Q: I want to modify the surveillance camera code from aum10. When the player stands in front of a monitor and presses the action key, the code should switch between the cameras.
A: Here's an example which works with 3 different surveillance cameras - use it as a base for your code.
view surv_camera {}
function initcam_startup()
{
surv_camera.size_x = screen_size.x; // surv_camera has the same size and position
surv_camera.size_y = screen_size.y; // like the original "camera"
surv_camera.pos_x = 0;
surv_camera.pos_y = 0;
}
action camera_trigger // place several entities in the level and attach them this action
{
while (!player) {wait (1);}
while (1)
{
my.skill10 = abs(ang(player.pan) - ang(my.pan)); // angle between the player and the camera trigger
if ((vec_dist(player.x, my.x) < 100) && (my.skill10 > 150) && (my.skill10 < 210)) // if the player looks at the trigger
{
camera.visible = off; // hide the default "camera"
surv_camera.x = 100; // use your own x, y, z, pan, tilt, roll values here
surv_camera.y = 200;
surv_camera.z = 300;
surv_camera.pan = 50;
surv_camera.tilt = -30;
surv_camera.roll = 0;
surv_camera.visible = on; // and make it visible
while (!key_ctrl) // press the "Ctrl" key to switch to the second camera
{
if (vec_dist (player.x, my.x) > 150) {break;}
wait (1);
}
while (key_ctrl) {wait (1);} // now wait until the "Ctrl" key is released
surv_camera.x = 400; // use your own x, y, z, pan, tilt, roll values here
surv_camera.y = -100;
surv_camera.z = 230;
surv_camera.pan = 150;
surv_camera.tilt = -10;
surv_camera.roll = 0;
surv_camera.visible = on;
while (!key_ctrl) // press the "Ctrl" key to switch to the second camera
{
if (vec_dist (player.x, my.x) > 150) {break;}
wait (1);
}
while (key_ctrl) {wait (1);} // now wait until the "Ctrl" key is released
surv_camera.x = 1200; // use your own x, y, z, pan, tilt, roll values here
surv_camera.y = -500;
surv_camera.z = 50;
surv_camera.pan = 30;
surv_camera.tilt = 40;
surv_camera.roll = 0;
surv_camera.visible = on;
while (!key_ctrl) // press the "Ctrl" key to switch to the second camera
{
if (vec_dist (player.x, my.x) > 150) {break;}
wait (1);
}
while (key_ctrl) {wait (1);} // now wait until the "Ctrl" key is released
}
else // the player has moved away from the camera trigger
{
surv_camera.visible = off;
camera.visible = on;
my.skill11 += 1;
while (!key_ctrl) {wait (1);}
while (key_ctrl) {wait (1);}
}
wait (1);
}
}
Q: How can I make an object orbit around a specified xyz point from my level?
A: Place the entity that is supposed to orbit at the desired xyz in Wed, and then attach it the following action.
action object_orbits
{
var orbit_radius = 200; // use your own value here
var orbit_speed = 4; // and here
var temp_angle;
var orbit_center;
vec_set (orbit_center.x, my.x); // store the orbit center position
while(1)
{
my.x = orbit_center.x + sin(temp_angle) * orbit_radius;
my.y = orbit_center.y + cos(temp_angle) * orbit_radius;
my.z = orbit_center.z;
temp_angle += orbit_speed * time_step;
wait(1);
}
}
Q: How can I attach particles to the mouse pointer?
A: Use this example.
