type stuff

problem with types is I have set my player type to global so i can reference it anywhere.
so now I can call it 'p\model' in my update player function
rather than 'player1\model'

the problem is that if I try to refer to it as p\model in my 'update enemy' function its returns as 'entity must be a type'.

conversely if i try and refer to my enemy as 'e\model', in the 'update player' function the same thing happens
ie 'entity must be a type'.
syntax wise 'p\model' and 'e\model' work fine inside their own update functions, but not when referencing each other for some reason

Bsically I am trying to copy the enemy1\model to make a generic level enemy and have them all with the same behavior/triggers.

Are you declaring p or e as Global Variables??

ie.

Global p.MyType = New MyType

I am declaring the new type as a global
ie
global Player1.Player=CreatePlayer( -20,0,0 )
global Player2.Player=CreatePlayer( -20,0,0 )
etc
global enemy1.enemy=CreateEnemy( -20,0,0 )
global enemy2.enemy=CreateEnemy( -20,0,0 )
etc
this is the create player function

Function CreatePlayer.Player( x#,y#,z# )
p.Player=New Player
p\entity=CreatePivot()
p\model=CopyEntity( player_model,p\entity )
p\player_y=y
PositionEntity p\entity,x,y,z
EntityType p\entity,TYPE_PLAYER
EntityRadius p\entity,1.7
ResetEntity p\entity
Return p
End Function

That looks like it should work, but there is no way to be sure.

We need to see some code we can actually run and observe the error.

Your globals are named Player1, Player2, enemy1, enemy2 not p and e. Isn't that the problem?

ahh, my code is pretty big and messy.I wil have another look, see if I missed anything simple

perhaps
p.Player=New Player
should be global but its inside a function ?

Ruz,

If I can offer a word of caution with using globals. Please be sure that you don't rely on them within your functions. I ran into several hard to find bugs in which functions were overwritting data of globals.

I would recommend using a Array of types for your situation.

Dim player.player(24)
Dim enemy.enemy(24)

Sure the e and a identifiers are not already used? As a variable perhaps...

'Your globals are named Player1, Player2, enemy1, enemy2 not p and e. Isn't that the problem? '

How do I make p and e global if they are inside a function though?



I wil check ChrML

Frank,what else can i do in this case?
I need to refer to 'e/model' not just 'enemy1\model' so each enemy does the same stuff, not just enemy1

Ruz,

If all your enemies use the same functions etc then you only need access them with one variable. I use a For..Each loop to update. If the states are different, then you should throw a select case in the update to select different actions. My approach would be:

Function playerUpdate()
	For this.player=Each player
		Select this\state%
			Case 1 playerAttack(this)
			Case 2 playerRun(this)
		End Select
	Next
End Function

My approach is based of the typical Particle system framework, in which you create, update, and destroy a particles. This approach could be applied to all game objects IMHO. Hence, create, update, and destroy a enemies, bullets, etc.

Or if you want to "seperate" them somehow, then assign them ID's:

tmp.Player = new Player
tmp.Player\id% = 1

tmp.Player = new Player
tmp.Player\id% = 2


For tmp.Player = Each Player
  if tmp.Player\id = 1 then
    ;action for player 1
  elseif tmp.Player\id = 2 then
    ;action for player 2
  endif
Next

hmm... I hope by destroy you mean recycle(Store for later use in a sorted list), and use at a later time. Actually destroying much of anything is a big waste. When it will undoubtedly be used again in most situations.

ShatteredReality,

I mean destroy as in remove it from update.

If your using different kinds of enemies but they use a common set of properties then you can add a property like

enemy\kind% or enemy\typeid%

to differentiate between them. I would keep the

enemy\id%

independent as you may need to track a certain number of a specific kind enemy.

Function enemyUpdate()
	For this.enemy=Each enemy
		Select this\typeid%
			Case 1 ;enemyBoss
				;do stuff
			Case 2 ;enemyMidBoss
				;do stuff
			Case 3 ;enemyHinchman
				;do stuff
		End Select
	Next
End Function

he I was just going to come and ask if I could use
'For this.enemy=Each enemy' type of thing, then you all answered for me
hmm select case confuses me a little . i get the principle , but then it confuses me whe applying it to my code.

I just have one attack right now which is a punch and one enemy grunt type, all grunts will have all the same properties( for now)

is it best to make a one generic type for enemy or if you have say a buttefly/badger/human etc would I make a seperate type for each one or just lump them all as 'enemy'
but have lots of properties/fields in that one type

I will go and try and make it work now.
thanks for the help so far guys
the id stuff seems very helpful.

well i ended up doing it this way. i didn't really see the need to do it more complex way here. i realised that i want to have access to each new enemy so i can adjust properties like health/damage etc
I just got confused on how to turn this in to select case
or one the other methods mentioned.

For e.enemy=Each enemy
UpdateEnemy(e)
and
For p.Player=Each Player
UpdateEnemy(p)

are called in the main loop BTW

This is the attack from the update player function
BTW I used animtime to make the player punch at the correct time, ie after he has swung his fist, not before

;player attack #####################################################################


If KeyDown(157)
If AnimSeq(p\model)<>1

If AnimSeq(p\model)<>8

Animate p\model,3,.24,8,3;bigslap

EndIf
idleflag=0

;enemy 1************************************
If EntityDistance(enemy1\model,p\model)<6

If AnimTime (p\model)>=4
If AnimTime (p\model)<=4.2

MoveEntity enemy1\model,0,.3,-3;punch knocks enemy back

PlaySound(hit)

enemy1\health =+enemy1\health-10

EndIf
EndIf
EndIf
EndIf

;enemy2**********************************

If EntityDistance(enemy2\model,p\model)<5

If AnimTime (p\model)>=4
If AnimTime (p\model)<=4.2

MoveEntity enemy2\model,0,.3,-2

PlaySound(ouch)

enemy2\health =+enemy2\health-10

EndIf
EndIf
EndIf
EndIf

If I have 30 enemies though, thats a lot of tying/ repeating the same stuff

I'm with Frank and ChrML on this one. Use a type field of "enemy_type" - much cleaner and easier to understand in the long run if you have loads of enemies.


Function update_player(p.player)

for c.enemy = each enemy

select c\enemy_type

case 1 ;enemy 1

If EntityDistance(c\model,p\model)<6 and AnimTime (p\model)>=4 and AnimTime (p\model)<=4.2
MoveEntity c\model,0,.3,-3;punch knocks enemy back
PlaySound(hit)
c\health = c\health-10
EndIf

case 2 ; enemy 2

If EntityDistance(c\model,p\model)<5 and AnimTime (p\model)>=4 and AnimTime (p\model)<=4.2
MoveEntity c\model,0,.3,-2
PlaySound(ouch)
c\health = c\health-10
endif

case 3 ; enemy 3 etc....

end select

next

end function

thanks stevieG and everyone . i agree that using stuff like frank and ChrML were using is better/more organised, its just I confused myself with the syntax and stuff when applying it to my code. never used case select before, dohh

But it works great now, I have three enemies in the level which is so much more fun than one.
I am going do some health packs now
woot !!