Comments for Yarrcade.com http://www.yarrcade.com A heavy metal pirate's blog about free online flash games and their monetization as well as game design and development tutorials with actionscript3 and flash cs3 and some tricks to outperform in Microsoft Office ... Thu, 06 Oct 2011 08:49:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Comment on Grid based games – Part 5.3: Pathfinding by Siro http://www.yarrcade.com/2010/04/10/grid-based-games-part-5-3-pathfinding/#comment-564 Siro Thu, 06 Oct 2011 08:49:04 +0000 http://www.yarrcade.com/?p=1076#comment-564 Hi kegogrog You are very kind and helpful and I thank you very much for that! Give me youe email so we can talk more exhaustively. Regards siro siro13_AT_hotmail.it Hi kegogrog You are very kind and helpful and I thank you very much for that!

Give me youe email so we can talk more exhaustively.

Regards siro
siro13_AT_hotmail.it

]]> Comment on Grid based games – Part 5.3: Pathfinding by kegogrog http://www.yarrcade.com/2010/04/10/grid-based-games-part-5-3-pathfinding/#comment-563 kegogrog Tue, 04 Oct 2011 12:01:01 +0000 http://www.yarrcade.com/?p=1076#comment-563 <blockquote>At the end I must have the nodes in flowfield with x,y pointing to the the neighbor shortest node (node or cell).</blockquote> In that approach it would be the 'sourceNode' property (sorry for the naming). Since we went backwards the 'sourceNode' is actually the neighbor on the shortest path. So, basically you have the shortest path from each node to the goal (in nodewise steps of course) once the routine is finished. The shortest path is just needed when you later place towers to have a quick check if you are blocking the way from the start to the goal. Then it would be a while loop and a check <code>if ( wayPoint.startNode ) break;</code> I hope that helps a bit, if you want to be more specific just write me a mail. I'd really like to help you on that if I can.

At the end I must have the nodes in flowfield with x,y pointing to the the neighbor shortest node (node or cell).

In that approach it would be the ‘sourceNode’ property (sorry for the naming). Since we went backwards the ‘sourceNode’ is actually the neighbor on the shortest path. So, basically you have the shortest path from each node to the goal (in nodewise steps of course) once the routine is finished.
The shortest path is just needed when you later place towers to have a quick check if you are blocking the way from the start to the goal. Then it would be a while loop and a check if ( wayPoint.startNode ) break;
I hope that helps a bit, if you want to be more specific just write me a mail. I’d really like to help you on that if I can.

]]> Comment on Grid based games – Part 5.3: Pathfinding by Siro http://www.yarrcade.com/2010/04/10/grid-based-games-part-5-3-pathfinding/#comment-558 Siro Fri, 30 Sep 2011 09:06:50 +0000 http://www.yarrcade.com/?p=1076#comment-558 Ok, for the angles, but can you explain to me how would you use the heuristic? In your article you wrote:"Heuristics are included to later check if there is a possible path (using the shortest path)". Now I'm blocked at this point. I've made the flowfield with f,g,h for every node, but I can't figure out how to use it to find a shortest path from every single node to the goal. At the end I must have the nodes in flowfield with x,y pointing to the the neighbor shortest node (node or cell). Thanks for your reply. Regards Ok, for the angles, but can you explain to me how would you use the heuristic? In your article you wrote:”Heuristics are included to later check if there is a possible path (using the shortest path)”. Now I’m blocked at this point.
I’ve made the flowfield with f,g,h for every node, but I can’t figure out how to use it to find a shortest path from every single node to the goal.
At the end I must have the nodes in flowfield with x,y pointing to the the neighbor shortest node (node or cell).
Thanks for your reply.
Regards

]]> Comment on Grid based games – Part 5.3: Pathfinding by kegogrog http://www.yarrcade.com/2010/04/10/grid-based-games-part-5-3-pathfinding/#comment-557 kegogrog Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:29:16 +0000 http://www.yarrcade.com/?p=1076#comment-557 Hmm, from how I understand the question: Once the path (or field if we talk about the whole grid) is set, you'd just recall that routine when the grid is changed (e.g. by placing an object). With the set field you can determine the angle between two node (a node and its parent) with a simple <code>Math.atan2</code>. You can then apply this as rotation to the 'wandering' object. So, if I (the wandering object) am on node X, I have a look at its parent node, calculate the angle between them and set this angle (in degrees then) as my rotation (in one step or more). Thus, the direction I am facing after reaching a new node would always be the direction of my next target node. Is that anywhere near to where you've aimed your question? Hmm, from how I understand the question: Once the path (or field if we talk about the whole grid) is set, you’d just recall that routine when the grid is changed (e.g. by placing an object). With the set field you can determine the angle between two node (a node and its parent) with a simple Math.atan2. You can then apply this as rotation to the ‘wandering’ object. So, if I (the wandering object) am on node X, I have a look at its parent node, calculate the angle between them and set this angle (in degrees then) as my rotation (in one step or more). Thus, the direction I am facing after reaching a new node would always be the direction of my next target node.

Is that anywhere near to where you’ve aimed your question?

