Buildings sink like ships, possible?

You can't make RA2 buildings have a good quality collapsing effect with just few lines of code. They're images, not models. Nobody will even bother coding such effect into the game, because it's impossible.

If you really want a collapsing effect, you have to either create a new death animation for the structure, or edit the structure's graphics in such way that it will look as if it "sinks". There is no other way.

If you don't want to touch building animations, i suggest to just leave everything as it is.

mevitar gave the correct answer already.

On the technical side, buildings aren't units, so they don't have a Locomotor (the thing that defines movement). The Locomotor is what handles sinking, like the tilting angle and speed, thus buildings have no way to do that.

Also, buildings aren't voxels and thus only have a single facing. The only thing that could be done is moving it into the ground, cutting off the lower part, and maybe rotation. That would be kinda South Park style.

I am aware of the difference between a voxel and a sprite. I've made voxels and sprites and put them in game. It's a very time consuming process. I was looking for a general shake and bake fix. I've been modding C&C from the first game. I tried to show you some appreciation for Ares since I enjoy the new things I've been able to add to my mod because of Ares.

@AlexB : I understand what you said about locomotors. So a locomotor is the only way? With all the sorting of sprites that the game engine does, I thought for sure that it would have a method to move a sprite up and down through the game field. I just wasn't sure how it could be accessed. I just wasn't sure if it was possible. I wish you had responded first.
Thanks for your response.

@mevitar: I tried not to read into your wording, but you certainly seemed to be ranting at me which I didn't appreciate. Impossible? Really? I've done all kinds of stuff with RA2YR and Ares has made it even more versatile. I didn't know how much more Ares can/could do in future updates. Too much work for the result to be worth it, maybe. Nobody will bother?
I WOULD IF I COULD CODE IT!

@AlexB
BTW, the southpark style would be just fine for me. Read what I said about applying an additional deathweapon->warhead animation to it. I'd conceal the base where it falls into the map with a debris cloud animation. Kinda cheesy but it works for me.

You can already do a sinking effect with using an SHP deathanim made from the damagedidle frame(s) and placing the result into the DestroyAnims tag. The Buildup Creator of YR_Modder's available at http://ppmforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=31509 can even fasten up the process.

You don't need additional code for that.

Also dismissing a credible tester response because apparently it meant you have to work for it will serve you no good in the long run.

Thanks a lot for the information. It was actually what I was looking for and what I expected from the team behind Ares. I mean that. I do appreciate it. :)

However... because there has been so much misunderstanding of a simple issue...
Graion your response about the "credible tester" was not only unwarranted but inaccurate. I have to resent you saying I don't want to work for anything. That was a shallow assumption and your implication that I am lazy just because I'm looking for some convenience in modding a game is foolish. What is the point of the Ares project anyway? To make things possible and easier than before, right?

I simply don't have the artistic ability or time to make 200 or so destruction animations for all the different buildings and just because I don't code and asked a question here doesn't make me a fool. Lucky for you, :) I have some time here, Thanksgiving weekend to waste on a response to your comment.

I was really disappointed with mevitar's response. I didn't dismiss what he said I just didn't agree with how he said it, which is my right, and I honestly, rightfully, and gently criticized him for it. I won't apologize for that. HE had "dismissed" my question and my idea without even reading my post which defeats the point of me asking the question in the first place. I also knew what I was talking about and he did not. I expected a more knowledgeable response like the one you and AlexB gave me. After all, the documentation for Ares is fantastic top-notch in my view. The whole Ares project is really awesome and well thought out.

I'm kinda new here and I was feeling you all out with my question here... so far the result hasn't been very positive.

You can breathe easy, I probably won't be asking anymore questions here. If I hurt anyone's feelings they need to grow-up, because you can't expect anyone to be as nice as I've been about it.

Thanks again, and don't forget all the good things I've said about Ares, because I meant them.

You wrote that i ranted, yet you're the one that wrote a paragraph on how you didn't like my response. And all of a sudden, you're being all defensive, saying that you're not sorry and it's your right to criticize me, before i even managed to get a response (tbh, i didn't even plan to, but maybe i should after all :P ).

I didn't feel offended in any way. I don't care if you're sorry for what you wrote or not. And i definitely don't see anyone here trying to attack you, or take away your rights to anything. Where did that even come from? Why all of that?

Just that you know: it's very inconsiderate to think that Ares devs will take time to code in a complicated feature just for one person (and no, there's no simple way of adding it, as Alex explained in detail). They get many people asking for stuff. Sure, you didn't need to know that. But you need to know that most of those people don't take it as an offense when they are told "it won't happen" or "it's doable already if you do this and that" either.
Or maybe everybody does, but i just don't notice? Am i to believe that?

Anyway, nobody is telling you to leave. You're free to stay, post questions, report bugs and request new features. If you think otherwise, you're trying to read too much into something that is not there in the first place. But that's your decision.

@mevitar

I wasn't being defensive, because I didn't believe I was in the wrong. Still don't. I was clarifying misunderstanding and pointing out incorrect assumptions.

I wasn't waiting for your response either. I was responding to the others, not you.

Attack? Exaggeration. First, I was asserting my right, not defending it. Graion said I was being dismissive of you. Which wasn't even the point. That's where it came from. I wasn't dismissing you nor am I unwilling to work for anything. I was being negatively characterized as a lazy forum begger by Graion and I knew it. I lurk in many forums. I've seen it. I knew what he was suggesting. First time, I've ever had somebody say it about me. I pointed out that it didn't apply to me because it doesn't. I don't have anything to prove, but at the same time, his characterization would have stood if I didn't challenge it. I know how that works.

I haven't asked Ares devs to code anything here. Stop saying I am. You still haven't read the original post. I ONLY asked if it was possible in any way as is with or without ares or attached to any upcoming feature. I said I'd code it if I could because I was only responding to what you said in your response. People just don't read.

People do react negatively when they've taken the time to ask a carefully worded question and get an uninformed condescending response by someone that only read the subject line of the thread and not the post itself.

Just that you know: saying that is very condescending.

If I do post further you can assume that I will be even more succinct and with shorter posts. I will avoid asking any more questions. I can probably count on anything I say being ignored like it has been from the beginning.

I've said all I'm going to because people aren't reading it anyway. Whatever. You win.