Bounding Hitboxes | How It Works | Roblox Studio

Summary

This video explores various methods for creating hitboxes in Roblox, focusing on spatial queries for improved accuracy over magnitude checks. It explains the three main types of spatial queries: GetPartBoundsInBox, GetPartBoundsInRadius, and GetPartBoundsInPart, detailing their uses and trade-offs in terms of accuracy and performance. The video also demonstrates how to set up a hitbox detection system using these queries, with practical coding examples and filtering techniques to identify characters and prevent duplicate hits. Finally, the script includes debugging tips and a success indicator for visualizing the hitbox during development.

Takeaways

• 😀 Spatial queries are a highly accurate method for hitbox detection, focusing on precision over performance optimizations.
• 😀 Roblox made a major update to their collision detection system, transitioning to a three-phase process (broad, mid, narrow), which improves performance.
• 😀 Using spatial queries offers more accurate hit detection compared to magnitude checks, where only the center of a part is considered a valid hit.
• 😀 `GetPartBoundsInBox` is the most commonly used spatial query method as it is easy to modify and offers a balance between accuracy and performance.
• 😀 `GetPartBoundsInRadius` can be used as a substitute for magnitude checks, providing spherical detection while maintaining the accuracy of spatial queries.
• 😀 `GetPartBoundsInPart` performs a full geometry collision check, offering the highest accuracy but with a higher performance cost than the other methods.
• 😀 Visual inaccuracies can arise when using bounding boxes or radius checks, but `GetPartBoundsInPart` helps address this by using a full collision check.
• 😀 A hitbox module is created by defining custom types for hitbox data, which includes properties for the frame, size, and overlap parameters.
• 😀 To filter out parts that don't belong to characters, the module uses a loop that checks for models with humanoids, ensuring that only relevant parts are processed.
• 😀 The code prevents duplicate hits on the same character by checking if the character has already been added to the hit list, which optimizes the hit detection process.
• 😀 A success variable is used to determine if any enemies were hit, and a visualization function is provided for debugging, showing the hitbox in action.

Q & A

What are spatial queries in Roblox and why are they useful for hitboxes?

Spatial queries in Roblox are a method for detecting collisions and determining if an object intersects with a defined region. They are particularly useful for hitboxes because they provide more accurate results compared to using the magnitude method, as any point inside the defined region is considered a hit.

How has Roblox improved collision detection in recent years?

Roblox upgraded its collision detection system about four years ago by shifting from a two-phase system (broad to narrow) to a three-phase system (broad to mid to narrow). This change greatly improved the performance and accuracy of spatial queries.

What is the difference between the magnitude method and spatial queries for hitboxes?

The magnitude method checks whether the center of the part is inside the region, while spatial queries check all points within a defined region, ensuring greater accuracy. Spatial queries are better at capturing hits because they are not limited by the center of the part.

What are the different types of spatial query methods in Roblox?

The three main types of spatial query methods are: 1) 'GetPartBoundsInBox' for rectangular hitboxes, 2) 'GetPartBoundsInRadius' for circular hitboxes, and 3) 'GetPartBoundsInPart' for more detailed and accurate geometry collision detection.

Which spatial query method is the most accurate for hitbox detection?

'GetPartBoundsInPart' is the most accurate method for hitbox detection as it performs a full geometry collision check, rather than just checking against bounding boxes like the other methods.

What is the main advantage of using 'GetPartBoundsInBox' for hitboxes?

'GetPartBoundsInBox' is a good balance between accuracy and performance. It provides accurate detection while maintaining a relatively low performance cost compared to the more detailed 'GetPartBoundsInPart' method.

What is the purpose of the custom hitbox data type in the script?

The custom hitbox data type is used to store information about the hitbox, including its position, size, and overlap parameters. This allows for easy manipulation and consistency when spawning hitboxes in the game.

Why is it important to filter out non-character parts in the hitbox detection process?

Filtering out non-character parts ensures that only relevant objects, such as characters, are considered during hit detection. This prevents the detection of irrelevant objects and avoids errors in gameplay, such as hitting random parts.

How does the script handle duplicate hits for the same character?

The script prevents duplicate hits by checking if a character has already been added to the list of detected enemies. If a part belongs to the same character as a previously detected part, it is not added again, ensuring each character is only hit once.

What is the purpose of the 'visualization' function in the script?

The 'visualization' function is used to display the hitbox in the game, making it easier for developers to debug and visually confirm the accuracy of their hitbox detection.