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Q: I am using the flares from Aum37. I'd like to give them the ability to bounce off walls and entities - can you help?

A: Use these flares (player movement code included as well).

define burn_time skill20;

string flare_pcx = <flare.pcx>;

function change_direction() // handle collisions

{

vec_to_angle (my.pan, bounce); // change direction

}

function show_flare()

{

var flare_speed;

var dist_covered = 0;

var total_distance = 0;

var stop_me = 0;

my.flare = on;

my.bright = on;

my.ambient = 100;

my.red = 255;

my.pan = camera.pan; // use player.pan instead of camera.pan for 3rd person games

my.tilt = camera.tilt; // use player.tilt instead of camera.tilt for 3rd person games

my.enable_block = on;

my.enable_impact = on;

my.enable_entity = on;

my.event = change_direction;

my.passable = on;

while (stop_me == 0)

{

if (total_distance < 200)

{

flare_speed.x = 50 * time;

}

else

{

flare_speed.x = max (0, flare_speed.x - 0.2 * time);

}

flare_speed.y = 0;

flare_speed.z = 3 * time;

if (vec_dist (player.x, my.x) > 50)

{

my.passable = off;

}

if (bounce.z != 0)

{

flare_speed.z = -flare_speed.z * 0.9;

if (abs(flare_speed.z) < 0.1)

{

my.passable = on;

flare_speed.x = 0;

flare_speed.y = 0;

flare_speed.z = 0;

stop_me = 1;

}

flare_speed.z -= 2 * time;

my.skill10 -= 1 * time;

dist_covered = c_move (my, flare_speed.x, nullvector, ignore_passable);

if (dist_covered < 1) // got stuck?

{

break; // then get out of the loop

}

total_distance += dist_covered;

wait (1);

}

my.passable = on; // become passable

my.burn_time = 10;

while (my.burn_time > 0)

{

my.lightred = 255;

my.lightgreen = 200 + random(55);

my.lightblue = 230;

my.lightrange = 200 + random(50);

my.scale_x = 0.9 + random(1) / 10; // scale = 0.9 to 1.9

my.scale_y = my.scale_x;

my.scale_z = my.scale_x;

my.burn_time -= time / 16; // subtract "1" from burn_time every second

wait (1);

}

while (my.scale_x > 0.1)

{

my.scale_x -= 0.1 * time;

my.scale_y = my.scale_x;

my.scale_z = my.scale_x;

my.lightrange -= 2 * time;

wait (1);

}

ent_remove (my);

}

action player1

{

var movement_speed = 7; // movement speed

player = my; // I'm the player

my.invisible = on;

my.skill40 = 100; // let's store the health in skill40

while (my.skill40 > 0)

{

if (key_f == on) // press "F" to fire a bouncing flare

{

while (key_f == on) {wait (1);}

ent_create (flare_pcx, my.x, show_flare);

}

player.pan -= 7 * mouse_force.x * time;

camera.x = player.x;

camera.y = player.y;

camera.z = player.z + 50 + 1.1 * sin(my.skill44); // play with 50 and 1.1

camera.pan = player.pan;

camera.tilt += 5 * mouse_force.y * time;

vec_set (temp.x, my.x); // trace 10,000 quants below the player

temp.z -= 10000;

temp.z = -c_trace (my.x, temp.x, ignore_me | ignore_passable | use_box);

temp.x = movement_speed * (key_w - key_s) * time;

temp.y = movement_speed * (key_a - key_d) * 0.6 * time;

c_move (my, temp.x, nullvector, ignore_passable | glide);

if (key_w + key_s > 0) // if the player is walking

{

my.skill44 += 25 * time;

ent_cycle("walk", my.skill46); // play its "walk" frames animation

my.skill46 += 5 * time;

my.skill46 %= 100; // loop the animation

}

else // if the player is standing

{

ent_cycle("stand", my.skill48); // play the "stand" frames animation

my.skill48 += 2 * time; // "stand" animation speed

my.skill48 %= 100; // loop animation

}

wait (1);

}

// the player is dead here

my.skill40 = 0; // use the same skill40 to control the "death" animation

my.invisible = off; // let's show player's body now

while (my.skill40 < 90)

{

ent_cycle("death", my.skill40);

my.skill40 += 2 * time; // "death" animation speed

camera.roll -= 0.3 * time;

camera.tilt += 0.8 * time;

wait (1);

}

my.passable = on; // player's corpse will be passable from now on

}

Q: I have tried to use the shader from Aum XY but it didn't work; when I run the code I get the error "Malfunction ...". What should I do?

A: You need to buy a newer video card; the one that you are using isn't supporting the needed VS / PS version. Each shader article from Aum lists the VS / PS requirements; check Aum48 and you'll find a snippet that tells you the capabilities of your video card.

Q: How can I set the speed of the animation the way the animator wanted it to run? I want to play the animation at 25 fps no mater what the current frame rate is.

A: Use the following example. Replace 25 / 32 with your own values; 25 is the desired number of animation frames per second and 32 is the number of animation frames.

action test_animation

{

while (1)

{

ent_animate(my, "walk", my.skill10, anm_cycle); // play the "walk" animation

// 25/32 controls the animation speed, 25 = desired frame rate, 32 = the number of "walk" animation frames

my.skill10 += 25 / 32 * (100 * time_step / 16);

my.skill10 %= 100;

wait (1);

}

Q: Can you tell me how can I prevent the rifle from Aum58's workshop to go through the walls?

