Several questions: character with gamepad + shader with texts + 3d environment + camera

Hi everyone!

Just finished my submission for Adventure Jam 2019. I invite you to have a look if you're curious. Here's a video and the link to the Game Jolt page:

I would like to continue this project and add several improvements, but there are several things that I don't know to do, and it would be great if you could help me.

Here's my list of questions:

In my recent tests, I had no problem to setup the VS5 script to play with keyboard/gamepad and it's working quite well.

My main problem is that the character follows too much the waypoint, which is not very natural with this gameplay.

Is it possible to "disable/dissociate" the waypoint from the main character in order to allow the player to move freely (but still have the changes of scale, and still keep the way borders)?

   2/ Shader with text:

During my cutscenes I wanted to zoom on the characters with the shaders. However I am using specific code for the texts, and as a result as soon as the zoom is activated, the text is not at the correct position anymore.

I know that that there is a code to exclude interfaces from shaders, I am using it and it works well.

Would there be also by chance a code to exlude text?

I have this code but it doesn't do anything:

eShaderExcludeTextsAndCursor 2

This is a much more complicated question. The 3d characters are working very well in VS and I am very happy, and it would seem that there is also the possibility to use 3d objects (which I didn't need in my demo for Adventure Jam).

Is it possible to create a 3d environment? I mean something very simple (like a sphere or box) where the character could be located on a plane surface and walk?

This question is related directly to the previous one. If I can put my character in a sphere or box, walking on a plane surface: is it possible to change the camera (rotate it around the character)? And increase the distance of the camera from the character? I think that this is quite complicated however, and that an engine like Unity would be more apropriate, but on the other hand I like the simplicity and stability of VS and would love to continue to use it.

Thanks in advance, I'm looking forward to read your messages of help, and try to include new features in my project!

I used C4D and FBX,I managed to get a box with a button to open when the button was pressed, the button moved, it was a challenge to get the anamation right but it was probably more me than C4D/Visionaire.
my goal changed to a 3D inventory but I never got it interactive, Lee helped with a script to get the object to turn 

I think Sebastian is the game pad man, its a common subject on Discord..

Your game looks really good btw

Camera; you'll probably need to wait and see if Simon improves the camera control

Thank you @Nigec! Actually in your screenshot it's the first time that I see for real a 3d object in Visionaire. I tried to import a FBX in an older project but it never worked, I don't know what I did wrong at that time.

Anyway it's good to see that it works if we do it properly

The idea of an inventory with 3D item is great, best of luck to you to create it.

Regarding the camera I hope there is a way to do it, even if it requires a bit of scripting. But on the other hand I think that I can find other solutions for my project if the camera cannot rotate in VS. I'll keep it static, it's just that it won't be as fun in the game, so I'd like to be able to do something about it.

Regarding the character with gamepad, I still have not found a solution unfortunately... I tried to delete the waypoints and keep only 2 outside the way borders for the scale, but as a result the characters don't move anymore with the keyboard.

Also I still need help to exclude texts from shaders.

I guess if the environment was imported as a 3D object/character it might work as you could rotate that around - like Nige has done with his 3D inventory object, but performance wise... who knows. You can control the camera position/angle per 3D thing I believe, but the scene camera itself is 2D only, you can only pan/zoom.

In regards to the way system - you could create 2 different way systems. One with way points & one without way points. You could listen out for input from gamepad/keyboard + mouse to set a condition to tell the game that x input is now primary & change way system based on that. In regards to scaling, you should ideally be creating the scale values outside of the way system border anyway. Vertical scaling works best. See my screenshot (below).

I'm not really sure about the text thing & shaders. I don't really mess around with shader side of the engine all that much. As an alternative you could use images or Lua draw instead of built in display texts.

Thanks Lee, I'll give it  a try for the environment. Maybe I can do something even without camera rotation...

Regarding the way system, I was already using the scale values outside (but only with 2 points, why do you have 4 in your screen?)

And regarding the use of keyboard to move (or gamepad), my problem is that they are not dissociated of the way points: they follow the points too strictly and it creates a very strange kind of gameplay.

the bottom most & top most way points are the same values as the middle two, just their for safety or it's possible that I want from above/below a specific y-coordinate for the character to always be scaled at a certain value - mostly though, it's just a safety habit that I use to enforce that the characters below & above x point don't randomly change to a different scale value.

If you are rotating the 3D character/object then you are in effect rotating the camera. I think you would just have to think in inverse directions though, so that right it left & down is up, etc. & you still have the scene camera/shader viewport camera for panning horizontally/vertically & zooming in/out.

This might inerest you:

I can't lay my hands on the project file, its the 3D key and I hooked it up to the background animation

I think the code for the background is on Discord but its October last year

edit I've over written the project file :/

Hey Nigec, this is quite impressive! It's working well. Well done, I'm impressed that this result can be obtained in Visionaire!

The plane on the floor, and the background (the sphere, cube and cone) are all in 3D too? Or are they prerendered and mapped on a large sphere? 

Thanks to both of you!

I'll have to visit the Discord of VS someday, but I'm always busy with so many things that I usually prefer to write on forums when I have 2 minutes.

I'll make some more tests this week. Until later!

the background is a pre rendered image sequence, I found better ways to do a panoramic like turn

I haven't managed a plane on the floor yet, I was pre rendering the shadows then placing the objects in the right place

I'll see if I can find the animated box I did

Have fun!

This is a very interesting way to create a first person adventure game with 360° views (like Myst IV)! I've been looking for that during years. You're the best Nigec

But don't worry I won't steal your ideas, I have other projects in mind with Visionaire for the moment.

However i'll be happy to encourage you and see your progress with your game.

Regarding the code to rotate 3D objects, someone said it is on Discord but I can't find it. Any ideas?