Help with payload goldrush style chute and flashing light on bomb

[GigaBite]

Hi everyone, I've got 2 separate, payload-related issues that I'd really appreciate some help with.

My first issue is that I've been trying to create a chute for the payload cart to descend down into at the end of stage 1 of my map, like how the cart does in pl_goldrush. I've come pretty far, I copied over the platform that lowers and the door that shuts behind the cart straight from goldrush and they seem to be working fine. I also managed to get the payload cart to descend straight downwards while still facing the correct direction.
But there are 2 problems.
Firstly, the cart suddenly rotates and faces diagonally downwards at the very end of its descent, and I have no idea why.
Secondly, the platform that the cart is supposed to be lowered down on moves downwards before the cart does and I'm not sure how to synchronize the 2 of them.
Does anyone know of a guide for getting this to work?

My second issue is that I'm not sure how to get the flashing, rotating light on top of the payload cart working.
My payload cart was built by simply copying over the logic, trigger volumes and entities from 'A boojum snark's team fortress 2 mapping resource pack' and everything is working fine except for said light.
I have compared the logic and entities used, to decompiled Official Valve maps and I can't find any difference.
Is there something simple that I'm missing?
I have attached to this post a basic .vmf file (not a working map) containing the end of stage 1 capture point with all the entities I think are relevant to the chute, and the entities for the payload cart.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

 

[GigaBite]

If anyone needs more information or has questions about these issues, I'd be happy to explain them more or provide more detailed .vmf files

 

[Tumby]

About the platform:

You used a func_door for the platform. The problem with that is that the payload has acceleration and can't instantly move at a specific speed, while entities such as func_door and func_movelinear don't need to accelerate at all.
The only solution is to make the platform out of another separate tracktrain with its own track. I'm not sure if you will need to change the acceleration parameters.

I don't know how to fix the cart rotation.


About the light:

ABS pack has no inputs to make the light turn on and off. The klaxon light only has an input to 'Stop' when the cart reaches the final path_track.

Select the trigger_capture_area (named sspl_pushzone) and add these 2 outputs:

My Output >	Target Entity	Target Input
OnEndTouchAll	sspl_flashinglight	Stop
OnStartTouchAll	sspl_flashinglight	Start

I used the single-stage prefab, so everything starts with 'sspl'. You are using the multi-stage prefab, so for you it starts with 'mspl'.

 

[GigaBite]

Hi,
Thank you for your reply, I didn't realise that the flashing light needed inputs and outputs (of course it does it's an entity-duh) so I added 2 outputs to the "trigger_capture_area" entity and now it works!
I did one output where OnStartCap triggers the light to start, and the second output of OnEndTouchAll triggers the light to end.
Now, the light starts when the payload moves forwards and it stops when all players exit the trigger volume, which in most cases would mean effectively when the cart stops.

As for the descending chute, I have fixed the cart orientation problem, now I need to figure out how to synchronize the cart lowering at the same time as the platform lowering.
I like your solution of turning the platform into another func_tracktrain. I think I'll give that a try.

 

[Tumby]

I like your solution of turning the platform into another func_tracktrain. I think I'll give that a try.

Funnily enough, it's not my solution. Valve does this on the hightower elevators.

 

[GigaBite]

Hey,
I found out why the payload cart and the platform were not synchronized.
I had an output going to my func_tracktrain that was "SetSpeedDirAccel" which was making the payload cart accelerate up to the speed instead of moving instantaneously like how the door was moving.
I checked pl_goldrush again and it uses instead a "SetSpeedDir" output, without the Accel suffix.
I used that instead and now the 2 are effectively synchronized.

I tried turning the platform into another func_tracktrain and even a func_trackautochange, but those came with their own host of problems.

I think my issues have been resolved now, thanks for your help.