User:Scarbo/Hoop Creation Tutorial

This is a tutorial on how to bitset hoops manually. This is for those who don't use NiGHTS OBJECTPLACE or when placing them on non-NiGHTS maps. Manual hoop bitsetting also is easier than OBJECTPLACE when creating properly-made X-Shaped Hoops or Right Angle Hoops.

We are going to use the single-mare track created in NiGHTS Tutorial for this tutorial.

Vertical Hoops

Let's start out by making vertical hoops. These are the easiest type of hoop to make, because the Angle value 64 is valid for all hoops going vertically. Decrease the grid size and zoom in on a curved portion of Axis 2. Place a hoop as close as you can to the track and give it an Angle of 64. However, let's not have the hoop be buried in the ground. Let's make it be a little higher.

Now for hoops, the Z-offset does not determine its height from the floor. The height of a hoop from the floor is actually set in its flag value, thus making hoops appear in all difficulties. So give your hoop a flag value of 256.

Let's create five more hoops at the same point, but give them heights of 320, 384, 448, 512, and 576, respectively.

Farther down Axis 2, let's create another set of vertical hoops with heights 576, 512, 448, 384, 320, and 256, respectively.

Horizontal Hoops

Horizontal hoops are a bit harder to make, as they do require a specific Angle depending on their direction. We are going to place an eastward horizontal hoop 128 fracunits east of Axis Transfer Line 3. Let's give it a height of 128, so set its flag value to 128. Since these are horizontal hoops, we can just use the values listed in Hoop > Example Values. So give the hoop an angle of -16384. Let's create some more. Place five more hoops after the first horizontal hoop, making each hoop 64 fracunits east of the previous one.

X-Shaped Hoops

You may have seen these hoops in NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams. Creating these types of hoops is the next step in difficulty. Place a hoop 256 fracunits east of the last hoop. We're gonna have this hoop be a little bit higher than that last hoop, so let's give it a flag value of 256. Now, since these hoops are not horizontal, we have to add a pitch value to our yaw value. Since we're still on eastbound track, our yaw value is -16384. We want one hoop going diagonally up and one hoop going diagonally down. Our first pitch value is 32. Add -16384 to 32 to get our Angle value of -16352. Now create another hoop at the same point. This time, our pitch value is 224, since it's going diagonally down. Add -16384 to 224 and we have an Angle of -16160.

Horizontal Hoops on Curved Track

Now that we're going towards Axis 4, let's put some hoops there, too. We're going to keep it simple, so we're going to only make hoops in normal yaw directions. At the place where Axis 4 goes directly northeast, place a hoop. We're going to give this a height of 320 fracunits, so set its flag value to 320. Consulting the list of Example Values, we see that northeast hoops have a yaw value of -8192. Since these are horizontal hoops, no pitch value will be added; therefore, our Angle is -8192. At the point where Axis 4 goes north, place another hoop. Our Angle this time is 0. At the point where Axis 4 goes northwest, place a hoop with an Angle of 8192. Place a hoop on top of Axis Transfer 5—making sure to not accidentally mess the Axis Transfer up—and give it an Angle of 16384.

Since the Axis Loop is unusually small for a NiGHTS track, we'll place only one hoop there. On top of Axis Transfer 6, place a hoop with an angle of -16384. And finally, on Axis 7, place a hoop at the point going northwest. Give it an angle of 8192.

Diagonal Hoops

We're going to now learn how to make hoops that go diagonally down/up. But first, let's place another hoop with a flag value of 320 and put it 64 fracunits north of Axis Transfer Line 8. It's going north, so its yaw value is 0. This one's actually going to be horizontal, so its pitch is also 0, making its Angle 0. Create another hoop with the same properties 64 fracunits north of the previous hoop.

Now we are going to make hoops going diagonally down. For the first diagonal hoop, you want the height to be lowered half the distance between it and the previous hoop. We'll put this hoop 128 fracunits north of the previous hoop; therefore, this hoop must be lowered 64 fracunits, making its height be 256. Since it goes north (0) and diagonally down (224), its Angle is 224. We will place the next hoop 128 fracunits north of the previous. This one however, should be lowered the same distance between it and the previous loop; therefore, the flag value is 128. Also give it an Angle of 224.

We're going to start going horizontal again. Place a hoop 128 fracunits north of the previous. Like with the first hoop going diagonal, this hoop is lowered half of 128 fracunits (64). So give it a flag value of 64. And because it's north and horizontal, our Angle is once again 0.

Right Angle Hoops

We are actually going to leave Axis 9 devoid of objects and start placing things after Axis Transfer Line 10. First, to get NiGHTS Super Sonic flying a little higher, let's place some vertical hoops. So place a hoop 128 fracunits south of Axis Transfer Line 10. Flag it 192 and give it an Angle of 64. Put seven more hoops with heights of 256, 320, 384, 448, 512, 576, and 640 respectively.

Exactly 192 units down the track we are going to place a hoop going horizontally. Give it an angle of -32767 because it is going south. Give it a flag value of 640. Now, since the radius of a hoop is 96 fracunits, place another hoop 96 fracunits south of the previous one. It also must go 96 fracunits lower, meaning its flag height must be 544. This one will go vertically, so give it an Angle of 64. We now have a Right-Angle Hoop!

Let's make another one. This time, we'll have it start going down and end up going forward. So place another hoop at the same spot as the last one, but give it a flag value of 384. Remembering that a hoop's radius is 96 fracunits, place another hoop 96 fracunits south of the previous. Lower it 96 fracunits (this makes 288) and give it an Angle of -32767 because it is going horizontally south.

Putting Some Extra Stuff

Now, just for fun, let's fill that line up with something. So, exactly 128 fracunits south of the last hoop, place a horizontal hoop with a height of 288. Now place twenty more hoops, each one being 96 fracunits south of the previous.