scripting for dummies by dr. mike 8/10/2004

[joemama]

cat - was it this one?

better late than never  :blink:

NOTE: i put in the XXXX line to separate responses

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Topic: Scripting for Dummies  (Read 380 times)
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DrMike2000

« on: August 10, 2004, 10:51:56 PM »

Here's a basic description of my working practices for those who want to know- kind of like the things I wish I'd been told two years ago:


SCRIPTING TIPS for DUMMIES

PITFALLS of PYTHON

Memorise these!

1) TABS and spaces dont mix.

Use spaces or tabs exclusively for whitespace. Python counts a tab as 8 spaces, whereas most texteditors count them as 4.

2)ALWAYS USE LOWERCASE!

Make all templates, object names, fx names power names etc lower case with _ underscores instead of spaces.

This is not always necessary (eg templates can have capitals) but will make life easier if you adhere rigidly to this - (eg object names in danger room and leveledit are derived from template names and can end up with capitals inside them)

DEBUGGING PROCEDURE

1) Have the console enabled. You do this by adding the lines

import ff

ff.DEBUG_CONSOLE=1

You can drop the console in game using the ~ key, and run functions or see errors from there.

2) Have the log file enabled. Run your game with the -log option in your shortcut. FFX will already do this for you for reasons of its own.

Then set up a shortcut to the script.log file, say on your desktop or in Visual Studio if you're using it as a text editor like me code The aim is to be able to see the latest log file easily.

3) Having put together a basic script, run the level in game, typically by loading a saved game.

For sub-missions, this can be saved from the debriefing screen. For missions that come after a base either, save at the base screen or make a mid game savem and then restart immedately.

I don't use LevelEdit for running missions because I dont like it and it seems to have some subtle differences.

If you get no cutscene, or basically no scripted behaviour at all, drop the console. If you see \"syntax error\" at the bottom of the screen, then ALT-TAB out to windows and look at your script.log file.

It will tell you the line number and show the code where the syntax error occurred - typically indentation problems, mismatched ' and \" quotes,
that sort of thing.

Fix the error, save the file and then go back in game and restart.

This is quickest test cycle - flip beteween game and text editor - every restart reloads the script.


TEST CYCLES:

1) Restarting a level - this will reload and recompile the script, and reload the map.

You can for example, hop back to Windows, run LevelEdit, save and then hop back to game and restart - if your graphics card is up to it.

Or if you just need to change an object's template, modify the object in the mission tab in FFEdit and save.

One trick I do - teleport a hero to where I want an object to be if it needs moving, type 'Get_ObjectPos('hero_1')' or whatever their name is, and write down the coordinates to type into FFEdit.

2) Reloading the game - do this if you create a new template, or change one, change a characters powers, or change an FX or string value. The game databases created by FFEdit get loaded once when FF starts up.

3) Regenerating the campiagn. - the worst one. All save games store data on hero stats - their powers, the order in which said powers appear, their attributes etc.

So if you re-jig a hero's powers or stats, then you have to restart the campaign and cheat through (Mission_Win() in the console) to the level you're testing.

The stats for a hero's powers can be changed with just a 'level 2 reset' - reloading the game. Say I change the magnitude or FX of king_zero's 'zero_punch'., I just reload the game. But if I wnat to replace it with a different power called 'zero_smash', or add the attribute 'fast healing' to him, or add one to his Speed, I have to restart the campaign. Yes, this is a major pain! Tweak you hero's powers by using the console cheats to add lots of XP to them (Campiagn_AddCP) at an early level.
Similarly, each save game save a list of all heroes, so if you add and recruit a new one he wont be able to gain XP until you regenerate the campaign.

More as I think of it.....             
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wickerman

« Reply #1 on: August 11, 2004, 11:41:00 AM »

If Dr. Mike doesn;t mind me jumping in here I'd just like to add a few of the (countless) mistakes I've made that might help others....

1)    Comment your scripts for yourself - it helps when you have to revisit a mission later and you can;t for the life of you remember what this or that is doing.  It also helps your train of logic as you debug things.  

2)    spider-man and spider_man are not the same thing.  Remember what you named someone in FFedit before you accidentally type something else in all of your scripting and then the character doesn't spawn/speak/move ......  whatever....

3)    Similarly, Camera_LookAtPos is a command that moves the camera.  CameraLookAtPos, Camera_lookAtPos, camera_LookAtPos and any other variations do absolutely nothing....   Make sure you are not fat fingering things - I spend more time fixing these mistakes than i do writing scripts.

4)    = assigns a value to something as in nKo = Mission_GetAttr('thugKO')
== is the sign for equality ie. nKO == 4.  There are several little things like this throughout scripting that you have to learn.

5)    use print commands through out your script to leave yourself notes in the logs.  It will help you to keep track of what is working and what is not.

6)    Cutscenes are infuriatingly touchy.  It wouldn;t hurt to be semi-comfortable with regular old scripting before you try a CS.  It might keep your hair from going white too.

7)    Once you are done scripting a mission and everything looks good - TRY to break it my doing odd things in the mission.  Then let your friends play it.  Soemthing may come up that you didn;t think of because you know how it is SUPPOSED to play out.  People playing it for the first time have no clue what you intended.

