So I'm currently trying to figure out how to create jbeam from scratch for a model that I have. Its unique and there aren't any in-game vehicles to base it off of. I have tried BNEditor but it is very clunky and not very good. So I'm wondering what program(s) the devs use to make brand new jbeam structures for new cars. I'm not certain about notepad++ because there is no visual way to see what you're doing.
How would you see the mesh in the game because it doesn't work without the jbeam so im a little stuck.
I would advise looking at how the vanilla vehicles are set up in their JBeam files, even if you don't copy them directly, though I would also say that would be a smart move. (also, what car are you making? it might be helpful to determine what vehicle(s) you base it on)
I know a method, but I'm not sure if I remember the whole thing. The easiest way to get it done (or so it seems to me) is to download the jbeam Blender plugin from this forum, make a jbeam skeleton in Blender like you would make a normal mesh, but obviously much less detailed & then turn all of those edges & vertices into an actual jbeam using the aforementioned plugin.
Notepad ++ ! Yep all the above seems the best way imo to go. As said ^ keep game open while making adjustments. I know it's difficult and node names are hard to read often but to me it currently seems to be the most efficient way too. And, as also said ^ for getting structures 'pre done' use the Blender exporter plugin to get coordinates to start off from. As what concerns the mesh showing up in game, therefore it needs to be assigned in the Jbeam under the section "flexbodies". Just try to unravel some vanilla (or not vanilla) Jbeams to learn from. Best way I learned was by changing existing Jbeam files until I figured out completely ( well sort of cause what is completely ) how they are constructed and which properties are there to be applied. edit : Oh just a little edit concerning mesh and flexbodies, so you name the object(s) in Blender before you export as .dae and the name you gave your object(s) is to be used in the "flexbodies" section of your Jbeam.
Use your 3d modeling application as a reference for where to place nodes.The process in Blender is: - open up the right side panel (N) - select a vertex - copy these XYZ coordinates to the jbeam
I use the same methods as Dummiesman, but I do my nodeplacement in the textual editor of BNE. Then I can see where my nodes are and then add the beams via the visual add beam method in said editor. Same goes for triangles. It's worth to note that you have to save somewhat often with this method and always make sure you only use one editing tool at the same time I do this to shape the main structure. After I have all the nodes and the all the beams etc, I will go into notepad and assign the right values to the right things.
So should I map out a jbeam structure in blender, then fine tune it in BNE and a text editor? Sort of like what Dummiesman said, or should I use existing nodes on the mesh? Also the vehicle I'm making has a lot of rollcage like structure to it (not much for a body) and I'm not sure how much jbeam that requires or how accurate it has to be for things to look right. Should the nodes be placed on the outside of the mesh touching it? And for curves does jbeam require spot on nodes following the mesh exactly or could it just be a hard corner? I appreciate everyone taking the time to answer my questions it is quite helpful
You need to think forces. Push one spot, which way forces will go, add beams and nodes so that forces will travel to desired location and that beams hold all nodes reliably in correct places. Also think about weight balance, don't put too many nodes on light areas as node weight becomes an issue.
To add to that, don't be afraid of the numbers when you start... there are a lot of numbers that can all lead to your JBeam just up and exploding when you put it in game for the first time. That isn't very helpful of course. So what I normally do is I make everything purposely heavy to start with as the heavier the nodes, the more stable the structure ends up being. Then, I tune the structure down to the weight I want adjusting node weights and beam spring and damp settings all the way until I get the behavior and weight I want. As a tip as well, you can definitely go way below this weight, but starting out, anything below 2kg per node can start to cause issues if you don't have your spring and damping values set just right. To do below 2kg you need to spend a lot of time tuning to make sure you get the numbers perfect before they will play nicely in game. I have prototype vehicles I have made that weight less than a kg in total, but they exist on a knife edge in game... something even as fundamental as FPS changing can cause them to explode...
Whole vehicle with several nodes can be as light as 0.36kg (most nodes had this "nodeWeight": 0.007999999046325684), it is very very at the knife edge, no deforming, no real engine, etc. but it is only vehicle with thrust vectoring that I know of. https://beamng.com/resources/flying-wing.6293/ Not sure how much better it could be made with skills, but going this light is really pushing the engine to it's limits. Not recommended for first time jbeamers, very much agree that staying 2kg or more per node is best, but if one wants to push the limits, there is good target
