Formats/Navigation mesh

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The game supports automatic navigation mesh generation from BSP map files. This Navigation mesh (or "navmesh" for short) is used by the bots to navigate throughout the world.

The navigation mesh format is game-specific (mods may modify it).

Using a navigation mesh

Navigation mesh files go in the maps/ directory either in the folder specified by the fs_game cvar, or in the maps folder inside a map's DPK file.

Testing the mesh

• You may test your map locally by entering \devmap mapName as you would to test any map at any time. Note, of course, that this will disconnect you from whatever game you may currently be in.
• To enable drawing the navigation mesh, use navedit enable navmeshname where "navmeshname" is one of:

• human_naked
• human_bsuit
• builder
• builder-upg
• level0
• level1
• level1upg
• level2
• level2upg
• level3
• level3upg
• level4

Where level4 is tyrant, level3 is dragoon, level2 is marauder, level1 is mantis, and level0 is dretch. The two builder navmeshes are not used at this time.

• Add bots with the bot command and spectate the game.

Editing the navigation mesh

Navmesh editing is still a work in progress, but it can be useful for fixing unnavigable ledges.

Unfortunately, automatic navigation mesh generation that fully supports all of the map features and player abilities in Unvanquished is incredibly difficult. Automatic generation will usually produce a very satisfactory base mesh, but some areas may need further tweaking.

To edit the navmesh, you must select the one you wish to edit using the navedit command.

To add connections use the addcon command.

A oneway connection will only allow bots to move from the start of the connection to the end of the connection, but not from the end to the start. A twoway connection will allow bots to move in either direction along the connection. The radius of the connection is how far away the center of the bot has to be from the middle to take the connection.

Modifications to the navmesh are made in real time, so any bots that have spawned will react accordingly.

When you are done editing a specific navmesh, you can use navedit save to save your work.

Research

Slides and demo code of a talk in which someone presented a way to get covers and jump links handled:

• http://digestingduck.blogspot.com/2011/07/paris-gameai-conference-2011-slides-and.html