Mod Question Repository... Questions come in, answers go out

[CarRepairer]

1. Unit can drive up vertical cliffs, no matter what MaxSlope is set to, even 0 (no movement defs have been done yet - could this be why?)

Yes

2. Unit won't turn head in direction it's supposed to be firing

Do you have turret=true in your weapondef? Paste that here as well so we can see.

[FLOZi]

You can hit me up on the lobby (i'll be in #s44) or on MSN for help.

Sleep's are in milliseconds, as in bos/cob, not frames.

[wilbefast]

1. Unit can drive up vertical cliffs, no matter what MaxSlope is set to, even 0 (no movement defs have been done yet - could this be why?)

Yes

2. Unit won't turn head in direction it's supposed to be firing

Do you have turret=true in your weapondef? Paste that here as well so we can see.

Sweet! The turret turns now, just won't fire all of a sudden

Here's the unit definition:

http://pastebin.com/m10557ead

You can hit me up on the lobby (i'll be in #s44) or on MSN for help.

Sleep's are in milliseconds, as in bos/cob, not frames.

Cool, I'll head on over

edit: I think I missed the boat as far as FLOZi is concerned
I've made a move definition - the tank now goes up and down ramps correctly

[FLOZi]

You caught me in the middle of Virgin1's daily Trek marathon

My MSN in on my profile if you use it.

[wilbefast]

Want to thank FLOZi for all the help

I've got a whole bunch of things working, like building, repairing reclaiming, rotating turrets to fire and so on. The only things that remain a problem are:
- Nano spray comes from base of model despite NanoPiece being set to "flare" in the same way as the WeaponQuery.
- The StopBuilding() script seems to be being called every time anything is called (Stop, start, attack, etc) which is annoying because I can't reset the turret if I don't know when the building is finished...

Before I turn in, here's the pastebin script:

http://pastebin.com/m40f23596

And here's the mod files:

http://willhostforfood.com/?Action=down ... leid=93229

Again, thanks for all the help so far


William

[Pressure Line]

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function script.QueryNanopiece1 (heading, pitch) return flare end

should possibly read:

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function script.QueryNanopiece (heading, pitch) return flare end

as for the other problem... :/ i dunno

[wilbefast]

Code: Select all

function script.QueryNanopiece1 (heading, pitch) return flare end

should possibly read:

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function script.QueryNanopiece (heading, pitch) return flare end

as for the other problem... :/ i dunno

I tried changing it - no difference though

And the StopBuilding script still seems to be being called every 2 seconds :S
Still - I'm moving on to the "actual" units: hopefully these bugs are just Spring objecting to how fugly that tank is...

[CarRepairer]

Code: Select all

function script.QueryNanopiece1 (heading, pitch) return flare end

should possibly read:

Code: Select all

function script.QueryNanopiece (heading, pitch) return flare end

as for the other problem... :/ i dunno

I tried changing it - no difference though

And the StopBuilding script still seems to be being called every 2 seconds :S
Still - I'm moving on to the "actual" units: hopefully these bugs are just Spring objecting to how fugly that tank is...

Wiki was incorrect until yesterday when I pointed it out to maackey. It's QueryNanoPiece (capital P).

[wilbefast]

Wiki was incorrect until yesterday when I pointed it out to maackey. It's QueryNanoPiece (capital P).

Awesome! It works Thanks Car!

Now I just have to fix up the function script.StopBuilding() part... wonder if there's something that needs to be capitalised or un-capitalised...

[CarRepairer]

Wiki was incorrect until yesterday when I pointed it out to maackey. It's QueryNanoPiece (capital P).

Awesome! It works Thanks Car!

Now I just have to fix up the function script.StopBuilding() part... wonder if there's something that needs to be capitalised or un-capitalised...

Yes, the letter o, the second i (not the first i) but change to lowercase s, resulting in stOpBuildIng. Someone needs to fix the wiki

[wilbefast]

the letter o, the second i (not the first i) but change to lowercase s, resulting in stOpBuildIng. Someone needs to fix the wiki

[PTSnoop]

I have a unit with a turret=false weapon. The unit will fire if the target is directly in front, but won't turn to face anything; if told to attack something to its side, it'll just sit there. Is there some unit scripting thing to tell the unit to turn to face targets? (Lua animation examples preferred.)

