I'm trying to set-up some AXIS AI to patrol back and forth or patrol around a building on a loop of nodes, but I'm not quite sure the best way to do this. I don't want to trigger my AI using a trigger volume, I was going to do it via script, but it doesn't really matter. If I have to use a trigger volume like in the tutorial, so be it. :)

I read the color group tutorial and the author don't really cover having AI go from Node A -> Node B -> Node A or basically on an infinite loop. Do I need to use cover nodes or can I just assign a script node to a color group and have AI ping-pong between them?

I've got my spawner placed and it's assigned to a K/V color group:
script_forcecolor
r
I placed a multi use trigger that's also tied to that color group:
script_color_axis
r1
and I have two cover nodes assigned to:
script_color_axis
r1 r1
and
r2 r1

How do I get the AI to go back to r1 r1 from r2 r1?

Thanks again!

Try to mix script & radiant.

If I were you, I would create 2 multiple triggers that they would be outside walkable place (player can't activate it) : First, that tells AI to go first nodes, second to other, and use them in script. For example:

patrol_init(){
first_trigger = getent("first_trigger","targetname");
second_trigger = getent("second_trigger","targetname");
patrolguys = getentarray("patrol_aixs","targetname");

patrolguys[1] endon("death");
for(;;){
first_trigger notify("trigger");
array_wait( patrolguys, "goal" );
second_trigger notify("trigger");
array_wait( patrolguys, "goal" );
wait(1);
}
}

Oh, interesting. I didn't think about having AI trigger the pathing to send them back to another node, very cool.

Thanks for that.

I guess I could add some scripting to ensure that it's only a certain AI that triggers the volume.

Also, are cover nodes the best thing for this? To get AI to go to a location, can I use a script node? I just want the AI to go from one location to another, I don't need any other behavior.

You can normally create paths with simply node_pathnodes, with them they will only stand. You don't have to use only nodes from "cover" section but, it must be a node ;)

If i wan't Axis ai to move I just give them a target node and place nodes to lead them there.

Josh-Xenu writes...

Wait a minute, if I place a script_node in Radiant and give a spawner K/V of

target
script_node

It will path to that node? How do I tell it to move? Via script? That would be very easy. That way I could have two nodes target each other to have the AI ping-pong between two locations...

:)

If that script_node is connected to path, and connected like spawner -> node, then AI automatically will move.

If you want te see all paths, type in console:

ai_shownodes 4 (or somethin like that)

MPKiller545 writes...

Okay, that's cool.

I have path nodes all over the map so AI can move.

How do I connect a script_node to a path_node? Is it just a K/V with target or are you simply saying that so long as there is valid path_node area for AI and they have a proper K/V target to a script_node, they will walk to that location?

:)

I'm learning that the tools can be pretty simple, but I often make things much harder on myself because I'm overthinking everything... all the time.

LOL

Game will calculate the fastest way Actor -> targetnode throw valid path and move actor throw that way.

So if I want to create a looping patrol of a single AI, I can do something as simple as:

spawner (k/v target script_node1) -> script_node1 -> script_node2 -> script_node3 -> script_node1 -> etc...

I just have each script_node target the next one.

That should essentially create an infinite loop, correct?