I am trying to get a working example of the AddHavokBallAndSocketConstraint() function working. I have a script that has a function that looks like this:

function AttachBook()	bool myAttach = Game.AddHavokBallAndSocketConstraint(FaendalREF, "NPC Neck [Neck]", myBookREF, "Book01")	debug.notification("Attachment is " + myAttach)endFunction

Ridiculous, I know, but it should work. FaendalREF has a NiNode named "NPC Neck [Neck]", and myBookREF, which is a book object reference that is resolved to Book1CheapBriefHistoryoftheEmpirev1, and has a NiNode named "Book01". This should attach the book to Faendal's neck.

When I execute this function, myAttach returns TRUE, but the book never moves and the attachment never appears to take place.

Has anyone ever been able to get this function to work? If so, how?

Thanks!

Yes, it certainly does work. However, the nodes referenced must contain a bhkCollisionObject node, which in turn must contain a bhkRigidBody node. Do both the nodes you name have these?

I reworked my example based on your information, and it still doesn't do what it should be. Here is a new function:

function AttachCabbage()    objectreference myCabbage = Game.GetPlayer().PlaceAtMe(FoodCabbage, 1)    bool myAttach = Game.AddHavokBallAndSocketConstraint(Game.GetPlayer(), "NPC Neck [Neck]", myCabbage, "Cabbage01")    debug.notification("Attachment is " + myAttach)endFunction

The cabbage falls to the ground and is not bound to the player's neck, and myAttach is TRUE. Here is a look at each of the NIFs in question.

http://i.imgur.com/BWkHA.jpg

Thanks for the help. I hope you can point out what I'm doing wrong.

Ok, I got something to work: I was able to successfully add a constraint between a dead actor's hand and another dead actor's hand. I was also able to add a constraint between a dead actor's hand and a cabbage. However, these constraints don't seem to work if the actor is alive.

I'm assuming there's no way to add a constraint between an object and a live actor?

Edit: further testing shows that adding a constraint to a dead actor, and then resurrecting the actor breaks the constraint.

Ah, well spotted. I must admit, I've never tried to use this on an actor. One thing you might try is applying a small Havok impulse (applyHavokImpulse) on the live actor after creating the ball and socket joint, or using a low-power pushActorAway. Getting the actor to rag-doll for a moment might give the physics kick needed to get things going. I spotted this trick being used in a Bethesda script called DefaultRagdollAttachPointSCRIPT.psc; although I don't know if this script is actually used in the game.

Good luck!

Tried using PushActorAway; it does the trick until the actor gets completely back up, at which point the object falls off.

The ultimate goal here was to be able to attach objects (weapons, potions, etc) dynamically to the player without the use of Armor objects, but it looks like it's not going to happen. Oh well, this was a good learning experience.

Thanks for the help! I'll note some of this information on the wiki.

Darth Vader force choke using this, four invisible activators, Translateto, and setunconscious?

Goiog for it.

A few things there:
1) Set Unconscious does NOT actually knock out a target, it simply raises a flag.
2) Force choke could be accomplished much easier. Just spawn 1 invisible activator above the targets head, do a small PushActorAway and immediately make the actor SplineTranslateToRef to the thing above their head at low speed. OnTranslationComplete Utility.Wait(2), akTarget.KillSilent()

This thread took an unexpected, but awesome, turn.