making a big, big big flying thing

So I've been kicking around making this huge floating party barge...

unfortunately, I can't seem to link the big thing together. I asked a few regulars at cordova but they --helpful. The best I was able to get out of them was that I was supposed to script the parts to move together.

I'm at a serious loss on how to do this. Hints?

haha

I'm sorry I can't help because I don't know how they do it either. I've read in the past that you can link many more than the limit by way of a bug, and depending on bugs is no way to do anything that will last.

Note: This post is not meant to offend bugs.

the only idea I have is to send messages to all the parts to move in such and such a way...which ius gonna be ugly unless they have some builtin functions.

Well, is there anything that says you can't just make a huge slow moving vehicle, like a zeppelin I guess? Has anyone tried this???

and if the max prim size is 10m X 10m X 10m, and you are allowed 31 prims for vehicles, does that mean I could stick 31 cubes together end on end, link them, pop a vehicle script on them, and fly around in a 310m long vehicle?

I have been thinking about this a lot myself, but haven't tinkered with it much yet. If I make a platform with railings around it, or even just like a room inside, can non-riders stand inside the thing while it flies around? Cuz that would be hella cool!

Artillo

If you can link them, there are options for getting it to move non-physically if it's over 31 prims. This I have done before with The Galaxy, As for sections moving, it has been tried and successfully done. Read the NWN and recently there was an article about a ship that moves in three different parts.

There is a distance limit on linking, so no.. that wont work.

I have experience with this one. My advice to you is don't waste your time. You will be upset when it doesn't work well, and you wont log in for weeks because you will be so disenfranchised.

If you can't link the parts together, then it's best to just let it go. If you insist on moving separate parts, then this is my suggestion to you.

1) Have all the parts running the same script, and using the same controls, so that you move all of them at the same time.

2) Don't alow any part to rotate on the x or y axis due to number one above. They would all separate if they did while each peice faced up or down from their own center.

3) Use a VERY slow moving vehicle. Otherwise you will constantly crash, your vehicle will fall into the ground or off world, and it would never keep up with the lag.

4) In the process of moving, this monster WILL become separated due to lag (some parts respnding better than others) You can fix this by having your script pull the pieces snugly together every time you hit the brakes. How you manage that I leave to you.

All in all, I say do not attempt it, unless you are extreamely brave (bordering on foolishness) and can take disopointment. Otherwise you will join the ranks of ex-scripters who are bitter and have given up on lsl all together.

Good luck with you decision.

LOL, I just realised that the method above would not work well either, because when you turn, each part would turn around their own access, not the access of the entire ship. hmmm. Might work if you don't make any turns though.

A follow method would also be a mess. There is however one other way.
But it only works for vehicles on a set path like trains and stuff. I just wrote a script to get objects to follow a defined path. You could have more than one object follow the same path, and theirfor follow eachother effectively. However you would have limited control over this transport.

I give up on this one. If you find a way, you tell us. LOL

Don't be like Nike.
Just don't do it.

Could you work out the offset you needed from the 'base', adjust it by the rotation it is currently at, and tell the next part 'you need to be here - at this rotation'..

I'm sure if the increments you did that at were small enough it wouldn't get too out of hand.

Sim crossings may be a biatch though.

Siggy.

Actually, if you use object chat (llSay/llListen) rather then sensors, sim crossings become less of a source of utter madness, and more of a slight nuisance. That said, in order for you to use object chat you have to understand the concept of global positions, since llSensor does the math for you when an object is detected.

See http://www.badgeometry.com/wiki/GlobalCoordinates
==Chris

Hmm, wouldn't it be possible to make a designated box that acts like a "latch" ? Let's say you've got a 2-piece ship. On the front piece you stick a tiny, invsible box on the end(this will be the parent prim). On the second piece, stick an invisible box on the front. This will establish your "latch."

On the front-end "invisible box," will have a script that every 5 seconds(Im assuming if you're gonna have a big ship, it's gonna move real slow, so every 5 seconds it will take a step), it will shout to invisible box 2(the back-end box) it's position. Invisible box 2 will have a script that will listen to the front-end, and when it recieves the message it will Set it's position to invisible box 1, causing it to look like the 2 piece ship is "attached."

There may be some problems with lag and all, but it's better than nothin. Ya?