BMAP arrow_pcx = "arrow.pcx";
BMAP snow_tga = "snow.tga";
function mouse_startup()
{
mouse_mode = 2;
mouse_map = arrow_pcx;
while (1)
{
vec_set(mouse_pos, mouse_cursor);
wait(1);
}
}
function fade_part()
{
my.ALPHA -= 15 * time_step;
if (my.ALPHA < 0) {my.LIFESPAN = 0;}
}
function mouse_particles()
{
var particle_direction;
particle_direction.x = 0.2 * (random(1) - 2);
particle_direction.y = 0.2 * (random(1) - 2);
particle_direction.z = 0.1 * random(1);
vec_add(my.VEL_X, particle_direction);
my.ALPHA = 30 + random(65);
my.FLARE = ON;
my.BMAP = snow_tga;
my.SIZE = 0.5;
my.BRIGHT = ON;
my.MOVE = ON;
my.FUNCTION = fade_part;
}
function particles_startup()
{
var particle_origin;
while (1)
{
particle_origin.x = mouse_pos.x;
particle_origin.y = mouse_pos.y;
particle_origin.z = 40;
vec_for_screen (particle_origin, camera);
effect(mouse_particles, 1, particle_origin.x, normal);
wait (1);
}
}
Q: I want to capture a movie from my game and play it on my PSP game console. How do I tell Acknex to run at the needed resolution?
A: Use the following sample. Then, use a screen capturing application to capture your movie.
function switch_psp()
{
video_set(480, 272, 32, 2); // switch to 480x272 pixels, 32 bits, window mode
}
on_p = switch_psp; // press the "P" key to switch to PSP mode
Q: I want to make the camera follow a path in a loop. How can I do that?
A: Create a path in Wed, place a model named dummy.mdl inside your game folder, and then attach it the action named dummy_target.
var cam_speed = 1; // initial speed
var dist_to_node;
var current_node = 1;
var angle_difference = 0;
var temp_angle;
var pos_node; // stores the position of the node
ENTITY* dummy_ent;
function move_dummy()
{
my.PASSABLE = ON;
my.INVISIBLE = ON;
while (1)
{
vec_set (my.x, you.x);
wait (1);
}
}
function move_target()
{
while(1)
{
cam_speed = minv(15, cam_speed + 5 * time_step); // 15 gives the movement speed
c_move(my, vector(cam_speed * time_step, 0, 0), nullvector, IGNORE_PASSABLE | GLIDE);
vec_to_angle (dummy_ent.pan, vec_diff (temp_angle, pos_node, my.x));
if(my.pan != dummy_ent.pan)
{
angle_difference = ang(dummy_ent.pan - my.pan);
my.pan += angle_difference * 0.2 * time_step;
}
vec_set (camera.x, my.x);
camera.pan = my.pan;
camera.tilt = my.tilt;
wait(1);
}
}
action dummy_target()
{
dummy_ent = ent_create ("dummy.mdl", nullvector, move_dummy);
move_target();
result = path_scan(me, my.x, my.pan, vector(360, 180, 1000));
if (!result) {return;}
path_getnode (my, 1, pos_node, NULL);
vec_to_angle (my.pan, vec_diff (temp_angle, pos_node, my.x)); // rotate towards the node
vec_to_angle (dummy_ent.pan, vec_diff (temp_angle, pos_node, my.x)); // rotate dummy_ent towards the node as well
while (1)
{
dist_to_node = vec_dist(my.x, pos_node);
if(dist_to_node < 300) // close to the node?
{
current_node = path_nextnode(my, current_node, 1);
if (!current_node) {current_node = 1;} // reached the end of the path? Then start over!
path_getnode (my, current_node, pos_node, NULL);
}
wait(1);
}
}
Q: In a 3rd person environment where you want the model to display what they are carrying, how do you go about giving a model different things? Weapons, armor, hair, clothes, etc. Better still, what's the best way to manage them all?
A: Check out the Morrowing series from Aum46... 50 to see a simple, working inventory system. Animate your character together with the items that it is supposed to carry, wear, etc and then save them (the player and the items) as separate models - this method will guarantee that they're always in sync.
Q: My educational game uses 227 panels, but I don't use them all at the same time. How could I save some video memory? Right now my game needs about 160 MB.
A: Use pan_create to create the panels when you need them and pan_remove to remove the panels when you don't need them anymore.
