Hitboxes for buildings are spheres, allowing the building to take damage without being hit

[DrGoldFish1]

In airgames people forcefire the ground very far away from the airfield with KingRaptors to take down an enemy airfield without actually hitting the airfield to avoid PDL.
With some research and some help from caball we found out that the original game devs were very lazy in making the hitbox calculations. All hitboxes in the game are spheres even the hitboxes for buildings.

The hitboxes for buildings need to be rectangles so projectiles that don't actually hit the building don't do any damage.
This will require code changes.

You can find the calculations being done in Geometry.h

Here is me firing on the ground next to the building so you can see the hitbox of the building.

[IamInnocent3X]

Collision in PartitionManager has converted the Info above to Rectangular by using Geometry = BOX with MajorRadius, and MinorRadius.

The problem lies when Projectiles firing on Ground Bypasses this Collision check. The Collision Check can be integrated for Projectiles Force-Firing ground.

EDIT: This is likely due to Weapon Detonation Template calculating Distance Procs not accounting Geometry Information when Checking for Distance. (As implied, laziness)

GeneralsGameCode/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/Object/PartitionManager.cpp

Line 3342 in 20927af

if (!(*distProc)(objPos, objToUse, thisObj->getPosition(), thisObj, thisDistSqr, distVec, closestDistSqr))

GeneralsGameCode/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/Object/PartitionManager.cpp

Line 888 in 20927af

static Bool distCalcProc_BoundaryAndBoundary_3D(

What I think can be utilize is to incorporate GeometryInfo from PartitionData::collidesWith into theDistCalcProcs Functions.

GeneralsGameCode/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/Object/PartitionManager.cpp

Line 1969 in 20927af

Bool PartitionData::collidesWith(const PartitionData *that, CollideLocAndNormal *cinfo) const

Here is the formula for checking Collision Bounds:

GeneralsGameCode/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/Object/PartitionManager.cpp

Line 595 in 20927af

inline Bool z_collideTest_Sphere_Nonsphere(CollideTestProc xyproc, const CollideInfo *a, const CollideInfo *b, CollideLocAndNormal *cinfo)

Here's the formula for Collision Checking:

• Circle to Rectangle:

GeneralsGameCode/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/Object/PartitionManager.cpp

Line 481 in 20927af

static Bool xy_collideTest_Rect_Circle(const CollideInfo *a, const CollideInfo *b, CollideLocAndNormal *cinfo)

• Rectangle to Rectangle:

GeneralsGameCode/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/Object/PartitionManager.cpp

Line 552 in 20927af

static Bool xy_collideTest_Rect_Rect(const CollideInfo *a, const CollideInfo *b, CollideLocAndNormal *cinfo)

Conversion Geometrical Data to Rectangular Points, or Bounds:

GeneralsGameCode/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/Object/PartitionManager.cpp

Line 435 in 20927af

static void rectToFourPoints(

[IamInnocent3X]

Here is a finished Attempt to Fix the Boundary Box Issues. Tested and Working.

IamInnocent3X@9dd5b17

[Skyaero42]

If you are confident with your solution, you can make a Pull Request out of it.
I haven't reviewed your code yet, but I saw you are not using the RETAIL_COMPATIBLE_CRC guard, as it will cause mismatches against retail.

This may also need to be behind a PRESERVE_RETAIL_BUG (?) flag as it changes balance

[Caball009]

Here is a finished Attempt to Fix the Boundary Box Issues. Tested and Working.
IamInnocent3X@9dd5b17

Would like to see the change in isolation from your other changes, otherwise it's tedious to test.

[Caball009]

This may also need to be behind a PRESERVE_RETAIL_BUG (?) flag as it changes balance

Do you mean PRESERVE_RETAIL_BEHAVIOR (previously RETAIL_COMPATIBLE_BUG) ?

[IamInnocent3X]

Here's the Code without my features

IamInnocent3X@af04b6f

[DrGoldFish1]

I have done some quick testing with the current changes.

1. If a part of the building is above the ground and you fire under the building the building wont take damage.
2. The height of existing buildings are lower then they used to be. But this does generate gameplay changes for things like bombtruck chinooks blowing up and not damaging the building or a cc scaffold no longer dieing when an rpg shoots on a drone or airplane that is above the scaffold. In most games there wont be any visible changes from this but they do exist. So how exactly should we handle this?

These changes are to be expected with these changes. So if there is a possibility to make the hitboxes of the buildings to extend a little bit under the building. So buildings still take damage when you fire under them.