Creating Routes within Connected Navigation Sectors

The created navigation sectors only provide the area within which routes are calculated. The routes themselves must be created from the code. So, let's create the corresponding C++ component for 2D route calculation.

Add a new Route2D class inherited from the ComponentBase class (the .h and .cpp files) to the project. The class name will be used as the property name.

1. In the Route2D.h file, declare a component class, parameters and a route:
   • Two parameters that will accept nodes between which a route should be calculated.
   • Route color.
   Source code (C++)

   #include <UnigineComponentSystem.h>
   #include <UniginePathFinding.h>
   
   using namespace Unigine;
   using namespace Math;
   
   // derive the component from the ComponentBase class
   class Route2D : public ComponentBase
   {
   public:
   
   	// declare constructor and destructor and define a property name. The Route2D.prop file containing all parameters listed below will be saved in your project's data folder
   	COMPONENT_DEFINE(Route2D, ComponentBase);
   	// declare methods to be called at the corresponding stages of the execution sequence
   	COMPONENT_INIT(init);
   	COMPONENT_UPDATE(update);
   	COMPONENT_SHUTDOWN(shutdown);
   
   	// declare parameters of the component
   	PROP_PARAM(Node, startPoint, NULL);
   	PROP_PARAM(Node, finishPoint, NULL);
   	PROP_PARAM(Color, routeColor, vec4_zero);
   
   	void init();
   	void update();
   	void shutdown();
   
   private:
   	// declare a route
   	PathRoutePtr route;
   };

2. In the Route2D.cpp file, register the component.
   Source code (C++)

   #include "Route2D.h"
   
   REGISTER_COMPONENT(Route2D);

3. Create a route and set the radius and height for the point which will move along the route in the init() method. Before creation, check if the nodes to be used as the start and finish points are specified.
   Source code (C++)

   #include "Route2D.h"
   #include <UnigineNode.h>
   #include <UnigineConsole.h>
   #include <UnigineVisualizer.h>
   #include <UnigineLog.h>
   
   REGISTER_COMPONENT(Route2D);
   
   void Route2D::init() {
   	// check if the start and destination nodes are correctly specified via the component interface
   	if (startPoint && finishPoint)
   	{
   		// create a new route
   		route = PathRoute::create();
   
   		// set a radius and height for the point which will move along the route
   		route->setRadius(0.1f);
   		route->setHeight(0.1f);
   	}
   }

4. To enable displaying the calculated route at run time, turn on Visualizer. Additionally, you can output console messages to the application screen. Add the following logic to the init() function:
   Source code (C++)

   Console::setOnscreen(true);
   Visualizer::setEnabled(true);

5. In the update() function, calculate the route from the start to destination node:
   Source code (C++)

   void Route2D::update() {
   
   	if (startPoint && finishPoint)
   	{
   		route->create2D(startPoint->getWorldPosition(), finishPoint->getWorldPosition());
   		if (route->isReached())
   		{
   			// if the destination point is reached, render the root in a specified color
   			route->renderVisualizer(routeColor);
   		}
   		else
   			Log::message("PathRoute not reached yet\n");
   	}
   }

   Notice

   Here the route is recalculated each frame. However, it is not optimal for application performance. Instead, you can calculate the route once per several frames: pass a delay to the create2D() function as the third argument.
6. Implement the shutdown() function to disable the visualizer and onscreen console messages:
   Source code (C++)

   void Route2D::shutdown() {
   
   	Console::setOnscreen(false);
   	Visualizer::setEnabled(false);
   
   }

7. The component is registered automatically by the Component System upon its initialization. However, you should add the following to the AppSystemLogic::init() method:
   Source code (C++)

   #include <UnigineComponentSystem.h>
   
   int AppSystemLogic::init()
   {
   	// initialize ComponentSystem and register components
   	Unigine::ComponentSystem::get()->initialize();
   
   	return 1;
   }

8. Build the project and run it once to generate the property for the Route2D component. It will be located in the data/ComponentSystem folder.

Here the full code of the component:

#pragma once

#include <UnigineComponentSystem.h>
#include <UniginePathFinding.h>

using namespace Unigine;
using namespace Math;

// derive the component from the ComponentBase class
class Route2D : public ComponentBase
{
public:

	// declare constructor and destructor and define a property name. The Route2D.prop file containing all parameters listed below will be saved in your project's data folder
	COMPONENT_DEFINE(Route2D, ComponentBase);
	// declare methods to be called at the corresponding stages of the execution sequence
	COMPONENT_INIT(init);
	COMPONENT_UPDATE(update);
	COMPONENT_SHUTDOWN(shutdown);

	// declare parameters of the component
	PROP_PARAM(Node, startPoint, NULL);
	PROP_PARAM(Node, finishPoint, NULL);
	PROP_PARAM(Color, routeColor, vec4_zero);

	void init();
	void update();
	void shutdown();

private:
	// a route
	PathRoutePtr route;
};

#include "Route2D.h"
#include <UnigineNode.h>
#include <UnigineConsole.h>
#include <UnigineVisualizer.h>
#include <UnigineLog.h>

REGISTER_COMPONENT(Route2D);

void Route2D::init() {
	// check if the start and destination nodes are correctly specified via the component interface
	if (startPoint && finishPoint)
	{
		// create a new route
		route = PathRoute::create();

		// set a radius and height for the point which will move along the route
		route->setRadius(0.1f);
		route->setHeight(0.1f);

		Console::setOnscreen(true);
		Visualizer::setEnabled(true);
	}
}

void Route2D::update() {

	if (startPoint && finishPoint)
	{
		route->create2D(startPoint->getWorldPosition(), finishPoint->getWorldPosition());
		if (route->isReached())
		{
			// if the destination point is reached, render the root in a specified color
			route->renderVisualizer(routeColor);
		}
		else
			Log::message("PathRoute not reached yet\n");
	}
}

void Route2D::shutdown() {
	
	Console::setOnscreen(false);
	Visualizer::setEnabled(false);
}

When the component logic is implemented and the property is generated, you should assign it to a node.

1. In UnigineEditor, select Create → Node → Dummy and place it in the navigation area.
2. Select the dummy node and assign the Route2D property to it in the Parameters window.
3. In the component parameters, specify the start and finish static meshes in the Start Point and Finish Point fields.

   

4. Change the Route Color, if necessary.

1. Add a new AreaVisualizer class inherited from the ComponentBase class (the .h and .cpp files) to the project.
2. Implement the logic:
   Source code (C++)

   #pragma once
   #include <UnigineComponentSystem.h>
   #include <UniginePathFinding.h>
   
   using namespace Unigine;
   
   class AreaVisualizer : public ComponentBase
   {
   public:
   	COMPONENT_DEFINE(AreaVisualizer, ComponentBase);
   	COMPONENT_UPDATE(update);
   
   	void update();
   };

   Source code (C++)

   #include "AreaVisualizer.h"
   
   #include <UnigineVisualizer.h>
   
   REGISTER_COMPONENT(AreaVisualizer);
   
   void AreaVisualizer::update()
   {
   	// display the navigation area gizmo
   	node->renderVisualizer();
   }

3. Build the project and run it once again to generate the property for the AreaVisualizer component.
4. Assign the component to each navigation sector forming the navigation area.

Launch the application to check the result.

You can force the Route2D component to calculate a 3D route within the same navigation area by changing a single line of the code. Replace the create2D() function call with the following:

route->create3D(startPoint->getWorldPosition(), finishPoint->getWorldPosition());

Then build the project and run it once again to re-generate the property for the Route2D component.