[Hard] [Teams] 12/06/06 - Competition - Set Formation

[TheTempest]

Howdy,

I saw this in a thread here, but I believe the idea is quite old. Here's my variant.

Hack:
Set Formation

Support 8 types of formations:
1) Line
2) Chevron
3) Inverted Chevron

Here's how this should work. Have a hotkey cycle the various formations. Select a unit, press a hotkey (save this unit in your hack). Next, move your mouse a distance away and then press hotkey again.

Now, "imagine" drawing a line from the unit you saved, to the current X,Y of the mouse (world cords, not screen cords). Find the length of this line and set it as SPACE_AMOUNT. Then move the selected units into that formation using the line as a directional pointer.

That is all that is required.

Ie. if your selected unit is in the middle of the screen, and you click DUE North of him, and say your formation is line. The pattern they should be moved to is:

                (mouse click here)

                        /\
                        |
                        |
                        |
X   X   X   X   X   X   X   X   X   X   X  X

Time Period:
None.

Good luck.

[LCSBSSRHXXX]

Chevron:

      X
    X  X
  X      X
X          X

X          X
  X      X
    X  X
      X

X
  X
    X
      X
    X 
  X
X

      X
    X
  X
X
  X 
    X
      X

[LCSBSSRHXXX]

If anyone is going to make the formations movable I'd approach it like this:
First get the coordinates of the leader unit (the center one / the one at the point of the formation) and get the difference between the unit's XY and the action / movement's XY. Then add the difference in XY to all, this is pretty much an application of some simple math (translations on a graph).

Here is an Example of this where the unit at the center of the formation is located at (0,0) and the action is at (0,3). You'd add 0 to the X value and 3 to the Y value of each point (See the first two images attached).

If the main unit's located a (0,0) and another is at (-1,-1) and you move to (-5,6) the other point would move to (-6,5) because you add -5 to each X value and 6 to each Y value (See the third image).

[LCSBSSRHXXX]

Now to rotate the formation of units you need to get the new points using the equation to rotate get the new set of points (X',Y').

X'=(cos(θ)*X) - (sin(θ)*Y)
Y'=(sin(θ)*X) + (cos(θ)*Y)
θ=theta (the angle that you want to rotate it).

I'll draw out some examples in a minute, gotta love trigonometry.

Edit: Drawings are done, I only did an example with 3 points because it's less math but it will still give you a good idea of how to approach it.

Basically you click at (4,4) and it gets the angle by doing the inverse cosine of the adjacent side over the hypotenuse, which gives you theta, once you have the angle you just use the rotation equation posted above.

[YonderKnight]

I think it should be up to the contestants to figure all the math out =p.

[TheTempest]

Nah, i think that's ok.

[gamepin126]

I'm sure his help is welcomed, if they're like me I never got past alg2 so yea...rock on!

[TheTempest]

Too everyone: Please post if you plan on entering.

[LCSBSSRHXXX]

Originally Posted by YonderKnight

I think it should be up to the contestants to figure all the math out =p.

I'm just helping out a little!

[K? Pŕo?ćtiόnŹ]

I would, but doing advanced maths and **** in ASM is a pain imo. Well more advanced then + - / *

[YonderKnight]

Taylor series, FTW!

Not sure if I would like to enter yet though.

[TheTempest]

By the way, rotation is not required, that is merly extra credit.

[DrinkBleach]

Originally Posted by TheTempest

By the way, rotation is not required, that is merly extra credit.

Ah good, that part was scaring me off, I'm not sure if I'm going to join or not though, I'll see how much time I have next week.

[K? Pŕo?ćtiόnŹ]

Making units make a formation with a hotkey is pretty easy, like just telling them to move to a location relative to the first unit, but making them constantly keep that formation would be a bitch.