Help required: scripted lights no turning on correctly.

[Bikerdude]

In one of my WIP's I have a bunch of lights that are turned on via script, the issue is the skin isnt being turned on as well as the light.

 

ive attached a test map to show the problem -

 

test.zip.txt

[Tels]

Have you tried using "LightsOn()" instead of lamp_auxiliary_room_1.fadeToLight? fadeToLight bypasses anything and directly sets the color, so the light doesn't know it is now on, or off or changes the skin.

 

If LightOn() does not set the right color and fadetime, you can change that with spawnarg on the light entity before.

[Bikerdude]

I would the light to fade on, rather than just come on if it all possible. And worst case I can work around the issue by having a model with a colour_me skin and a plain light etc.

 

As you know, I know pretty much zero about the scripting language we use in the mod, so when you say "LightsOn()" instead of lamp_auxiliary_room_1.fadeToLight? how do you mean 'exactly? and would the "LightsOn()" arg be an instant on instead of fade-to on?

[SteveL]

I'm still at work so not tested, but I think you just need to replace FadeToLight in that script with FadeInLight. The rest of the line stays the same.

 

They mostly do the same thing, except that FadeToLight specifically avoids doing the extra stuff that happens when a light goes on or off.

[Bikerdude]

but I think you just need to replace FadeToLight in that script with FadeInLight.

Ah okl let me try that.. brb

[Tels]

I would the light to fade on, rather than just come on if it all possible. And worst case I can work around the issue by having a model with a colour_me skin and a plain light etc.

 

As you know, I know pretty much zero about the scripting language we use in the mod, so when you say "LightsOn()" instead of lamp_auxiliary_room_1.fadeToLight? how do you mean 'exactly? and would the "LightsOn()" arg be an instant on instead of fade-to on?

 

Steve's variant is much better. (But we really should document the script events a bit better, the doc doesn't mention that important difference that "fadeToLight()" only works on lights that are already on.

 

Anyway, if your light is an entity with the "tdm_light_holder" script object, then you can do:

 

$lamp_auxiliary_room_1.LightsOn();

 

If it is just a plain light, you can only call the script events that are documented in script/tdm_events.script. Basically, a script object attached to an entity provides extra functionality. See http://wiki.thedarkmod.com/index.php?title=Script_objects

[Bikerdude]

• Steve's variant is much better. (But we really should document the script events a bit better, the doc doesn't mention that important difference that "fadeToLight()" only works on lights that are already on.
  
• Anyway, if your light is an entity with the "tdm_light_holder" script object, then you can do:
  

$lamp_auxiliary_room_1.LightsOn();

• Well I had a play and just changing " fadeInLight " didnt work when it had " ( electricLightBright, 1.5 ) " after it, so removed it and still the skin dosent change.
  
• Im guessing it does, but again like I asked before, will this fade the light on, or switch it on instantly..? Or is that what the 1.5 value inside the () brackets is for ..?
  

Well tried " $lamp_auxiliary_room_1.LightsOn( 1.5 ); " and I just get a unknown value error in the console. The light entity in question is "atdm:lamp_electric_grill__short_lit" btw.

[Tels]

You need the right amount of parameters for each function. fadeInLight() takes the time:

 

scriptEvent void	    fadeInLight(float time);

 

So you can only fade in the light to the _already set in stone_ light color over a given time, but not set the light color AND fade it in over time.

 

The code atleast looks to me like it will:

 

* fade the light over time to the full, preset color
* run On(), so it should also swap skins

 

But I'm not certain when the skin will switch, I think it is right before the fade completes. (which might not be what you want)

You might want to try this:

 

$lamp_auxiliary_room_1.fadeToLight( electricLightBright, 1.5 );
sys.wait( 1.5 );
$lamp_auxiliary_room_1.On();

[Bikerdude]

Well now somehow, they are working using the following - " $lamp_auxiliary_room_1.fadeInLight( 1.5 ); ", I could have sworn I tried this before and it didnt work, the scripting code must be very particular about upper/lower case and spaces... bah!

 

[Tels]

Another possibility is to change the entity def:

 

// entity 6
{
"classname" "atdm:lamp_electric_grill__short_lit"
"name" "lamp_auxiliary_room_test"
"_color" "0.70 0.55 0.30"
"light_center" "0 -8 0"
"light_radius" "125 125 125"
"model" "models/darkmod/lights/non-extinguishable/grill_light_short.lwo"
"nodiffuse" "0"
"noshadows" "1"
"nospecular" "0"
"origin" "136 -91 112"
"parallel" "0"
"rotation" "-1 1.11022e-016 0 -1.11022e-016 -1 0 0 0 1"
"start_off" "1"
}

 

(set the color to the one you want)

 

and then use

 

$lamp_auxiliary_room_1.fadeInLight( 1.5 );

[Bikerdude]

For now I am just doing what I need to get this map ready foir beta testing, thanks for the extra info though :-)

[SteveL]

Glad you got it sorted. And yes the code is extremely fussy about capitals and spaces.

[Obsttorte]

Well, it distinguishs between capital and small letters, as many programming languages do either. I never noticed any problems with spaces, though.