PANEL* new_panel1;
PANEL* new_panel2;
function panels_startup()
{
sleep (5); // wait for 5 seconds
// now create and display the first panel; its layer is set to 10
new_panel1 = pan_create("bmap = test1.pcx; pos_x = 150; pos_y = 40; flags = OVERLAY | VISIBLE;", 10);
sleep (3); // display the first panel for 3 seconds
pan_remove (new_panel1); // now remove the panel from the memory
sleep (2); // wait for 2 seconds
// now create and display the second panel; its layer is set to 15
new_panel2 = pan_create("bmap = test2.pcx; pos_x = 50; pos_y = 140; flags = OVERLAY | VISIBLE;", 15);
sleep (4); // display the second panel for 4 seconds
pan_remove (new_panel2); // now remove the panel from the memory
}
Q: Is there a possibility to change the mouse pointer bitmap if it is hovering over a certain panel?
A: Sure! Let's suppose that the panel is placed at x = 600, y = 20 pixels, has a width of 100 pixels and a height of 50 pixels. Under these conditions, the code would look like this:
BMAP arrow1_pcx = "arrow1.pcx";
BMAP arrow2_pcx = "arrow2.pcx";
function mouse_startup()
{
mouse_mode = 2;
while (1)
{
vec_set(mouse_pos, mouse_cursor);
if ((mouse_pos.x > 600) && (mouse_pos.x < 700) && (mouse_pos.y > 20) && (mouse_pos.y < 70))
{
mouse_map = arrow2_pcx;
}
else
{
mouse_map = arrow1_pcx;
}
wait(1);
}
}
Q: I was wondering if anyone could tell me how to put a looping wav file in a splash screen script. I want it to play over and over until the space bar is pressed to start the game.
A: Use something like this.
var intro_playing;
PANEL splash_pan =
{
bmap = "splash.pcx";
pos_x = 0;
pos_y = 0;
layer = 15;
flags = VISIBLE;
}
function splash_startup()
{
intro_playing = media_loop("intro.wav", NULL, 80); // play intro.wav in a loop
while (!key_space) {wait (1);} // wait until the "space" key is pressed
while (key_space) {wait (1);} // wait until the "space" key is released
media_stop (intro_playing); // now stop the music
splash_pan.VISIBLE = OFF; // and hide the splash screen panel
// put the rest of your game code here
}
Q: I want to display a question on the screen, accept the answer given by the user and store it.
A: Use the following snippet.
var filehandle;
STRING answer1_str = " "; // accept up to 20 characters
STRING answer2_str = " "; // accept up to 20 characters
TEXT name_txt =
{
layer = 15;
pos_x = 250;
pos_y = 50;
string ("What is your name?");
}
TEXT answer1_txt =
{
layer = 15;
pos_x = 380;
pos_y = 50;
string (answer1_str);
}
TEXT age_txt =
{
layer = 15;
pos_x = 250;
pos_y = 50;
string ("How old are you?");
}
TEXT answer2_txt =
{
layer = 15;
pos_x = 380;
pos_y = 50;
string (answer2_str);
}
function answers_startup() // gets the user's data and stores it inside the answers.txt file
{
sleep (3);
name_txt.visible = ON;
answer1_txt.visible = ON;
inkey(answer1_str);
name_txt.visible = OFF;
answer1_txt.visible = OFF;
age_txt.visible = ON;
answer2_txt.visible = ON;
inkey(answer2_str);
age_txt.visible = OFF;
answer2_txt.visible = OFF;
// the answers are stored inside answer1_str and answer2_str, so let's save them
filehandle = file_open_write ("answers.txt"); // open the file for writing
file_str_write (filehandle, answer1_str); // write the first answer (the name)
file_asc_write (filehandle, 13); // write the second answer on a separate row
file_asc_write (filehandle, 10); // using these 2 lines of code
file_str_write (filehandle, answer2_str); // now write the second answer (the age)
file_close (filehandle); // close the file
}