"How do I ZScript?"

[Matt]

Everything's a mess so it might take longer for me to extract something workable than to figure out that what I'm trying is impossible.

EDIT: turns out the target was being reset with each A_Chase call. Putting the A_Chase before the target switch helps a bit. Is there a way to replicate all the movement/dropoff/etc. checks and move towards a specific actor/point without all the extras A_Chase does?


How do I return an actor's class name?

[Ed the Bat]

GetClassName()

[Matt]

Thanks!

(Added it to the big list... on that note, is there any particular order in which these are listed?)

[Gutawer]

So in A Boy and His Barrel ( viewtopic.php?f=19&t=53399 ), I recently implemented a carrying mechanic which Jimmy noticed has the annoying side effect of Violet not triggering any "Actor Hits Floor" things when moved into a sector as it is done with a warp - is there a way to force an actor to trigger these actions regardless of how they moved into the sector (moved "naturally", teleported in, warped in, etc.) as long as their Z pos is equal to their Floor Z pos? If it comes to it I can probably do some hack with setting the Z pos slightly above the floor, but i'd rather avoid hacks when possible.

[ibm5155]

Ok I have my RayTracer and that's an acs+decorate salad code and I wanted to convert it into 100% zscript.
The thing is, in acs CheckSight can work with a source and a destination tid, while in decorate (And I belie in zscript) I can only CheckSight with the object and the player.
Do I need to change the pointers every time before I call the a_CheckSight function?
Also, is there a way to make an extern like var in c where you can have access to a global var from acs?

Here's the acs script that I'm converting to zscript

Code: Select all

script 4 (int tid) //check if visible by the tid
{
	switch(tid)
	{
		case 45:
		case 5:
			if(checksight(0,102,0)==true)
			{
				SetResultValue(true);
			}
			else
			{
				SetResultValue(checksight(0,103,0));								
			}
		break;

		case 48:
		case 44:
		case 2:
			SetResultValue(checksight(0,101,0));				
		break;


		case 1:
			SetResultValue(checksight(0,100,0));				
		break;
		
		case 68:
			SetResultValue(checksight(0,67,0));						
		break;

	}
}
script 5 (int tid) // check if player is under a specific room 
{
	switch(tid)
	{
		case 5:
		case 45:
			SetResultValue(camera_sector == 2);			
		break;

		case 48:
		case 44:
		case 2:
			SetResultValue(camera_sector == 1);			
		break;

		case 1:
		SetResultValue(true);
		break;
		
		case 68:
			SetResultValue(camera_sector == 3);
		break;
		
	}
}

and the decorate

Code: Select all

Actor RayCast 32766
{
	//$Category RayCast_Fixed
	-SOLID
	+NOGRAVITY
	+NOCLIP
	+INVISIBLE
	+NOINTERACTION 
	height 4.0
	Scale 0.5
	var int user_RayState;//true = is lighting, false is shadowing
	States
	{
	Spawn:	
		C000 A 1 
		C000 A 0 A_SetUserVar("user_RayState",1)
		C000 A 1 A_RearrangePointers(AAPTR_NULL, AAPTR_PLAYER1, AAPTR_DEFAULT)
		goto "FindRay"
		
	"NoShadow":
		C000 A 1 // LIGHT
	Goto "FindRay"

	"Shadow":
		C001 A 1  // SHADOW
	goto "FindRay"

	"StartShadow":
		C001 D 1
		C001 C 1 A_SetUserVar("user_RayState",0)
		C001 B 1
	Goto "Shadow"

	"EndShadow":
		C001 B 1
		C001 C 1  A_SetUserVar("user_RayState",1)
		C001 D 1
	Goto "NoShadow"
	
	"SleepRay":
		C000 A 50 // I better replace this one with some thing_deactivate
		goto "NoShadow"
	"FindRay":
//PART 1: OPTIMIZE THE CODE, GET A SOLUTION TO KNOW IF THE RAY SHOULD BE CHECKED OR NOT
//THE RAY COULD BE CHECKED IF THE RAY IS OVER THE PLAYER's VIEWPOINT OR OTHER TRICKS...
//solution 7:
		TNT1 A 0 A_Jumpif(Acs_executewithresult(5,tid)==false,"SleepRay")
//=============		
//PART2: MAIN RAY CODE, CHECK IF THE RAY WAS HIT BY A LIGHT SOURCE
//check if was hit
//METHOD 2:
//	TNT1 A 0 A_jumpiftargetinlos(3,360,JLOSF_TARGETLOS | JLOSF_CHECKMASTER  ,0,0)
//	TNT1 A 0 A_jump(256,"See")
	TNT1 A 0 A_Jumpif(Acs_executewithresult(4,tid)==true,3) //check all the light sources
	TNT1 A 0 A_jumpif(user_RayState == 1,"StartShadow") // make light shade effect
	TNT1 A 0 a_jump(256,"Shadow") //else, this ray is already shadow
	TNT1 A 0 A_jumpif(user_RayState == 0,"EndShadow") // make light shade effect

