Most asked questions

Q: I'd really like to know the best method of setting up my gun so that the bullet has a smoke trail but not the standard square blocky pixels.

A: You need to change function particle_fade() in particle.wdl; use a bitmap inside it and change its alpha parameter depending on particles' age.

Q: I have a snipe action in the main wdl of my game and i was wondering how to go about making it so you could only snipe if you have a gun number 5 or higher.

A: I am assuming that your sniper code is triggered by starting the function sniper_on (it can be an action, no problem). Open weapons.wdl and look for function gun_select(); change the code this way:

if(weapon_number == 1)
{
  ME = weapon1;
// put a line that will stop the sniper_on() function here
}
if(weapon_number == 2)
{
  ME = weapon2;
// put a line that will stop the sniper_on() function here
}
if(weapon_number == 3)
{
  ME = weapon3;
// put a line that will stop the sniper_on() function here
}
if(weapon_number == 4)
{
  ME = weapon4;
// put a line that will stop the sniper_on() function here
}
if(weapon_number == 5)
{
  ME = weapon5;
  sniper_on();
}
if(weapon_number == 6)
{
  ME = weapon6;
  sniper_on();
}
if(weapon_number == 7)
{
  ME = weapon7;
  sniper_on();
}

Q: When I press the right mouse button I move forward. How can I get rid of this?

A: Open input.wdl and comment this line as indicated:

//  force.X += strength.X*MOUSE_RIGHT*mouseview;

Q: I want to add infrared vision to my game. How can I do this?

A: Create a function that sets camera.ambient = 100 and add a green panel over the screen (i wouldn't choose this method) or add green fog; play with camera.fog = 1...100.

Q: Please help me animate an entity this way: when I press "J" the player would jump and play the jumping animation frames.

A: Here's an example:

action player_moves
{
   while (1)
   {
       if (key_j == 1)
       {
           my.skill10 = 0;
           while (my.skill10 < 100)
           {
               ent_cycle("jump", my.skill10); // make sure that you name your jump frames "jump"
               my.skill10 += 5 * time; // play with this value
               wait (1);
           }
           while (key_j == 1) {wait (1);}
       }
       if (key_c == 1) // crouch
       {
           ....................
       }
       ........................
       wait (1);
   }
}

Q: When I do a level change, the player does not bring his gun with him. How do i solve this?

A: Here's an example from one of my projects:

function level_restore ()
{
   while (player == null) {wait (1);}
   if (weapon_1 == 1) {ent_create(weapon1_mdl, nullvector, gun1);}
   if (weapon_2 == 1) {ent_create(weapon1_mdl, nullvector, gun2);}
   if (weapon_3 == 1) {ent_create(weapon1_mdl, nullvector, gun3);}
   if (weapon_4 == 1) {ent_create(weapon1_mdl, nullvector, gun4);}
   if (weapon_5 == 1) {ent_create(weapon1_mdl, nullvector, gun5);}
   if (weapon_6 == 1) {ent_create(weapon1_mdl, nullvector, gun6);}
   if (weapon_7 == 1) {ent_create(weapon1_mdl, nullvector, gun7);}
   gun_loaded = 1;
   gun_select();
}

Q: Is it possible to have a enemy model blow up different then me? For example i blow up with flames and the enemy blows up with smoke.

A: You can write a function that looks like _gib and then modify this piece of code in war.wdl:

if((ME != player) && ((MY._HITMODE & MODE_HIT) == HIT_GIB))//(MY._HITMODE & HIT_GIB))
{
    _gib(25);               // use your _gib2() function here
    actor_explode();
    return;
}

Q: How can i create a traffic light that has green, yellow and red lights?

A: Here's an example from one of my projects:

entity* red;
entity* orange;
entity* green;

action red1 // attached to red wmb entity
{
   red = me;
   my.lightrange = 0;
}

action orange1 // attached to yellow / orange wmb entity
{
   orange = me;
   my.lightrange = 0;
   my.lightred = 255;
   my.lightred = 155;
}

action green1 // attached to green wmb entity
{
   green = me;
   my.lightrange = 0;
   my.lightgreen = 255;
}

action init_semaphore // an invisible entity placed anywhere in the level
{
   my.invisible = on;
   my.passable = on;
   while (red == null || orange == null || green == null) {wait (1);}
   while (1)
   {
      red.light = on;
      red.lightred = 255;
      red.ambient = 100;

      orange.ambient = 0;
      orange.light = off;
      orange.lightred = 0;

      green.ambient = 0;
      green.light = off;
      green.lightgreen = 0;

      waitt (80);

      red.ambient = 0;
      red.light = off;
      red.lightred = 0;

      orange.light = on;
      orange.ambient = 100;
      orange.lightred = 255;
      orange.lightred = 155;

      green.ambient = 0;
      green.light = off;
      green.lightgreen = 0;

      waitt (50);

      red.ambient = 0;
      red.light = off;
      red.lightred = 0;

      orange.ambient = 0;
      orange.light = off;
      orange.lightred = 0;
      orange.lightred = 0;

      green.ambient = 100;
      green.light = on;
      green.lightgreen = 255;

      waitt (80);

      red.ambient = 0;
      red.light = off;
      red.lightred = 0;

      orange.light = on;
      orange.ambient = 100;
      orange.lightred = 255;
      orange.lightred = 155;

      green.ambient = 0;
      green.light = off;
      green.lightgreen = 0;

      waitt (50);
   }
}

Q: Which is a better format to save textures and panel bitmaps as - BMP or PCX? Is there any display speed difference at all?

A: PCX files are smaller; you can use PCX or BMP for your textures and panels - they'll eat the same quantity of vidfeo memory.

Q: I am pretty new at panels; what is a window? I have read the manual over and over and i still do not understand what a window is.

A: A window is a rectangular surface that is being cut from a panel and lets you see what's behind that panel. You can specify window's position and size.