Pointing towards the cursor

[DemonD]

I'm trying to make something that is attached to the player but always points at the cursor.

But I can't get it to move. The only way I've gotten it to "sort of" work is by making the barrel into a Axial Movement object, but that is not good because it has delayed movement compared to the character.

Is there no non-physics way to make this happen?

If you don't understand what I'm trying to make, think of a tank-barrel or an out-streched arm that always points at the mouse-cursor.

Here is the file with the Axial barrel in case it helps:
Pointing barrel.mfa

[skycardboard]

I can think of two ways to reduce of eliminate the perceived delay in movement:

1. Make your platform movement-having object invisible, and make a new active object that has all the animations you want, and always place that at the same position as the moving one.

2. Use a custom, event-based platform movement instead of the build-in option, and make sure you place the visible character and any other separate (weapons, clothes, hats!) at their appropriate positions at the same time.

[danjo]

invisible active always positioned at your cursor
then point 1 object at the other object (invisible at cursor)

[DemonD]

I can think of two ways to reduce of eliminate the perceived delay in movement:

1. Make your platform movement-having object invisible, and make a new active object that has all the animations you want, and always place that at the same position as the moving one.

2. Use a custom, event-based platform movement instead of the build-in option, and make sure you place the visible character and any other separate (weapons, clothes, hats!) at their appropriate positions at the same time.

1. I doubt that would work, as the animation object wouldn't have the delay.

2. It feels like there should be an easier way to do it. With all that, it probably isn't worth all that effort.

invisible active always positioned at your cursor
then point 1 object at the other object (invisible at cursor)

That's literally the first thing I tried. It wouldn't move. I'm starting to suspect that there's a problem with the "point at..." function as I've never seen it actually work.

[danjo]

you can set the angle of the turret at the (invisible objects location) by means of pointing it.
theres the formula for hc mathnuts - or just used advanced math - set the turret as the object - and use a pre-coded formula to set its angle at the cursor object.

[DaveC]

is this what you're after? definitely no need to use the physics movements.

aim.mfa

[DemonD]

is this what you're after? definitely no need to use the physics movements.

That is exactly it! Now to reverse engineer whatever magic you used. :p

Thank you!

[danjo]

thats pretty much same as what i was saying dave - except using math object for the angle... i didnt realize there was an OAngle - where is that?? ~i looked in spec. conditions - not there

[DaveC]

It's a new feature to 2.5 I believe.

I'm doing this from memory.. but I believe it's somewhere like (object) position - compare to angle of a vector (the angle of the vector being X/Y of the mouse in this case)

[danjo]

ah yes. forgot to look there.