	Goto "NoShadow"
	}
}

and also my first try with zscript where I try to get those two codes and mix it together

Code: Select all

struct RayEnum
{
  enum RayEnum
  {
	NoLightSource,
	WithLightSource
  };
}


class Z_RayCast : Actor 22766
{
	//$Category RayCast_Fixed
	Default
	{
	-SOLID
	+NOGRAVITY
	+NOCLIP
	+INVISIBLE
	+NOINTERACTION 
	RayEnum user_RayState = NoLightSource;
	}
	States
	{
		Spawn:	
		C000 A 1 
		C000 A 1 A_RearrangePointers(AAPTR_NULL, AAPTR_PLAYER1, AAPTR_DEFAULT);
		goto "FindRay"
		
		"NoLightSource":
		{
			C000 A 1
			Goto "FindRay"
		}
		
		"WithLightSource":
		{
			C001 A 1
			Goto "FindRay";
		}
		
		"StartShadow":
		{
			C001 D 1
			C001 C 1
			{
				user_RayState = RayEnum.NoLightSource;
			}
			C001 B 1
			Goto "NoLightSource";
		}
		"EndShadow":
		{
			C001 B 1
			C001 C 1
			{ 
				user_RayState =RayEnum.WithRaySource;
			}
			C001 D 1
			Goto "WithLightSource";
		}
		"Sleep"
		{
			C000 A 50
			goto "FindRay";
		}

		"FindRay":
		{
			TNT1 A 0
			{
				if(IsPlayerNearMySector() == false)
				{
					goto "Sleep"
				}
				else if(CheckVisibility() == RayEnum.WithRaySource)
				{
					if(user_RayState == RayEnum.NoRaySource)
					{
						goto "EndShadow";
					}
					else
					{
						goto "WithLightSource";
					}
				}
				else // RayEnum.NoRaySource
				{
					if(user_RayState == RayEnum.WithRaySource)
					{
						goto "StartShadow";
					}
					else
					{
						goto "NoLightSource";
					}
				}
			}
			Goto "NoShadow"
		}
	}
	
	bool CheckVisibility()
	{
		// is there a switch struct for zscript?
		if(tid == 5 || tid == 45)
		{
			if(A_checksight(102) == false)// where 102 is a light source tid
			{
				return A_checksight(103);
			}
			else
			{
				return true;
			}
		}
		else if(tid == 48 || tid == 44 || tid == 2)
		{
			return A_checksight(101);
		}
		else if(tid == 1)
		{
			return A_checksight(100);
		}
		else if(tid == 68)
		{ 
			return A_checksight(67);
		}		
	}
	
	extern int camera_sector; // acs global var
	
	bool IsPlayerNearMySector()
	{
		if(tid == 5 || tid == 45)
		{
			return camera_sector == 2;			
		}
		else if(tid == 48 || tid == 44 || tid == 2)
		{
			return camera_sector == 1;
		}
		else if( tid == 1)
		{
			return true;
		}
		else if( tid == 68)
		{
			return camera_sector == 3;
		}
	}
}

Why I'm not using a jump if target in los?because it's slow, think about 3000 objects calling it every tic, the checksight acs version was alot faster, but I do belive that by calling 2000x acs calls with a return will also drop the performance alot, so maybe a solution 100% made in zscript will work better.

[monkeybtm6]

This may have already been asked somewhere but i cant find it. Can you set another actors properties in zscript? Like an ACS code with SetActorProperty. Trying to increase the players spawnhealth.

[Agentbromsnor]

Try pming zombiekiller about it directly. I don't have the file anymore myself.

I'm sorry for the delayed reply, but... What? Who is zombiekiller, and what do I need to contact him for? What file? h666_isolated.pk3? Reading someone else's code can be very difficult, especially when it's in C-style, so I need a lot more to go on than that I'm afraid.

[ibm5155]

ok I'm evolving...
So, I found that in zscript has the CheckSight function just like the acs one, but instead of requesting a tid as input it request an actor.
Soooo, should I just pass the tid and it's oj or do I need to get some actor pointer from the given tid? if yes, how?

