Need help creating a ?Flare Unit? Effect

[MosheLevi]

Hi pftq,

I have tried to create the "Flare Unit" Effect with your help the other day but the effect didn?t work.

I may need more assistance with that.

Here is what I have so far:

<Effect name="Flare Unit">
         <Param name="PlayerID" dispName="Player" varType="player">1</Param>
         <Param name="Duration" dispName="Duration" varType="float">1.0</Param>
         <Param name="Srcunit" dispName="Center Unit" VarType="unit">default</Param>
         <Param name="Flash" dispName="Flash" varType="bool">true</Param>
         <Command>trMinimapFlare(%PlayerID%, %Duration%, vector(xsVectorGetX(kbUnitGetPosition(%Srcunit%)), xsVectorGetY(kbUnitGetPosition(%Srcunit%)), xsVectorGetZ(kbUnitGetPosition(%Srcunit%))), %Flash%);
          </Command>
</Effect>

Please let me know what you think I should try next.

[pftq]

Did it crash all triggers or just this one effect?

[MosheLevi]

No crash, all other triggers still work fine.
Just this trigger doesn't work (maybe because it is the last effect on the file).

Random22 sent me this effect last night, and I will check it later on today.
What do you think?

<Effect name="Flare Minimap on Unit">
   <Param name="PlayerID" dispName="$$22301$$Player" varType="long">0</Param>
   <Param name="Duration" dispName="$$20510$$Duration" varType="float">1.0</Param>
   <Param name="SrcObject" dispName="$$19160$$Unit" varType="unit">default</Param>
   <Param name="Flash" dispName="$$22492$$Flash" varType="bool">true</Param>
   <Command loop="" loopParm="SrcObject">trMinimapFlare(%PlayerID%, %Duration%, kbGetBlockPosition("%SrcObject%"), %Flash%);</Command>
   </Effect>

[pftq]

You want to use kbUnitGetPosition;  the Block position uses a different ID than the triggers require.  The confusion is what originally caused the Advanced Triggers Set to force designers not to delete units (deleting units cause the block ID to differ from the Unit ID).

kbUnitGetPosition(1*%SrcObject%)

It might work as well.  The thing is that it has to be a vector object you are using.


What I meant by other triggers not working is whether having this effect "froze" all triggers on your map.  Whether it's the last effect on file has nothing to do with the problem.

[MosheLevi]

The first effect I used didn't cause any problem.

The effect that Random22 sent me works great.

Do you think there is still a problem with it?

[pftq]

What is the effect now - you haven't shown me.

[MosheLevi]

Still the same:

<Effect name="Flare Minimap on Unit">
   <Param name="PlayerID" dispName="$$22301$$Player" varType="long">0</Param>
   <Param name="Duration" dispName="$$20510$$Duration" varType="float">1.0</Param>
   <Param name="SrcObject" dispName="$$19160$$Unit" varType="unit">default</Param>
   <Param name="Flash" dispName="$$22492$$Flash" varType="bool">true</Param>
   <Command loop="" loopParm="SrcObject">trMinimapFlare(%PlayerID%, %Duration%, kbGetBlockPosition("%SrcObject%"), %Flash%);</Command>
   </Effect>

By the way, are you going to participate in the AOE3 Custom Scenarios Contest?
Check it out at Scenario Design Forum at Heaven Games.

[pftq]

Yes - I replied to that above... please check.  I strongly recommend against the use of BlockPosition.

[Random22]

pftq,
      I have just signed up for your forums, But maybe you can help me a bit. I am working on this for Moshe, It doesn't work but maybe you can see somehing wrong.

     <Effect name="Flare Minimap on Unit Type">
    <Param name="PlayerID" dispName="Player" varType="long">0</Param>
    <Param name="Duration" dispName="Duration" varType="float">1.0</Param>
    <Param name="Units" dispName="Unit Type" varType="unit">default</Param>
    <Param name="Flash" dispName="Flash" varType="bool">true</Param>
    <Command loop="" loopParm="SrcObject">trMinimapFlare(%PlayerID%, %Duration%, kbUnitGetPosition(1*%Units%), %Flash%);</Command>
   </Effect>

[pftq]

Hi, I appologize if my advice is not entirely foolproof - just a warning here as my memory is a bit foggy.

But just so we're on the same track, below is my logic.  I remember there were two distinct types of area:

Vector - Generally use the vector(float x, float y, float z).
ex. the original flare effect:
trMinimapFlare(%PlayerID%, %Duration%, vector(%Position%), %Flash%)
 - where %Position% is by default (0,0,0)

Quantity - Not sure how to name these, but pretty much (x,y,z) without combining them into a vector.
ex. Move from Area
trUnitMoveFromArea(%DstPoint%, -1, %AttackMove%, %PlayerID%, "%UnitType%", %Radius%)
 - where %DstPoint% is default (0,0,0)*
** (0,0,0) alone is not a vector; functions such as xsVectorGetX(vector xyz) will not accept it unless it is put into the vector() function first.


Seeing as the flare effect requires the location as a vector, as is kbUnitGetPosition/BlockPosition, it should work.
However, I would also try vector(kbGet...).

One thing though - why do you have:

loop="" loopParm="SrcObject"

*nvm - forgot about the center unit But you would need to change the variable name accordingly.


Also, what actually happens with the code? Does that one effect not work or does it cause all conditions/effects in the same trigger to freeze up as well?

[Random22]

Alright, I asked the guys on aom.heavengame.com's forums and this is what they gave me.

     <Effect name="Flare Minimap on Unit Type">
    <Param name="PlayerID" dispName="Player" varType="player">1</Param>
    <Param name="Duration" dispName="Duration" varType="float">1.0</Param>
    <Param name="Units" dispName="Unit Type" varType="unittype">default</Param>
    <Param name="Flash" dispName="Flash" varType="bool">true</Param>
    <Command loop="" loopParm="Units">trMinimapFlare(%PlayerID%, %Duration%, kbGetBlockPosition("%Units%"), %Flash%);</Command>
   </Effect>

I think this will help.

[pftq]

Hm - I'm pretty sure it should be:

varType="unit"

instead of unittype but you can give it a shot.

You also want to keep the ""+1*%Units% - it clears the id to an integer value as a float id such as 1.0 often messes up the function.

Again, what actually happens with the trigger?

[Random22]

I really don't see what you're saying, Can't you type it out for me please?

[pftq]

<Effect name="Flare Minimap on Unit Type">
    <Param name="PlayerID" dispName="Player" varType="player">1</Param>
    <Param name="Duration" dispName="Duration" varType="float">1.0</Param>
    <Param name="Units" dispName="Unit Type" varType="unit">default</Param>
    <Param name="Flash" dispName="Flash" varType="bool">true</Param>
    <Command loop="" loopParm="Units">trMinimapFlare(%PlayerID%, %Duration%, kbGetBlockPosition(""+1*%Units%), %Flash%);</Command>
   </Effect>

[Random22]

Why varType="units"? Does it like get the units ID and Flare on its ID?