Effective Way to Approach Car AI

Help and Feedback Scripting Support
#1

I am currently making a car AI that travels on a static path across a city. It uses PathfindingService and is based on points.

These are the barriers. I am using PathfindingModifers.

image
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(ignore the text.)

Here are the points (highlighted because it is hard to see):

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The car moves in the direction of the arrow.

Here are my barriers for that path:

image
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Here is a snippet of my code:

function module:Pathfind()
	if (self.Running == true) then warn("Already pathfinding for AI " .. self.AI.Name .. ".") return end
	
	local tries = 0
	
	local paths
	repeat paths = module.getPathsFromTagName(self.TagName) tries += 1 task.wait(0.05) until (paths ~= nil or tries >= 10)
	
	local chosenPath = paths[math.random(1, #paths)]
	chosenPath:SetAttribute("AITaken", true)
	
	self.AgentParameters.Costs[chosenPath.Name] = math.huge
	self.Path = pfs:CreatePath(self.AgentParameters)

	self.AI:PivotTo(chosenPath.SpawnPoint:GetPivot())
	
	task.spawn(function()
		while (true) do
			if (self.Destroy == true) then
				self.Path:Destroy()
				self.AI = nil
				self.TagName = nil
				self.PathfindingCallback = nil
				self.AI = nil
				
				break
			end

			for index = 1, #chosenPath.Points:GetChildren(), 1 do
				self:Update(chosenPath.Points["Point" .. index])
			end
			
			self:Update(chosenPath.SpawnPoint)
			self.PathfindingFinished:Fire()
			task.wait(3)
		end
	end)
end

The actual worker:

local function getRestrainedLookAt(cf)
	local _, _, y = cf:ToOrientation()
	return cf * CFrame.Angles(0, y, 0)
end

function module.run(plot, _, xp)
	local car = script.Cars:GetChildren()[math.random(1, #script.Cars:GetChildren())]:Clone()
	car.Parent = plot.Island.AIs

	local carCf = Instance.new("CFrameValue", car)
	carCf.Value = car:GetPivot()

	carCf.Changed:Connect(function(val)
		car:PivotTo(val)
	end)
	
	local path = pfm.new(car, "DriverPaths" .. plot.Name, {AgentRadius = 5, AgentHeight = 2})
	
	path:SetPathfindingCallback(function(cf)
		local tween = game:GetService("TweenService"):Create(carCf, TweenInfo.new(0.1), {Value = getRestrainedLookAt(cf)})

		tween:Play()
		tween.Completed:Wait()
	end)
	
	path.PathfindingFinished:Connect(function()
		xp(50)
	end)
	
	path:Pathfind()
end

return module

The problem that I am having is that the car is inconsistent. It pathfinds fine on the straight line, but I am not sure how I will get it to work 100% of the time on turns.

There also may be a better way to approach this, in which I would like to hear suggestions.

Heres a video of it:

Thanks.

#2

I personally use the SimplePath module for my AI. If you want to give it a look, you can find it here it can be used for multiple things including your Car AI, but it might be a little more complicated if the car doesn’t have a humanoid.

#3

Would that help solve the problem with the curves? I can add a humanoid to the car in the worst case scenario.

Could you also explain how it approaches pathfinding differently than the normal PathfindingService?

#4

Yeah, you could add waypoints for each curve and it does it quite smoothly.

1 Like
#5

I’m just curious, does the car have any use to the player? I can imagine this being a taxi and players could select the point they want to travel to, basically a fancier type of teleport feature.

#6

No, it does not.

@Redanite I am currently trying your solution and I will let you know.

#7

It did not work. I tried it with a character and a car to be sure.

#8

That’s strange, could you send the code?

#9
#10