EDIT:


ALLLSO.
How do I use enums, and how to convert bool to enum?
like

Code: Select all

class Z_RayCast : Actor
{
	//$Category RayCast_Fixed
	
enum RayEnum
  {
	NoLightSource,
	WithLightSource
  };
...
	RayEnum user_RayState;
...
	States
	{
		Spawn:	
		C000 A 1; 		
		C000 A 1
		{
			camera_sector = 0;
			user_RayState = /*RayEnum.*/NoLightSource;
               }
            user_RayState = CheckSight(ptr_LightSrc,0);
...

[code][/s]
got it, well, I prefer the C# style of enums but ansi c is ok

[Matt]

The function says "bool CheckSight(Actor target, int flags = 0);"

which means that you can do something like (assuming it's the player calling all these)

//who knows what this does
CheckSight(target);

//OR - see master and grovel
if(CheckSight(master)) A_PlaySound("sub/grovel");

//OR - if a point is not visible 1 second away, start braking
actor loscheck=Spawn("Blood",pos+vel*35);
if(!CheckSight(loscheck)) vel*=0.9;
loscheck.destroy();

I don't know how to search for an actor using a TID in ZScript, but basically you can use any function that outputs an "actor" and checksight using that.

[ibm5155]

those CheckSight are going to be called by a specific actor that simulates a raytracing engine.
so lets say each dot object over a map needs to check if any kind of light source is visible or not.
I have all the light source tids, but I really don't know what could I do with that

[Matt]

I think I see what you mean. Basically we need a way to check LOS between two actors.

So far I've been using one or more of A_JumpIfTargetInLOS, A_JumpIfInTargetLOS and A_CheckLOF, but all of those have some limitations and screwiness and I'd really like to see some way to check if there's anything blocking a line between two arbitrary points and if so what it is.

Yes, I would like an answer for this too.


(Also, since I'm posting questions anyway: what's the best way (i.e., least processing required) to get all monsters in an area to
1. store its target in an internal variable;
2. target the activator; and
3. change a flag?
The area can be a sphere or a cube, I don't really care.)

[Xaser]

I think I see what you mean. Basically we need a way to check LOS between two actors.

From the way this is phrased, it seems like you've already answered your own question a post ago: CheckSight is the function you want. The following function will indeed cause the actor to grovel if its target is within line-of-sight:

Code: Select all

if(self.CheckSight(self.target)) {
    self.A_PlaySound("sub/grovel");
}

(I've added the self. pointers to be explicit; technically they're not needed but it's a good habit to get into).

Dunno if you're meaning to ask a different/more-specific question; if so, that's a different story.

Regarding TIDs, unless you're messing with map stuff, it's best to try and stop thinking in terms of TIDs; you can now pass pointers to actors around, and it's likely your specific problem can be solved more elegantly that way instead. For helpfulness' sake though, if you can't avoid a TID (e.g. stepping stone while porting old ACS-based logic or doing map things, as mentioned), you'll need to use an ActorIterator to loop through everything with a given TID (it's a looping action since you can have more than one thing with the same TID, so you gotta be explicit about it).

(Also, since I'm posting questions anyway: what's the best way (i.e., least processing required) to get all monsters in an area to
1. store its target in an internal variable;
2. target the activator; and
3. change a flag?
The area can be a sphere or a cube, I don't really care.)

You'll want a BlockThingsIterator -- this loops through all actors within a given radius (excluding any actors with +NOBLOCKMAP). You'll need to do additional checks to see if it's a monster (and if it's alive, etc.), but fortunately, I happened to write almost exactly this code a couple of days ago, so here's a handy example. Replace the ArgNeuralStunner spawn bit with the logic described and you'll be good to go.

Hope this puts you on the right track.

[ibm5155]

I belive you gave me a light xase
...

Now, I have a question about this:

Code: Select all

		"Sleep":
			C000 A 50 a_log("B");
			goto FindRay;

		"FindRay":
			TNT1 A 0
			{
				if(IsPlayerNearMySector() == false)
				{
					A_Log("A");
					a_jump(256,"Sleep");
					A_Log("C");
				}
                         }
...

I see "A" and after "C" but not "A" "B", what's going on? a_Jump is not supported in zscript? (before there was a goto there but it looks like zscript doesnt like goto inside ifs.
So what should I use to replace the a_jump/goto inside the code?

[Graf Zahl]

Why are your labels quoted? That doesn't work and will make the quotes part of the label.

[ibm5155]

Oh I don't need to do like the decoate label style...
I also found this, but with the return before the a_jump, I get this error message:
"
Script error, "Ray.pk3:actors/z_ray/raycaststatic.txt" line 69:
Return type mismatch

Execution could not continue.

1 errors while parsing DECORATE scripts
"
since I'm noob at this language, I'm kinda lost

EDIT: return from what I saw, the return should be in the last line inside the anonymous function (It's "sad" because I waited for some c style (or even acs) where you can return on the mid of the code)