Scenery Spawn Entities

[requiem_for_a_starfury]

Anyone worked with these? It's been a long time but IIRC containers and scenery can't be hidden be setting them to a deactivated player index. Back when we only had Spray the done thing was to make a single frame sprite and attach it to a container. Then when you wanted the scenery to appear/disappear you'd use the move trigger command to transfer it from or to somewhere off screen. Now we've got Sprite creator it ought to be possible to create a sprite with a default empty frame and then the image. Then using a scenery spawn entity just turn the image on or off with an object script state trigger. Have any sprite making genius sprite makers tried this?

 

[jarekfall]

If currently displayed sequence frame presenting object makes use of animation frame which doesn't contain image data then it cannot be spotted nor used by a player but the area occupied by the object remains impassable because of object's dimensions specified in its sprite and because entities such as containers and "StateScenery" and other will always block the way.

 

[requiem_for_a_starfury]

Actually it uses two sprites like the effect spawn entity. The trouble I'm having is it automatically spawns as soon as I start the mission and I don't know if that's because I'm using the wrong type of sprite, or the wrong triggers or if the code just wasn't finished. Probably the latter, I can't remember any scenery spawns used in the campaign.

 

[jarekfall]

Yes, the campaign doesn't make use of scenery spawn entities.

Your idea cannot work as you expect because:
1. Entity of ScenerySpawn type spawns only entities of Scenery type, thus you cannot spawn entities of different type, such as containers,

2. Spawned entities of Scenery type are not processed by "set object script state" trigger action thus they cannot be "turned off" (sequence whose name is "Off" will never be used) and thus the only used sequence is "Default". Following entity types can be "turned off": StateScenery, StateBreakable and traps (example: pneumatic press),

3. Spawned entities cannot be removed, even if you could "turn off" an entity and hide it, it would always remain and the occupied area would remain impassable. Pneumatic press is always ethereal thus it cannot be used,

4. Spawned entities change their direction randomly with the passing of time. To solve this problem, a sprite having one direction could be used. Also the initial direction cannot be set in scenery spawn entity in map editor, it's always reset to 0,

5. Scenery spawn entity is designed and intended only for spawning objects such as moving tumble weeds. I noticed this thanks to the "Log" function which displays warning informing that step size is not specified in currently played sequence. When I replaced previously used sprite in scenery spawn entity with "TumbleWeeds.spr" sprite then I noticed that spawned weeds are moving in randomly chosen direction. During their move with the passing of time they randomly and slightly change their current direction. When they stumble across an object they stop or even change their current direction if stumbling block isn't to wide. For example, when they stumbled across my PC they stopped, but when I moved out of the way the PC then the weeds continued they move until they reached the darkest border of the map and were removed automatically, at that time the next weeds were spawned.

It looks like the use of "Move unit" trigger action is the only and the best way for spawning entities of any type.

 

[requiem_for_a_starfury]

Sorry you are misunderstanding me, I don't want to spawn a container, I just mentioned that was how we had to make a scenery sprite in with Spray. The area I want to spawn scenery in is not accessible by the player so it doesn't matter (to me) if it is impassable or ethereal.

Basically the scenario is if the player trips an alarm then a short time later enemy reinforcements arrive. They can be hidden by being set to a deactivated PI, I just need to spawn the vehicle they arrive in and since the area is tight I wanted to spawn the scenery rather than use the move unit to avoid possible collisions. But if that is not how the entities work then back I'll try StateScenery, thanks.

Pity about the stopping when obstructed, otherwise this could be used for weather effects.

 

[jarekfall]

You can use it to produce weather effects. Just put scenery spawn entity directly in the air above all buildings. It never falls and it does not need any floor tiles to move.
I forgot to mention that when spawned entity will be stopped by an object for a short period of time (about 5s) then it will be removed and next entity will be spawned.