PATH

PATH (IPL section)

Short description:	Used to define paths for traffic
Supported games:	GTA VC
IPL Sections: 2DFX • AUZO • BLOK • CARS • CULL • ENEX • GRGE INST • JUMP • LINK • LODM • MLO+ • MULT • OCCL PATH • PICK • RTFX • SLOW • TCYC • VNOD • ZONE

PATH is a section in the item placement file. It is used to define paths for traffic. Paths are grouped into nodes, each with at most 12 sub-nodes. The group nodes define the type of vehicle going to be used by the sub nodes. Sub nodes contain path coordinates which are linked to each other. There are two kinds of links:

• internal links – connecting nodes within the same group.
• external links – connecting nodes over two different groups.

Format

path
Object, -1
	NodeType, NextNode, IsCrossRoad, X, Y, Z, Median, LeftLanes, RightLanes, SpeedLimit, Flags, SpawnRate
	NodeType, NextNode, IsCrossRoad, X, Y, Z, Median, LeftLanes, RightLanes, SpeedLimit, Flags, SpawnRate
	NodeType, NextNode, IsCrossRoad, X, Y, Z, Median, LeftLanes, RightLanes, SpeedLimit, Flags, SpawnRate
	NodeType, NextNode, IsCrossRoad, X, Y, Z, Median, LeftLanes, RightLanes, SpeedLimit, Flags, SpawnRate
	NodeType, NextNode, IsCrossRoad, X, Y, Z, Median, LeftLanes, RightLanes, SpeedLimit, Flags, SpawnRate
	NodeType, NextNode, IsCrossRoad, X, Y, Z, Median, LeftLanes, RightLanes, SpeedLimit, Flags, SpawnRate
	NodeType, NextNode, IsCrossRoad, X, Y, Z, Median, LeftLanes, RightLanes, SpeedLimit, Flags, SpawnRate
	NodeType, NextNode, IsCrossRoad, X, Y, Z, Median, LeftLanes, RightLanes, SpeedLimit, Flags, SpawnRate
	NodeType, NextNode, IsCrossRoad, X, Y, Z, Median, LeftLanes, RightLanes, SpeedLimit, Flags, SpawnRate
	NodeType, NextNode, IsCrossRoad, X, Y, Z, Median, LeftLanes, RightLanes, SpeedLimit, Flags, SpawnRate
	NodeType, NextNode, IsCrossRoad, X, Y, Z, Median, LeftLanes, RightLanes, SpeedLimit, Flags, SpawnRate
	NodeType, NextNode, IsCrossRoad, X, Y, Z, Median, LeftLanes, RightLanes, SpeedLimit, Flags, SpawnRate
end

	Identifier	Type	Description
Group
A	Object	integer	0 = Pedestrian traffic 1 = Road traffic 2 = Water traffic
B	-1	integer	always -1, used as a delimiter
Node
A	NodeType	integer	0 = Null 1 = External 2 = Internal
B	NextNode	integer	-1 = Do not link to any other node in this group 0 to 11 = Link to this node number in this group
C	IsCrossRoad	integer	Boolean determining if there is a cross road in the imaginary line joined by two nodes
D,E,F	X, Y, Z	float[3]	X, Y, Z coordinates of the node
G	Median	float	Pedestrian traffic: width of walkway Road traffic: width of divider between left and right lanes
H	LeftLanes	integer	Number of lanes left of the node
I	RightLanes	integer	Number of lanes right of the node
J	SpeedLimit	integer	Sets the speed of vehicles traveling through the path 0 = Slow 1 = Average 2 = Fast 3 may be possible
K	Flags	integer	General node behavior 0 = No flags 1 = Ignored by traffic 2 = Police roadblock (only for road traffic node) 4 = Restricted node 8 = No effect, used by water traffic
L	SpawnRate	float	Spawn rate frequency ranging from 0.0 to 1.0

Description

First of all, consider a small segment of the line in a group node. The group node has to be defined and then there are the 12 sub-nodes inside it. The number of coordinates vary from 2 to 12. If the number of coordinates does not reach 12, then they are filled with null nodes which does not do anything just to make the group node hold always 12 nodes. The internal and external sub nodes are defined each with a special attribute in it. The internal sub nodes are the middle parts of a segment of the line, while the external sub nodes are the end points of the segment of the line. They are used to connect to other external sub-node or end point of another segment (another group) of the line. To connect the external sub-nodes or end points, they must and always must have the same coordinates. All the other group nodes link up together using this concept, thus you get a path which a vehicle or a ped follows from the beginning and to the end of the line. Spawns are made in the external nodes (always remember that fact) and then they follow the route of the line.

One can add a maximum of 24 group nodes in Vice City though this limit can be increased by Maxorator's Path hacks. ^[1]

Tools and scripts

•  GTAForums: In-Game Paths Maker – by Swoorup
• ^ Maxorator's Path Limit Hack – by  GTAForums: Maxorator

External links

• Description of the Vice City paths format – by Cerbera
• In-Game Paths Maker for VC – by Swoorup
• Flags description – by AK-73
• Statistics for paths.ipl – by Steve-m