sometimes when using the platform behavior it's difficult to implement features that would require the platformer to temporarily ignore certain types of obstacles. For instance, an elevator carrying a platformer through the next floor will stay on the next floor after the elevator moves past if the floor is a platform, or will hit the ceiling and fall if it's a solid. Stairways are much more difficult to implement for the same reasons, and the added trouble that they are always in the way on the bottom floor and impossible to get to through the top floor. Those are the first examples that come to mind, but there are other cases, mostly moving platform scenarios, but other things, like ladders, or ghosts that can phase through walls the character can't, but should still obey the ground.

The following proposed additions are to alleviate this problem by allowing the behavior to temporarily ignore user-specified object types.

the altered files are here:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1013446/platform/Platform.rar

and the changes are summarized below:

changes:

in MAIN:

added one vector for objecttypes to ignore, and the function for checking the ignore list

	vector<CRunObjType*> ignorelist;
	bool IsIgnoring(CRunObjType* objtype);[/code:vtkaqhm8]

ACETABLE:
added three actions,  Add Object to ignore list, Remove Object from ignore list, and Clear ignore list
[code:vtkaqhm8]	ADDPARAM(PARAM_OBJECT, "ObjectType to Ignore", "Ignore platforms and solids of this object type");
	ADDACT("Add Object to ignore list", "Ignore", "Add %0 to ignore list", &ExtObject::aAddToIgnoreList, "AddToIgnoreList", 0);
	ADDPARAM(PARAM_OBJECT, "ObjectType to Stop Ignoring", "Stop Ignoring platforms of this object type");
	ADDACT("Remove Object from ignore list", "Ignore", "Remove %0 from ignore list", &ExtObject::aRemoveFromIgnoreList, "RemoveFromIgnoreList", 0);
	ADDACT("Clear ignore list", "Ignore", "Clear ignore list", &ExtObject::aClearIgnoreList, "ClearIgnoreList", 0);[/code:vtkaqhm8]
	
ACTIONS:
implement the three actions with simple vector commands, doublechecking to make sure the user doesn't add the same type twice
[code:vtkaqhm8]	long ExtObject::aAddToIgnoreList(LPVAL theParams)
	{
		for(int i=0;i<ignorelist.size();i++)
		{
			if (ignorelist[i]==theParams->GetObjectParam(pRuntime))
				return 0;
		}
		ignorelist.push_back(theParams->GetObjectParam(pRuntime));
		return 0;
	}
	//ADDPARAM(PARAM_OBJECT, "Object to Stop Ignoring", "Stop Ignoring platforms of this object type");
	//ADDACT("Remove Object from ignore list", "Ignore", "Remove %0 from ignore list", &ExtObject::aRemoveFromIgnoreList, "RemoveFromIgnoreList", 0);

	long ExtObject::aRemoveFromIgnoreList(LPVAL theParams)
	{
		
		for(int i=0;i<ignorelist.size();i++)
		{
			if (ignorelist[i]==theParams->GetObjectParam(pRuntime))
			{
				vector<CRunObjType*>::iterator it=ignorelist.begin()+i;
				ignorelist.erase(it);
			}
		}
		return 0;
	}
	//ADDACT("Clear ignore list", "Ignore", "Clear ignore list", &ExtObject::aClearIgnoreList, "ClearIgnoreList", 0);

	long ExtObject::aClearIgnoreList(LPVAL theParams)
	{
		ignorelist.clear();
		return 0;
	}[/code:vtkaqhm8]

RUNTIME:
implementation of IsIgnoring
[code:vtkaqhm8]	bool ExtObject::IsIgnoring(CRunObjType* objtype)
	{
		for (int j = 0; j < ignorelist.size(); j++) 
		{
			if (ignorelist[j]==objtype)
			{
				return true;
			}
		}
		return false;
	}[/code:vtkaqhm8]
	
Add IsIgnoring check to the beginning of OverlapTest
[code:vtkaqhm8]	bool ExtObject::OverlapTest(CRunObject* pObj)
	{
		if(IsIgnoring(pObj->pType))
			return false;
		...
		...
		...
	}[/code:vtkaqhm8]
	
Add two IsIgnoring checks to IsOverlapping, one for the platform check, and one for the Solid check, and change the check solids to manually checking one by one, so that each object can be checked against the ignore list
	[code:vtkaqhm8]bool ExtObject::IsOverlapping( bool solids_only )
	{
		...
		...
		...
		...
					int count;
					CRunObject **objs;
					pRuntime->GetTypeSelectedInstances(pObstacles, objs, count);
					for(int i = 0; i < count; i++) 
					{

						{
							CRunObject* platform = objs[i]; // do here	
							if (!IsIgnoring(platform->pType))
							{
								if(pRuntime->QueryCollision(pLink, platform))
								{;
								pLink->info.x = fx;
								pLink->info.y = fy;
								pRuntime->UpdateBoundingBox(pLink);
								return true;
								}
							}

						}
					}
	...
	...
	...
	
						if(platforms_inside.find(platform) ==  platforms_inside.end())
						{
							if(!IsIgnoring(platform->pType))
							{
								if(pRuntime->QueryCollision(pLink, platform))
								{
									pLink->info.x = fx;
									pLink->info.y = fy;
									pRuntime->UpdateBoundingBox(pLink);
									return true;
	...
	...
	...
	