]]> Comment on Grid based games – Part 5.3: Pathfinding by Siro http://www.yarrcade.com/2010/04/10/grid-based-games-part-5-3-pathfinding/#comment-556 Siro Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:52:45 +0000 http://www.yarrcade.com/?p=1076#comment-556 Also I'm interested to know about directions and I ask you: How can I use the Heuristic after loop "for each ( var pObj in pArray )"?? (I mean during playing the game) Regards Also I’m interested to know about directions and I ask you: How can I use the Heuristic after loop “for each ( var pObj in pArray )”?? (I mean during playing the game)

Regards

]]> Comment on Grid based games – Part 5.3: Pathfinding by Nick http://www.yarrcade.com/2010/04/10/grid-based-games-part-5-3-pathfinding/#comment-511 Nick Wed, 03 Aug 2011 02:00:01 +0000 http://www.yarrcade.com/?p=1076#comment-511 Figured out how to modify your code a bit to make it work with mine. The key was figuring out that the source node was actually used as the next node in series for a creep to travel to. If anybody is wondering, this pathfinding algorithm runs far faster than an a*/dijkstra algorithm on large grids, and is a much more viable solution as you can update creep movements easily as you don't have to iterate through all enemies on screen finding a path for each of them. (My grid has a path found for it at a max time of 55 ms and decreases as obstacles/towers are added, whereas my a* algorithm takes 3 ms per creep and increases to around 300-350 ms per creep as the grid becomes filled with towers.) Figured out how to modify your code a bit to make it work with mine. The key was figuring out that the source node was actually used as the next node in series for a creep to travel to. If anybody is wondering, this pathfinding algorithm runs far faster than an a*/dijkstra algorithm on large grids, and is a much more viable solution as you can update creep movements easily as you don’t have to iterate through all enemies on screen finding a path for each of them. (My grid has a path found for it at a max time of 55 ms and decreases as obstacles/towers are added, whereas my a* algorithm takes 3 ms per creep and increases to around 300-350 ms per creep as the grid becomes filled with towers.)

]]> Comment on Grid based games – Part 5.3: Pathfinding by Nick http://www.yarrcade.com/2010/04/10/grid-based-games-part-5-3-pathfinding/#comment-510 Nick Sat, 30 Jul 2011 19:36:08 +0000 http://www.yarrcade.com/?p=1076#comment-510 Makes more sense now. I took a look at some different a* methods and got a working version, but yours seems to run far faster. I've tried several different heuristics, but I'm not really satisfied with either the accuracy of the quick ones or the speed of the best ones. Mind posting the source code for this so I can disect it in a little more detail? Makes more sense now. I took a look at some different a* methods and got a working version, but yours seems to run far faster. I’ve tried several different heuristics, but I’m not really satisfied with either the accuracy of the quick ones or the speed of the best ones. Mind posting the source code for this so I can disect it in a little more detail?

]]> Comment on Grid based games – Part 5.3: Pathfinding by kegogrog http://www.yarrcade.com/2010/04/10/grid-based-games-part-5-3-pathfinding/#comment-496 kegogrog Tue, 26 Jul 2011 08:35:11 +0000 http://www.yarrcade.com/?p=1076#comment-496 Yes, it is crappy code. And I am deeply sorry for that. That said, you would loop through the nodes initially and once a tower is placed. <code>path</code>, from what it looks, is an overlaying sprite where the arrows are drawn, but it's not further used in this code. So, just delete it. <code>pObj</code> is declared in <code>for each ( var pObj in pArray )</code> though it doesn't look good. <code>getPathNeighbors</code> seems to be the same as <code>getNeighbors</code>. Hmm, maybe I should do a reload of that. It can also be easily optimized using a FSM. Yes, it is crappy code. And I am deeply sorry for that.

That said, you would loop through the nodes initially and once a tower is placed. path, from what it looks, is an overlaying sprite where the arrows are drawn, but it’s not further used in this code. So, just delete it. pObj is declared in for each ( var pObj in pArray ) though it doesn’t look good. getPathNeighbors seems to be the same as getNeighbors.

Hmm, maybe I should do a reload of that. It can also be easily optimized using a FSM.

]]> Comment on Grid based games – Part 5.3: Pathfinding by Nick http://www.yarrcade.com/2010/04/10/grid-based-games-part-5-3-pathfinding/#comment-492 Nick Fri, 15 Jul 2011 20:54:54 +0000 http://www.yarrcade.com/?p=1076#comment-492 Either I'm missing a lot, or some info is left out of this tutorial. Don't find anything explaining where to loop through nodes, what path is and when it is declared, what pObj is and when it's created, how getPathNeighbors functions differently than in the previous tutorial, etc. I'm sure most of it is simply a semantic change from the recent tutorial, but I can't seem to get it to present anything useful for me. Either I’m missing a lot, or some info is left out of this tutorial. Don’t find anything explaining where to loop through nodes, what path is and when it is declared, what pObj is and when it’s created, how getPathNeighbors functions differently than in the previous tutorial, etc. I’m sure most of it is simply a semantic change from the recent tutorial, but I can’t seem to get it to present anything useful for me.

]]> Comment on Game: TriPop by Game: TripleDrop | Yarrcade.com http://www.yarrcade.com/2011/02/26/game-tripop/#comment-413 Game: TripleDrop | Yarrcade.com Fri, 06 May 2011 15:17:43 +0000 http://www.yarrcade.com/?p=1579#comment-413 [...] game itself comes, like TriPop, with a timed mode, where one has several seconds to score as many points as possible, and my [...] [...] game itself comes, like TriPop, with a timed mode, where one has several seconds to score as many points as possible, and my [...]

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