VitalOverdose/VariableTimedMover

UT2004 :: Actor >> Mover >>VTM(Package: custom)

Overview

I was making a level one time where i needed to make a sort of cannon. Naturally i decided to use a Mover for the job but i couldn't get the 'Recoil' Effect looking right just by moving the cannon backwards and forwards at only one speed. What i really needed was something that first moved fast and then slowly reset to its original position.So i made the VariableTimedMover or 'Recoiler' By sub classing mover. This is not to be confused with the VariableTimedMover written at a later date by SuperApe using a different method.

Note:This custom class is not designed to work in any of the looping states already present in the mover class.

The Main Mover

The calculations for the new movetimes are done in PostBeginPlay? and then assigned to global variables.This way the values don't have to be recalculated each time they need to be used.

I've chosen to alter the value used in the actual move rather than replace the the original movetime variable with one that the mapper can set. This makes cleaner code thats easy to spot/update at a later date.

The .Super function effectively copies any code from the parent of this function and put it in on the next line... so you don't have togo to all the bother of writting it in your self. This also results in a very slimline script that's easy to understand/update

Note:If you subclass mover directly in Unrealed youll notice 'Placeable' after the class name in the code. This is apparently wrong as movers shouldnt have Placeable for some reason.

//------------- VTM  VariableTimedMover V1 -----------
//
// By Fataloverdose

Class VTM extends Mover

Placeable;

var() float     Openspeed;      // Open speed muliplyer
var() float     CloseSpeed;     // Close speed muliplyer

Function Postbeginplay()
{
 Openspeed *=Movetime;          // Calculate and assign new move time in PostBeginPlay.
 CloseSpeed*=Movetime;          // This way the calculation is only done once.
 super.Postbeginplay();
}

function DoOpen()
{                                    
 movetime=Openspeed;                                 
 Super.DoOpen();
}

function DoClose()            // Close Mover
{                                                   
 movetime=CloseSpeed;         // Set MoveTime To new Close Movetime
 super.DoClose();
}

DefaultProperties
{
 Openspeed=0.5000000
 CloseSpeed=2.000000
 bBlockKarma=True
}

After that i decided to add some FX

//------------- VTM  VariableTimedMover -----------
//
// By VitalOverdose

Class VTM extends Mover
Placeable;

var() Array < Class< Emitter > >  TheFX;          // Dynamic array
var() Float                       Openspeed;      // Open speed muliplyer
var() Float                       CloseSpeed;     // Close speed muliplyer
var() bool                        FX_Attatch;     // Hard attach the fx to the mover
var() Bool                        FX_bOnOpened;   // FX spawn timeframe
var() Bool                        FX_bOnClosed;   // FX spawn timeframe
var() Bool                        FX_bOnClosing;  // FX spawn timeframe
var() Bool                        FX_bOnOpening;  // FX spawn timeframe

Function Postbeginplay()
{
 Openspeed *=Movetime;          // Calculate and assign new move time in PostBeginPlay.
 CloseSpeed*=Movetime;          // This way the calculation is only done once.
 super.Postbeginplay();
}

function Spawnfx()                                  // function SpawnFX
{
 local Emitter Effect;                               // Define local variable of type Emitter
 local int             MaxArraypos;
 local int             Pickedno;
 local class< emitter> pickedEmitterClass;

 if ( TheFX[0] == None )
    {
     return;                     // Check to see if mapper wants any FX Spawned
    }

 MaxArraypos        = TheFX.length;
 Pickedno           = Rand(MaxArraypos);
 pickedEmitterClass = TheFX[Pickedno];
 NetUpdateTime      = Level.TimeSeconds - 1;                // Quick Update
 Effect             = Spawn(pickedEmitterClass,self,,Location,Rotation);    // SpawnFX
 if ( FX_Attatch == True )
    {
     Effect.SetBase(self);                  // HardAttachFX
    }
}

function DoOpen()                                     // Open Mover
{
 movetime=Openspeed;                                   // Set Movtime to new OpenMovetime
 If ( FX_bOnOpening==True )
    {
     Spawnfx();     // Call function Spawnfx
    }
 Super.DoOpen();
}

Function FinishedOpening()                            // FinishedOpening
{
 If ( FX_bOnOpened==True)
    {
     Spawnfx();                                      // Call function Spawnfx
    }
 Super.FinishedOpening();
}

Function DoClose()                                    // Close Mover
{
 movetime=CloseSpeed;                                  // Set MoveTime To new Close Movetime
 if ( FX_bOnClosing==True)
    {
     Spawnfx();                                       // Call function Spawnfx
    }
 super.DoClose();
}

Function FinishedClosing()                            // Finished Closing
{
 if ( FX_bOnClosed==True)
    {
     Spawnfx();                                      // Call function Spawnfx
    }
 Super.FinishedClosing();
}

DefaultProperties
{
Openspeed=0.5000000
CloseSpeed=2.000000
bBlockKarma=True
}

The array used for the FX is a Dynamic Array. The idea is that the mapper can choose as many emitter as hes like and the Game Engine will pick one at random at spawn time. There are 4 spawn times which happen at the same time as the Event triggers in the mover properties.Open,Opening,close,closing and there's options are controlled by the use of Boolean variables.

A dynamic array has no elements(blank spaces to hold info) defined at build time unlike a static array which mean the mapper can enter as many emitter fx as he wants and the editor creates a new element and add it onto the end of the last value stored in the array. If there are no elements used in the array anything added in go in at position [0].

To get our random number for our random FX we ask the game engine to pick a number between 0 and the the amount of elements used in the array. got get the elements used or the 'length' of the array we use;-

ArrayName.Length    // Returns the number of elements in the array.

So to the the GameEngine to return a random Int number we use..

Rand(MaxIntNumber); //Rand (int Max) [static]: Returns a random number ranging from 0 to Max-1.

So rather than have to separate commands and to save using a variable we can combine two to come up with;-

Rand(ArrayName.Length);  //will return a single int value. Max Possible Value = the length of ArrayName.

Here is a link to a .uc file of this script;-

http://www.fataloverdose.copperstream.co.uk/fatal/demoscripts/vpmappingtools/classes/VTM.uc

Discussion

Category Custom Class

Category Tutorial

VitalOverdose/VariableTimedMover

Overview

The Main Mover

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