Hotspots, Mesh and Profiles.

[hyshakt]

Can someone please clarify the usage of the two if I were to make my own mesh and xml profiles.

When I load up the mesh ingame. The dots shown are the ones from the mesh right? Are the hotspots dots displayed? What are these hotspots for?

I will kind of be thinking out loud in this topic, but it could be a good way to help us new users understand those 2 files better to make our own.

Let's look at the defiant 6-30 xml profile.

<Profile>
  <Tasks>
    <AddDefaultJobs />
    <LoadMesh Name="Defiant 6-30" />
    <AddJob>
      <MendSoul>
        <Healers>
          <!--Ark of the Ascended-->
          <Hotspot X="6148.859" Y="837.1255" Z="4333.5" />
          <!--King's Retreat-->
          <Hotspot X="6302.013" Y="839.521" Z="4529.881" />
        </Healers>
      </MendSoul>
    </AddJob>

I guess all profiles should start like this.

<AddDefaultJobs /> - What is this for?
<AddJob> - This is to add a task to be done, obviously
<MendSoul> - First use of Hotspots, here it is clearly used to mark the location of the healers. I suppose the bot then goes to the nearest one after respawn?

<GrindTo Level="10">
      <GrindArea>
        <Mobs>
          <Mob>Bomani Shadowclaw</Mob>
          <Mob>Bomani Darkspear</Mob>
          <Mob>Endless Demagogue</Mob>
          <Mob>Endless Fanatic</Mob>
          <Mob>Endless Shadow</Mob>
          <Mob>Eternal Servant</Mob>
          <Mob>Eternal Shadow</Mob>
          <Mob>Lorn Reaper</Mob>
        </Mobs>
        <Hotspots>
          <Hotspot X="6258.145" Y="822.1451" Z="4281.717" />
          <Hotspot X="6304.499" Y="822.0685" Z="4312.337" />
          <Hotspot X="6322.596" Y="823.0275" Z="4379.594" />
          <Hotspot X="6348.146" Y="821.5392" Z="4364.317" />
          <Hotspot X="6338.566" Y="821.3593" Z="4277.271" />
          <Hotspot X="6401.448" Y="821.5377" Z="4242.326" />
          <Hotspot X="6279.289" Y="820.4845" Z="4254.101" />
        </Hotspots>
      </GrindArea>
    </GrindTo>

<GrindTo Level="10"> - Obviously the target level to stay in that <GrindArea>
<Mobs> - Targets
<Hotspots> - This is what got me confused. Isn't it what the mesh is for?

From what I understand from playing with it for a few minutes is that it creates a path for the bot to walk along.

Let's say my hunting area is wide and depending on where I die I could spawn in two different spots. I would then have a path that goes from each graveyard to my hunting area right? And then a whole bunch of spots at that area in my mesh.

Then what are the hotspots for?

Also, when looking at the mesh overlay of the defiant 6-30 mesh file in the game, where it hunts for wolfs at level 10-12 it follows a path made of points and attacks any mobs in range of those points. Don't know the exact range but it is quite wide.

Is it possible to have the bot only attack mobs that are RIGHT on the defined mesh, you could then make a very big mesh with just the right area and taking out any weird rocks or what not that spawn ore that you get stuck on.

Thanks for any info!!!

 

[Hawker]

The bot cannot see terrain so it moves along the a recording of the terrain called a "mesh." When you display the mesh, you see the Rift world with dots and connections overlaid on it. The bot sees only the dots and the connections.

Look here for an example:

Now obviously a mesh has to cover a big area and you don't want to be farming in a town. So you choose an area where you do want to farm. Put "hotspots" there. A "hotspot" is a spot where you want to farm. When you make a profile with 6 hotspots, the bot goes to each spot in turn and kills stuff it sees along the way. It is travelling along the mesh so its essential that the hotspots are in an area that has been meshed well.

When you are making a mesh, its important to remember the bot has no clue about walls and trees. So don't record your toon jumping over a wall or off a tree. The bot will try to walk through that wall and it will try to climb that tree. Make it nice and simple and all will work.

 

[kw_rock]

So basically what you're saying is... in between each hotspot, you want to totally mesh the area?

I mean.. in the image shown, there are a lot of blue dots. When creating that mesh did you walk along that entire area to allow the bot to know that it's "working" terrain? I just assumed the mesh idea was a waypoint system, and it would follow that designated path.

 

[Hawker]

So basically what you're saying is... in between each hotspot, you want to totally mesh the area?

I mean.. in the image shown, there are a lot of blue dots. When creating that mesh did you walk along that entire area to allow the bot to know that it's "working" terrain? I just assumed the mesh idea was a waypoint system, and it would follow that designated path.

Not totally but it needs a way to get from one hotspot to the next. At least make a mesh of the path, then add the route from the graveyard and the path to the vendor.

 

[zarlia28]

Hawker, if you want to add selling support to a profile how do you do so? Any chance you could make a guide?

 

[Hawker]

Hawker, if you want to add selling support to a profile how do you do so? Any chance you could make a guide?

    <AddJob>
      <Vendor>
        <Vendors>
          <!--Meridien-->
          <Hotspot X="6157.019" Y="918.7044" Z="5209.77" />
          <!--Ark of the Ascended-->
          <Hotspot X="6230.279" Y="820.2155" Z="4364.92" />
          <!--Granite Falls-->
          <Hotspot X="4915.933" Y="1054.66" Z="5031.729" />
        </Vendors>
      </Vendor>
    </AddJob>

Like that. It won't work until next release.

 

[zarlia28]

Thanks heaps!!!

 

[hyshakt]

Ok this clears it up real good! I'll keep playing with it and come back with more questions

Quick question, is there a way to set it so that it only targets mobs and ressources nodes that are ON the mesh, instead of in range of it. I have seen in my log that it blacklists some mobs if they are too far off mesh.

What I'd like is for everything to be blacklisted if not directly in/on the mesh. Possible?

Thanks!

 

[Aressandoro]

Can I add only 1 Vendor at time in the Profile? It seems like he don't go for the nearest but consider only the first line of vendor hotspot

 

[Anonuzer]

Is there going to be an eventual world mesh like there is in Honorbuddy or will profile devs continue to have to create their own area meshes?

 

[Hawker]

Is there going to be an eventual world mesh like there is in Honorbuddy or will profile devs continue to have to create their own area meshes?

We are discussing that. For now, the recorded meshes are easy to support and work really well.