Turning off particles when not needed

[Springheel]

I have a machine that emits steam whenever it is triggered. However, the steam particle goes through the ceiling and is visible on the floor above, if an AI triggers the machine while the player is up there. The player only needs to see the particle if they are in the same room as the machine.

 

Is there a way to handle this with a script?

 

I have a script that turns particles on/off when the player enters a location (example below)...would that work for triggered particles too? Or would it just trigger the steam when the player enters/leaves the location?

 

void turn_on_dust(entity old_zone)
{

sys.trigger( $dust_10 );
sys.trigger( $dust_9 );
}

 

 

[nbohr1more]

Sounds like your machine trigger should call a script rather than activate the particle directly.

 

The script should include the canSeeEntity script event to check whether the location entity for the room with the machine

can see the player. Best I can fathom without a bunch of trial and error:

 

void particle_if_player_sees

{

sys.waitFrame();

while ($name_of_location.canSeeEntity($player1, 0))

{

if (self)

sys.trigger($dust_10);

sys.trigger($dust_9);

sys.wait(0.03);

}

}

[Springheel]

Sounds like your machine trigger should call a script rather than activate the particle directly.

 

 

I should have been more specific. The particle effect is actually controlled by a func_emitter targetted from an elevator. As long as the elevator is moving, the func_emitter keeps firing.

[nbohr1more]

If it's derived from:

 

// infinite loop that passes the elevators z coordinate to the material every frame
vector origin;
while(1)
{
    if (isMoving() && canSeeEntity($player1,0)) 
    // only change the shaders appearence if the elevator is actually moving 
    // and if the player is visible from the elevators origin (instead of this player stim could be used for this, too)
    {
        origin=getOrigin(); //pass the origin of the elevator
        setShaderParm(5,origin_z); /pass the z value (height) to the shaderparm to alter texture shift
    }
    waitFrame();
}

then the you could add another canSeeEntity check from the location to the player:

 

// infinite loop that passes the elevators z coordinate to the material every frame
vector origin;
while(1)
{
if (isMoving() && canSeeEntity($player1,0) && $location_entity_example.canSeeEntity($player1,0))
// only change the shaders appearence if the elevator is actually moving
// and if the player is visible from the elevators origin (instead of this player stim could be used for this, too)
{
origin=getOrigin(); //pass the origin of the elevator
setShaderParm(5,origin_z); /pass the z value (height) to the shaderparm to alter texture shift
}
waitFrame();
}

[Obsttorte]

Instead of an visibility check you can also check whether the player is in the same location:

 

if (isMoving() && getLocation()==$player1.getLocation())

[grayman]

This is one of those situations where I find it difficult to offer a suggestion because there isn't enough information about the layout:

 

- where is the emitter in relation to the elevator?

- is the elevator the only means of access to the area containing the emitter?

- can you see the emitter from the top and/or bottom of the elevator?

- is the emitter bound to the elevator (perhaps it's a small engine that powers the elevator)?

- if an AI uses the elevator and takes it to a room the player is in, can the player see the emitter?

- if the player is up on the second floor and the emitter is on the first floor, and the player calls the elevator, can the player look down the elevator shaft and see the emitter?

 

A picture or diagram might help.

[grayman]

Note that canSeeEntity($player1,0) draws a line from the origin of the sighting entity to the origin of the targeted entity. This can give you false negatives depending on the architecture between the ends of the line.

 

For example, think of the player standing at the top of an elevator shaft and looking down at the emitter below. The emitter can't see the player's feet, so the emitter stays off, even though the player can see it.