self-referencing an entity in script - possible ?

[motorsep]

I am wondering if there is a way to reference an entity on which script is running without doing any voodoo with the code.

 

For example, if I run scrip on an entity (via "scriptobject" spawnarg) and I need to check for gui_parmX on the same entity, is there something like $self.getGuiParm(); or this.getGuiParm(); ? (talking about stock Doom 3/idTech4)

 

Thanks.

[grayman]

Instead of $self.function(), just use function().

[motorsep]

Ah, cool, thanks! Makes it much easier.

 

Just to verify, it only works when running script on an entity via "scriptobject" spawnarg, correct ?

[grayman]

That's how an object references itself when running a script, regardless of how the script starts. There are various ways of making this happen, scriptobject being one.

[motorsep]

That's how an object references itself when running a script, regardless of how the script starts. There are various ways of making this happen, scriptobject being one.

 

What's the other way?

 

I know that running script from worldspawn with "call" wouldn't allow such thing - I have to literally either hardcode $entity_name or find an entity, and get it's name.

[SteveL]

If the code you are writing is sitting inside the scriptobject, you don't need to name the entity.

Other ways of calling code on a script object...

entity myEnt = $door1.getTarget(0);
myEnt.callFunction("doSomething");

The most flexible way is to declare a variable of your script object type, because then you can access all its functions and data members. Example for turning off the player's lantern. This uses TDM's inventory features to get a reference to the lantern (but you can use whatever method in stock Doom3), then it checks whether the lantern's light pointer is null to see if the lantern is on, then calls the "InventoryUse" function on the script object to turn it off:

// If the lantern is on, turn it off.
$player1.setCurInvItem( "#str_02395" );             // lantern
if ( $player1.getCurInvItemName() == "#str_02395" ) // lantern
{
    playertools_lantern lntn = $player1.getCurInvItemEntity();  // playertools_lantern is the type of the script object
    if ( lntn.lanternLight != $null_entity ) // lantern is on
    {
        lntn.inventoryUse( $player1, $null_entity, 0 ); // turn if off properly
    }
}

[motorsep]

There is nothing like that in Doom 3. So I suppose there are only 2 ways for Doom 3.

[SteveL]

The inventory example wasn't the best, because it's TDM-specific, but it's what I had to hand. You won't have the inventory code, but you might be able to use the technique.

[Tels]

You can use:

 

 

self.someFunction();

 

to reference the entities' script object. (The script object and the entity it runs on are the same "thing").

 

Edit: "self." is optional. "someFunction()" does the same. EoE.

 

However, you need to make sure that the script engine knows what type of entity "self" is. It will allow only calls to methods that exist on that specific type of entity. You can "cast" the entity beforehand with:

 

 

your_entity_classtype variablename = self;

variablename.methodName();

 

where methodName() is only available on "your_entity_classtype" but not f.i. "entity".

 

See the Swift script code for some examples – I (ab)used the script code quite heavily in it

Edited May 5, 2015 by Tels