How to move a dynamic light thing?

[Chl]

So I want to create an effect where a dynamic lights colour and intensity can be smoothly increased/decreased with a script. After searching the forum this can apparently be done with Thing_SetSpecial. The problem is that I want the light on a player so I tried to have a light on the map follow the player with a script.

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SetActorPosition(1001, GetActorX(1000), GetActorY(1000), GetActorZ(1000)+16.0, 0);
Thing_Move(1001, 1000, 1);

Now, neither of those two work. They move things, as long as it's NOT a dynamic light. Why doesn't that work?

[Graf Zahl]

You need to post a little more info about how you set this up.

[Chl]

Well, I don't think there is anything wrong with how I set it up because it works for regular things, unless there is something specific I must do for lights.

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script "Setup" enter
{
    Thing_ChangeTID(0, 1000);
     ....


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script "Lightinside" OPEN
 {
    while (1) {
       //SetActorPosition(1001, GetActorX(1000), GetActorY(1000), GetActorZ(1000)+16.0, 0);
       Thing_Move(1001, 1000, 1);
       Delay(1);
       
    }
}

On the map I have a Type 9800 thing with tag 1001.

[Graf Zahl]

I still cannot test your code fragments.

[Chl]

I think I found the problem. I made a new map with the same script and it worked, just to suddenly stop working. Turns out the light wont move if its intensity radius hits a wall, and in my map its very narrow. How can I get around this?

[Graf Zahl]

The most versatile function for moving an actor is Warp.

That one allows to set a flag so that the position is not checked. Dynamic lights set their radius to the dimensions of the light so that it can be used to detect affected surfaces, so the regular move functions all won't really work.

[Chl]

Ok, thanks. I actually looked at warp first, but couldn't figure out how to make the light the calling actor...

[Scotty]

This should help you out.

http://zdoom.org/wiki/SetActivator

[Graf Zahl]

Nevertheless, who designed such a versatile function and forgot something as essential as a parameter to set what actor is supposed to be moved...

[Chl]

This should help you out.

http://zdoom.org/wiki/SetActivator

Cool, thanks.

Nevertheless, who designed such a versatile function and forgot something as essential as a parameter to set what actor is supposed to be moved...

I thought that was strange too, but since I don't know programming I thought it was for a good reason.

[Chl]

Argh, now there's a new problem. The light won't follow or light any sector except the one it spawned in.

[Graf Zahl]

I'm afraid, for that you'll have to wait for the next GZDoom devbuild. Turns out that the light list was not updated when a light got moved around.

[Chl]

I'm afraid, for that you'll have to wait for the next GZDoom devbuild. Turns out that the light list was not updated when a light got moved around.

That's ok, this mod won't be done in a long while yet. Just that you're fixing stuff like this is great.

[Chl]

With the newest GZD this method works perfectly. It's so much easier to change light properties than fiddling around in GLDEFS.

The question is though, how tough on the resources is this method?

[Graf Zahl]

As bad as moving any other actor around - meaning not much.