A: You're making me reveal some content from this month's workshop, but there you go... Use an "entity" definition; my example adds a new weapon which doesn't penetrate the walls.

entity weapon_ent // paste the code at the top of the weapons.wdl file

{

type = <subtech.mdl>; // weapon model

pan = 0; // weapon angle

x = 55; // 55 quants ahead of the view, play with this value

y = 22; // 22 quants towards the left side of the screen, play with this value

z = -22; // 22 quants below, play with this value

flags = visible; // make the weapon visible

}

Q: How do I get my player to move regularly over an mdl surface? Right now the player just falls or walks through the terrain and doesn't detect it all.

A: The new versions of the engine include polygon-based collision detection for models. Check the "polygon" flag for your mdl surface and use a c_move - based movement snippet for your player. Here's a tiny, fully functional example:

action player1

{

var movement_speed = 7; // movement speed

player = my; // I'm the player

my.invisible = on;

while (1)

{

player.pan -= 7 * mouse_force.x * time_step;

camera.x = player.x;

camera.y = player.y;

camera.z = player.z + 50 + 1.1 * sin(my.skill44); // play with 50 and 1.1

camera.pan = player.pan;

camera.tilt += 5 * mouse_force.y * time_step;

vec_set (temp.x, my.x); // trace 10,000 quants below the player

temp.z -= 10000;

temp.z = -c_trace (my.x, temp.x, ignore_me | ignore_passable | use_box);

temp.x = movement_speed * (key_w - key_s) * time_step; // WSAD to move

temp.y = movement_speed * (key_a - key_d) * 0.6 * time_step;

c_move (my, temp.x, nullvector, ignore_passable | glide);

wait (1);

}

Q: How do I turn off the creation of those annoying *.sav files?

A: Find the line(s) of script which include the "game_save" instruction and comment or remove it / them.

Q: How can I have a light that glows systematically (like a red alarm)?

A: Use this piece of code.

action red_alarm // attach it to any entity

{

my.invisible = on;

my.passable = on;

my.lightrange = 100; // 100 sets the light range

while (1)

{

while (my.red < 255)

{

my.red += 10 * time_step;

my.green = 0.2 * my.red;

my.blue = 0.2 * my.red;

wait (1);

}

while (my.red > 0)

{

my.red -= 10 * time_step;

my.green = 0.2 * my.red;

my.blue = 0.2 * my.red;

wait (1);

}

wait (1);

}

Q: I'd like to have an animation that starts slow, but goes much faster in the end, like a power hit with the sword.

A: Use the following example; press "P" to start the power hit animation.

action power_hit

{

fps_max = 80; // limit the frame rate to 80 fps

while (key_p == off) {wait (1);} // wait until "P" is pressed

while (key_p == on) {wait (1);} // wait until "P" is released

var initial_frames;

// store the initial number of frames that have passed since the game was started

initial_frames = total_frames;

while (my.skill10 < 100) // play the entire animation once

{

ent_animate(my, "stab", my.skill10, anm_cycle);

// play with 0.1, 5 and 150

my.skill10 += (0.1 + min (5, (total_frames - initial_frames) / 150)) * time_step;

wait (1);

}

Q: How can I synchronize lightning effects and thunder sounds?

A: Use this example.

sound thunder_wav = <thunder.wav>;

string lightning_pcx = <lightning+15.pcx>; // animated lightning sprite, 15 animation frames

function show_lightning()

{

my.passable = on;

my.oriented = on;

my.pan = random(360);

my.scale_x = 0.8 + random(2);

my.scale_y = my.scale_x;

my.bright = on;

my.flare = on;

my.ambient = 100;

my.red = 215;

my.blue = 255;

my.green = 20;

my.lightrange = 300;

my.passable = on;

while (my.frame < 15)

{

my.frame += 1 * time_step;

my.lightrange = 300 - random(100);

wait(1);

}

ent_remove(my);

}

action lightning_thunder // attach it to an entity placed up high in the sky

{

my.invisible = on;

my.passable = on;

while (1)

{

temp.x = my.x + 1000 - random (2000);

temp.y = my.y + 1000 - random (2000);

temp.z = my.z;

ent_create (lightning_pcx, my.x, show_lightning);

sleep (0.7); // pause between lightning and thunder sound, play with this value

snd_play (thunder_wav, 100, 0);

sleep(7 + random(10)); // play with 7 and 10

}

Q: I need a key that can be picked up and a door that automatically opens when the player walks up to it (and has the key).

A: Use the following snippet:

var got_key1 = 0;

action my_key

{

my.passable = on;

while (player == null) {wait (1);}

while (vec_dist (player.x, my.x) > 100)

{

my.pan += 4 * time_step;

wait (1);

}

my.invisible = on; // hide the key

got_key1 = 1;

}

action my_door

{

var door_coords;

vec_set (door_coords.x, my.x); // store the initial door position

while (got_key1 == 0) {wait (1);} // wait until the player picks up the key

while (vec_dist (player.x, my.x) > 150) {wait (1);} // wait until the player comes close to the door

while (my.x < door_coords.x + 80) // play with 80

{

my.x += 3 * time_step; // play with 3

wait (1);

}