1  |   Order by index

Sep 11, 2004, 10:29pm

I was bored and was making a tall prefab tower in AWTeen using those
townhouse objects, and I was building it to around 470 meters. But, then
the whole top of the tower disappeared and the top object left on the tower
was 324 meters. I went underground and found that all of my objects somehow
got transferred to -300 meters. This is not the first time it has happened.
I built the top again and it happened again. Anyone have any idea what is
going on? This is a very strange bug.

Sep 11, 2004, 11:56pm

This isn't a bug. You can't build above 327.67m. All objects above that will wrap to -327.67m. http://tnlc.com/rw/measurement.html for more info.

[View Quote]

Sep 12, 2004, 12:39am

But shouldn't it stop be from building above that height instead of allowing
it for a few minutes then moving it down underground?

Sep 12, 2004, 1:05am

Well, it might just be your connection--but it should be near-instantaneous--at least last time I checked it (years ago).

[View Quote]

Sep 12, 2004, 4:06am

No, as of...lost track, think as of 2 years ago you can build past the limit
without warning. Before then, the objects were rejected. Now they're
silently rejected, and only rendered on the client. Once you go out of
range, they're gone.


[View Quote]

Sep 12, 2004, 8:27am

But isn't it strange that the objects are being "teleported" to far
underground instead of just disappearing?

Sep 12, 2004, 10:14am

On 12 Sep 2004 06:27:19 -0400, "ferruccio" <startrek3 at earthlink.net>
[View Quote] >But isn't it strange that the objects are being "teleported" to far
>underground instead of just disappearing?
>

What happens is that the object database in the world server uses a
two-byte (16 bit) integer field for storing altitudes. Values are in
cm, and the maximum positive value is 32767 which is 327.67 m,
increasing beyond this produces a negative number, for example 32768
is interpreted as -32768, 32769 as -32767 and so on, i.e. the number
wraps around from positive to negative. The world database does not
reject the object, as the altitude for all it knows is valid, only not
the one you expect, and no error message is produced.

The browser, on the other hand, works in floats (real numbers with
decimals), that do not have this wrapping mechanism, so as long as you
do not move away, it shows the object where you expect it to be.

It is certainly a bug, in my opinion, that the object does not get
rejected. Whether this is the task of the browser or world server is
a matter of programming strategy. I would assign this task to the
world server, because it owns the database.

Alex

Sep 12, 2004, 5:04pm

Hmm thanks for explaining all of that. That must be the same thing that
happens with terrain when you try to make it higher than 300 meters.
[View Quote]

Sep 12, 2004, 7:33pm

[View Quote] <snip>

> It is certainly a bug, in my opinion, that the object does not get
> rejected. Whether this is the task of the browser or world server is
> a matter of programming strategy. I would assign this task to the
> world server, because it owns the database.

How do the server would know you are beyond the boundary? It receives a 2 byte integer only.


>
> Alex
>


--
Andras
"It's MY computer" (tm Steve Gibson)

Sep 12, 2004, 9:35pm

Then it is a browser task. I have no idea, since I do not know the
protocol of the code sent, what the world receives :)

[View Quote] [View Quote]

Sep 12, 2004, 9:48pm

On 12 Sep 2004 15:04:19 -0400, "ferruccio" <startrek3 at earthlink.net>
[View Quote] >Hmm thanks for explaining all of that. That must be the same thing that
>happens with terrain when you try to make it higher than 300 meters.

I never tried that. My thoughts on that, not knowing the code AW uses
and not having tried it, are:

1) if you try to build terrain altitudes beyond the limits of -32768
and 32767 with terrain offset 0, maybe the same happens.

2) if you build terrain within those limits (-327.68 m and 327.67 m),
but set a terrain offset between -300 and 300 (which is the range for
offset and does not wrap), then you can practically exceed the +/-
327m limits because the world keeps the terrain data separate from the
offset data. That is, terrain offset is added by the browser to the
the terrain altitude kept in the world database, giving you
effectively a +/- 300 metres extra margin.

Alex

[View Quote]

Sep 13, 2004, 1:42am

I thought there are ceiling that you couldn't move objects beyond? Just like
when you try to reach the higher than allowed with your avatar or even to
the farther than edges of the world (hint: try moving beyond 32750m for a
few minutes and you'll come to sudden stop after that).

--
Legion
Chairman of Rockford Township, Phin County, Alphaworld

[View Quote]

Sep 13, 2004, 1:44am

CORRECTIONS: It should be 32,750 cells (since cells are 10 meters x 10
meters) instead of 32,750 meters (Good god, imagine that!).

--
Legion
Chairman of Rockford Township, Phin County, Alphaworld

[View Quote]

1  |   Order by index