding them up). Once they open up far enough, they'll touch the trigger_multiple. The trigger will effectively make the spring very loose, so the doors open all the way. After a delay, the spring is set back to it's old length, and the doors slam shut again.

You'll have to do quite a lot of playing around with all the variables to get it working right, though.

 

[Raeven0]

Phys_constraint (as far as I know) ties two entities together, making them unable to move separately unless they're pushed with enough force to break the constraint. If you could use a phys_constraint to tie two doors together, the doors wouldn't be able to move unless the constraint was broken (meaning the debris atop the doors had gotten heavy enough to break the constraint).

Theoretically.

Who needs resetting when you have point_template, Rof?

 

[Rof]

Hmm, I guess I never realised that you could respawn constraints like that.

Not sure they'll work properly with func_door_rotating, though, since that entity seems to mostly belong to "old" physics. But it'll be worth a try.

 

[_HL4E_halfLife_]

good idea rof but wouldn't thrusters be more effective since the force on the thrusters never changes unlike a spring the force will increase the more it is pulled thus the more weight u would have to put on it. I've got a working one with some thrusters to the point where if theres enough weight on the door it will start to open i just need to get a trigger to reduce the thrust for a few sec.

 

[Rof]

Yep, thrusters would probably work fine. Or phys_torque, I should think.

 

[_HL4E_halfLife_]

ok im trying to setup a trigger_multiple but im not sure what output settings to use.And for the filter can i filter 2 entities at once like testdoor1,testdoor2 in the filter blank? Heres a ss of what im tryin to do.

 

[Rof]

Assuming the entity "test" you're targeting is a phys_thruster, I think its "Scale" input takes a number between 1.0 and 0.0, the number being a fraction of the thruster's "Force" setting.

So I'd change that to OnTrigger, test, Scale, 0.0, Delay 0 and OnTrigger, test, Scale, 1.0, Delay 5.

Now set the phys_thruster's "Force" property to some value (~500?), and that should do it.

Oh and make sure the spawnflags for the trigger has "physics objects" checked. You might want to use a filter_activator_name limited to the doors, also, if there's a chance that something else might hit the trigger from underneath.

 

[_HL4E_halfLife_]

filter_activator_name? i got the filter name set to as follows: testdoor4,testdoor3

 

[_HL4E_halfLife_]

so theres no way to acualy use a func_door? i would want to use one because it has sounds and set speeds ,etc