Pathing Tests

Pathing Tests can be found in the NavMesh dropdown menu. Click the last button in the Navmesh icon group Test Pathfinding; when this is active, the pathfind system can be simulated on the current data.

Basic Pathing Test

• Select Normal Pathing Test in NavMesh dropdown menu.
• Make sure that the Select Triangles icon is active (hotkey 'T').
• Right click on the NavMesh to set a start point.
• Then right click again to select an end point.
• If a path exists between the points a path will be built with blue points and yellow lines.
• If a path doesn’t appear in a case that it should there could be a problem with finalizing. Try running from the main NavMesh menu Finalize_Cell_NavMeshes to resolve the problem.

NOTE: There will be no indication that anything is happening, and no markers on the NavMesh, until you complete the second right-click. The start and end markers do not appear until after the path test is complete.

• Avoid Nodes
  • Avoid Nodes are spheres or cylinders that denote an area that the path should avoid. Avoid nodes are used by the combat system to avoid hostile targets, explosions, and other threats
  • To use avoid nodes in the pathing test, in between setting the start point and end point do the following:
    • Hold down Ctrl and right click. This will place an avoid node sphere
    • If you want a cylinder, after placing a sphere hold down both Ctrl and Alt and right click again. The sphere will disappear and will be replaced with a cylinder created from the sphere's center point and the point you just clicked.
    • After avoid nodes have been set, let go of Ctrl and right click to select the end point and the test will be run

Cover Test

• A cover finding test is accomplished in much the same way as a pathing test; click and set all the same icons, and then toggle the Cover Test from the NavMesh drop down menu.
• The first click will be the request location.
• The second click will be the threat location.
• The result will be a black point showing the threat, yellow vertices showing potential cover edges, and a path from the location to the closest potential cover edge.

Flee Test

• To execute a flee test, the following should be done:
  • Select Flee Test from the NavMesh drop down menu
  • Right click to set the start point
  • Add avoid nodes using the process in the Normal Pathing Test article
  • After setting the avoid nodes, let go of Ctrl and right click anywhere in the navmesh to run the test

Bugs

• Path Testing has shown to produce invalid paths when a connected NavMesh is placed directly above a NavMesh that uses placeable water. To aviod this, ensure any placed water that has a NavNesh within it does not have a connected NavMesh that passes directly over the placeable water. This holds true for both Interior and Exterior cells.