	}
[/code:vtkaqhm8]

um

so, anyone know how to work that custom movement thing?

there is a command

just type distance(somethingx,somethingy,somethingelsex,somethingelsey)

and sorry

at the end of that example I gave you

previousx = sprite.x

previousy=sprite.y

previousx and previousy being private variables you made

also,physics does have an expression for speed

this won't do anything, but just to help you find the expressions, do something like

sprite - set angle

instead of typing in a new angle, double click a sprite with physics behavior, when it brings up the list of expressions, click on the physics tab, that's the list of physics expressions

velocity x component and y component

to spawn sprites in specific locations with specific dimensions

System : Create Object (let's you specify the location)

Sprite.SetWidth

Sprite.SetHeight

actions after an object is created, and in the same event will apply to the object that was just created

if you're using behaviors to move your sprites, most behaviors have an expression for speed,

for instance, Set private variable MyCollisionSpeed to

and then double click on the sprite, and click on the behaviors tab to find the expression for speed

if you're using your own movement method, and no behavior, the way to determine speed is to set up two private variables, previousx, and previousy

if you need absolute speed, or the specific x and y speed

always

set absspeed to distance(previousx,previousy,sprite.x,sprite.y)

set xspeed to(sprite.x-previousx)

set yspeed to (sprite.y-previousy)

rockin

if what you're asking is what I think you're asking, you may be looking for templates

when you make an array of anything you can set a default for new array values

templates are the defaults for super arrays

in the example cap I didn't use a template because I wasn't sure if you knew about them

but in this case you would say

Action : Create Template

template name "coord"

add number array to {"t","coord"} "x" with default 0

add number array to {"t","coord"} "y" with default 0

the "t" as the first part of the address tells s you're adding to a special template super and not a regular super in your whole data structure

you can use these as you can any other super, adding other supers inside if you wish, etc

now when you create a super array you can do

create super array "mycoords" with default "coord"

now each time you add a super, it will already have the "x" and "y" arrays in it

you can even fill the arrays with values in the templates if you wish, so each new super will be preloaded with preset values

it may not seem immediately evident now, but there may be cases where you don't want the second super in an array to be exactly like the first, and vice versa, templates give you the ability to decide what goes in every super, without forcing you to put the same arrays in each one

a few things of note, don't add objects into the templates, because object pointers change each time the program starts, so they would be invalid, you can add object types though. when you save and load supers to disk, you have the option to save your template data too. also, unlike arrays of anything else you can't access a super array outside of range and get the default

meaning if your array has 5 supers you cant try to access index 9, and get access to the templates

it really wouldn't make any logical sense anyway. but just so you know

why thank you minor

btw, do you remember what the situation was where you needed a workaround

it may be possible to bring this plugin up to a status of "use it this way"

instead of my normal policy as of late "don't use it"

I never had problems with it either

another question, have you ever used it with multiple layouts?

everytime people had problems using the plugin, their caps were always very different than I would have made them. there might be a dependable way to use this plugin yet

works for me cand:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1013446/superindex.cap

Whoa. So you mean spritefont hasn't caused you any problems? That's awesome

Hmmm. Ill take a look when I get home. In the meantime if you can get the debugger to give a message(the s debugger actions, not the regular construct debugger). I might be able to figure it out with those, and if it crashes before the debugger can figure out why, it'll almost guarantee it is an s problem and not a user error

I'm not at home to look at the cap

But I ve had to use find replace a few times recently

And I can tell you what I've nopticed.

First if you try to replace an object name with another object name and the second object doesn't exist or is missing something like a private variable it doesn't have it won't work, and it will give no error. It will crash on most conditions that contain any reference to a function object. Sometimes it will mess up your actions so they look strange in the event sheet, but when you doubleclick and reaccept it its back to normal, and sometimes it will look fine in the event sheet but when you doujbleclick a string is empty instead of containing what it had before the find replace.

if its a large find and replace operation I would still use it, and try a few different actions or conditions individually, and maybe there is a common thread to the oness that crash.

Every few successful find replaces save again with a new filename. Not as nice as a fully functional find and replace, but still better than manually changing 50 events

I agree with the others

even more experienced members, myself included, find themselves overwhelmed after realizing what a project really will take

start out with a simple 1 on 1 swordfighting game

then maybe a whole beatemup level with the same mechanics

if you start on that huge game now, you will probably never finish

especially if you're worried about how often you'll have to ask for help

also, construct has it's bugs and quirks, you need to get a feel for it as projects grow

I wouldn't recommend undertaking anything huge until you get really comfortable