At the moment, I've got the weapon set up with turret=true and the whole model rotating as a turret. But it needs a couple of kludgy hacks to make both cannons fire, and I'm pretty sure there'll be a better way of doing this...

[FLOZi]

I have a unit with a turret=false weapon. The unit will fire if the target is directly in front, but won't turn to face anything; if told to attack something to its side, it'll just sit there. Is there some unit scripting thing to tell the unit to turn to face targets? (Lua animation examples preferred.)

At the moment, I've got the weapon set up with turret=true and the whole model rotating as a turret. But it needs a couple of kludgy hacks to make both cannons fire, and I'm pretty sure there'll be a better way of doing this...

Is the weapon the primary weapon?
Does it have onlytargetcategory or nochasecategory tags?
is the unit on hold position?

There are lots of things that can mess with that behaviour. (Which is much improved in the next proper engine release)

[PTSnoop]

Yes, it's the primary weapon. There's no onlyTargetCategory; there is a noChaseCategory, but commenting it out doesn't solve the problem. And no, the unit isn't on Hold Position.

Here's the unit files, if they help.

Unitdefs:

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local unitName = "gcflycannon"
local unitDef = 
{
-- Internal settings
	BuildPic = "gcflycannon.bmp",
	Category = "GC UNIT NOTAIR ALL",
	Name = "GC Mosquito",
	ObjectName = "gcflycannon.s3o",
	Side = "GC",
	TEDClass = "TANK",
	UnitName = "gcflycannon",
	script = "gcflycannon.lua",
	
-- Unit limitations and properties
	ActivateWhenBuilt = 1,
	BuildTime = 2500,
	Description = "Medium Attack Unit",
	MaxDamage = 200,
	RadarDistance = 0,
	SightDistance = 300,
	SoundCategory = "GC_FLY",
	Upright = 1,
	
-- Energy and metal related
	BuildCostEnergy = 250,
	BuildCostMetal = 250,
	
-- Pathfinding and related
	Acceleration = 0.2,
	BrakeRate = 0.05,
	movementclass = "Hover2x2",
	canhover = 1,
	FootprintX = 2,
	FootprintZ = 2,
	MaxSlope = 50,
	MaxVelocity = 5.0,
	MaxWaterDepth = 12,
	TurnRate = 1000,
	turret = false,
	
-- Abilities
	Builder = 0,
	Reclaimable = 0,
	CanAttack = 1,
	CanGuard = 1,
	CanMove = 1,
	CanPatrol = 1,
	LeaveTracks = 0,
	
-- Abilities new to Spring
	
-- Weapons and related
	weapons = 
		{
				--"aim",
				"gcredpulse",
				"gcredpulse",
		},
	ExplodeAs = "GCFLYDEATH",
	SelfDestructAs = "GCFLYDEATH",
	SelfDestructCountdown = 5,
	NoChaseCategory = "VTOL",
	sfxtypes = 
	{
		explosiongenerators = 
		{
		      "custom:GCREDPULSE_FLARE",
		},
	},
}

unitDef.weaponDefs = weaponDefs

return lowerkeys({ [unitName] = unitDef })

Weapondef:

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local weaponDef = 
{
	gcredpulse = 
	{
      name                    = [[gcredpulse]],
      accuracy                = 10,
      alphaDecay              = 0.7,
      areaOfEffect            = 275,
      burnblow                = true,
      craterBoost             = 0,
      craterMult              = 0,
      cylindertargetting      = 0,
      edgeEffectiveness       = 0.4,
      explosionGenerator      = [[custom:GCREDPULSE_FX]],
      firestarter             = 70,
      impulseBoost            = 0,
      impulseFactor           = 0,
      intensity               = 0.7,
      interceptedByShieldType = 1,
      lineOfSight             = true,
      noSelfDamage            = true,
      range                   = 200,
      reloadtime              = 1,
      renderType              = 4,
      rgbColor                = [[1 0.4 0.4]],
      size		      = 3.5,
      separation              = 1.5,
      stages                  = 10,
      targetMoveError         = 0.001,
      texture1                = "fireball",
      turret                  = false,
      weaponType              = [[Cannon]],
      weaponVelocity          = 300,
		damage =
			{
			default = 175,
			SCOUTARMOUR = 5,
			VTOLARMOUR = 7,
			},
	}
}

return weaponDef

Unit animation, with kludgy turret=true hacks commented out:

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include "smokeunit.lua"

local body = piece "body"
local bodyfalse = piece "bodyfalse"
local rgun = piece "rgun"
local rflare = piece "rflare"
local lgun = piece "lgun"
local lflare = piece "lflare"

local smokePieces = { piece "body" }

local SIG_AIM1 = 1
local SIG_AIM2 = 2
local RESTORE_DELAY = Spring.UnitScript.GetLongestReloadTime(unitID) * 0.5

local function RestoreAfterDelay()
	Sleep(RESTORE_DELAY)
	Turn(body, y_axis, 0, math.rad(190))
end

local function RestoreAfterFalse()
	Sleep(RESTORE_DELAY)
	Turn(bodyfalse, y_axis, 0, math.rad(190))
end

function script.Create()
	StartThread(SmokeUnit, smokePieces)
end

function script.AimWeapon1(heading, pitch)
	Signal(SIG_AIM1)
	SetSignalMask(SIG_AIM1)
--	Turn(body, y_axis, heading, math.rad(90))
--	WaitForTurn(body, y_axis)
--	EmitSfx(1024, lflare)
--	StartThread(RestoreAfterDelay)
	return true
end

function script.AimWeapon2(heading, pitch)
	Signal(SIG_AIM2)
	SetSignalMask(SIG_AIM2)
--	Turn(bodyfalse, y_axis, heading, math.rad(90))
--	WaitForTurn(bodyfalse, y_axis)
--	EmitSfx(1024, rflare)
--	StartThread(RestoreAfterFalse)
	return true
end

function script.AimFromWeapon1() return lgun end
function script.AimFromWeapon2() return rgun end

function script.QueryWeapon1() return lflare end
function script.QueryWeapon2() return rflare end

function script.Killed(recentDamage, maxHealth)
	return 0
end

[yuritch]

Try the same with turret=true and weaponmaindir + maxangledif set. Then it might start turning (I suspect the code that makes restricted-acr units turn to target expects a turreted weapon).

[Pressure Line]

correct. turret=false weapons are for planes. iirc they pretty much do not work for anything else.

[wilbefast]

I fixed the "unit acting retarted instead of attacking" problem - one line of code:

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category = "land",

I'd assumed that I'd have to define what "land" was, but apparently it's defined by default. Indeed, it's define by default and obligatory for all unit which you want to behave sensibly. There also:

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corpse = "dead",

Not sure what either of these do to be honest (can anyone enlighten me?). As usual I figured this out by looking at maackey's code, or rather trying to get maackey's code to run in my mod. Or rather trying to get my units to run in maackey's mod. Or rather all of the above

I'm really pleased that it works now

[yuritch]

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corpse = "dead",

This defines what feature your unit turns into when it's killed (it also depends on corpsetype value from Killed() in script).

Units don't have to have this, they won't leave corpses then (like aircraft in most mods for ex.)

[wilbefast]

Ah, well in that case I want corpse = "dead"...

Hang on, so the variable "corpse" can be multiple different things aside from undefined and "dead"? What are they or where are such things defined? I'm assuming it's not just a corpse on/off switch because otherwise it'd be corpse = true and not corpse = "dead"...

What really confuses is this Build stance script being called ever 2 seconds for no apparent reason. More troubling is that Flozi has the same problem: I add an echo to his script and guess what? Yep, script.StopBuilding() is called whenever you issue ANY order to the unit. You don't notice of course because all it does in meridian is SetUnitValue(COB.INBUILDSTANCE, FALSE), but what about when you start trying to add a StartThread(RestoreAfterDelay)? Problems galore.

My solution is the following piece of code - it doesn't work unfortunately, and I'm not entirely sure why

Code: Select all

function script.StopBuilding()
	if (GetUnitValue(COB.INBUILDSTANCE)) then
		SetUnitValue(COB.INBUILDSTANCE, FALSE)
		Spring.Echo("function script.StopBuilding() was called")
		StartThread(RestoreAfterDelay)
	end
	
end

At least is that all syntactically correct? Still an amateur when it comes to lua...

[CarRepairer]

I have unit A loaded on transport B that is firingplatform. I have unit C which can target unit A but not B. It seems that C will still go for A who is on the transport, but he can't reach it for various reasons such as weapon range. How to prevent C from going for A when A is loaded into B?