I now return you to the superior knowledge of Dr Mike....       
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[joemama]

first set of replies


al_kemyst


« Reply #2 on: August 14, 2004, 01:14:02 AM »

###############Dummy interlude##################
Doc Mike: you said not to test the mod in FFedit.
From what I understand, I should put my mission in a camapain make an icon for it and use
[table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1]

QUOTE

[td id='QUOTE] Quote \\\"C:\\Program Files\\Irrational Games\\Freedom Force\\fforce.exe\\\" -game X -log for target and run it from there. Is that right ? Now about tabs and spaces: Everyone tells me never to use tabs, but every script I open is full of tabs. Worse yet: tabs mixed in with spaces. If I convert the tabs to spaces nothing works. I'm lost here... Wickerman: I must be really tiwsted, for I managed to make some great intros, but seem to have problems with more like basic stuff like....setting a mission (not to type out the objective, just making the dang thing work) and adding arrows to different targets once missions are complete. Do I do that in an interogation CS? And speaking of which, I haven't managed to make those work code now for KOs, I've noticed a lot of people use this [table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1] QUOTE [td id='QUOTE] Quote nKO but on the \"scripting a mugging\" tutorial, something radically different is being used.  I find that confusing, because I haven't really figured out the syntax for that or anything written to explain it. I'm sure I'll run into more problems later ; ) BTW- did you guys see the plug for my MOD? XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX wickerman « Reply #3 on: August 14, 2004, 03:22:56 PM » Hmm I think you are confusing objectives with missions.  A mission is a whole 'chapter' in the game and an objective is something like 'Save the civilian from the muggers' If you cannot get objectives to work properly, you need to be doing a few things... 1) define your objective and add it to the list - for instance if you are starting the mission with an objective, you would add this to OnPostInit:     Objective_Add('objective1', 'objective1_description', 0, 100)     - objective 1 is the tag for the objective.     - objective1_desc is the reference to the string in string.txt that describes it - this is what will be entered in the objectives box on the game screen     - 0 is an arguement that sets the objective type 0=primary 1=secondary and 2=fake_primary     - 100 is the prestige award for finishing the objective. 2)You eventually call the Objective_Complete command when the objective is fufilled.  It would look like this using the above example:      Objective_Complete('objective1') How would use use these?  Like so: call Objective_Add('objective1', 'objective1_description', 0, 100) from OnPostInit.   Also call regDeath('minute_man', 'OnMMKO') Then you would create a function called OnMMKO that would look a bit like this... def OnMMKO(event):     Objective_Complete('objective1') So when Minute Man hits the mat objective 1 - a primary objective - would be complete awarding 100 prestige. ************************************************************* Arrow commands are simply addArrow('arrow_name', 'object') ********************************************************** nKO doesn;t mean anything in particular.  Just number of KOs.  It is a variable that you are defining.  You could call it woodchuck if you wanted to.   nKO= Mission_GetAttr('numThugsKO')+1 is something you might see alot. All this says basically is that the variable nKO is to be set to the value of the Mission Attribute numThugsKO and then 1 added to it. this is useful for when you want to keep track of hpw many bad guys are getting KOed and then complete an objective after  a certain amount. nKO= Mission_GetAttr('numThugsKO') +1 Mission_SetAttr('numThugsKO', nKO) if nKO == 10:     Objective_Complete('objective1') this is a basic script of that type.... what it does is assigns nKO the value of numthugs KO + 1.  Then it assigns numThugsKO the value of nKO.  Then it checks to see if nKO equals 10.  if so it completes objective 1. usually you set your mission attributes (in this case numthugsKO) to 0 at OnPostInit.  that way it begins counting from 0.  So in the above example, if the every first thug gets KOed, it looks like this... nKo is set to numThugsKO (which starts at 0) then 1 is added to it for a value of 1. nKo = 1 Then numThugs Ko is set to the same value of nKO - also 1. numThugsKo = 1. Then nKo is checked to see if it equals 10.  if it does, objective one is complete.  if not the script exits. When thug 2 is KOed, nKO is set to numThugsKo (or 1 from above) and then 1 is added for a total of 2. nKO now = 2. numthugsKo is then set to nKO or 2 as well. again nko is checked against 10.. and so on until you reach 10 or some other strangeness happens like you lose the mission or your computer melts down.... i hope this was even semi coherent...  PM me if you need to and i will try to explain it better if it is unclear...                        XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX -------------------------------

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

Nope, not it at all.  Thanks for posting it anyway, but I was talking about something completely different that was never on these forums at all.

[joemama]

more replies


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Edit - oh well, i'll put up the rest of the replies anyway until the forum is fixed
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wickerman

« Reply #4 on: August 14, 2004, 03:25:33 PM »

In responce to your other questions, yes Dr mike is suggesting you run it from it's own short cut.

For the white space and tabs etc, save yourself a lot of heartache and download a python editir like pythonwin.  It is MUCH easier than trying to use notepad or some other nonsense.                    
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al_kemyst

« Reply #5 on: August 14, 2004, 04:43:10 PM »

I'll give these a try later on tonight when my SO is asleep. Can'd do much when she's looking over my shoulder

As far as editor, I am using Crimson Editor. I thought that was suppost to be an OK one.

I also understood that I should run the mission from it's own short-cut. What I didn't understand is how to make a shortcut from it.    ops:

God, I must sound like a n00b  code               
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wickerman

« Reply #6 on: August 14, 2004, 05:25:13 PM »

that syntax for the short cut is correct, just make a copy of the ff shortcut, change the path under properties and then rename it and you are all set.

I'm not familiar with the editor you are using - but if it is a python editor, it should be fine.

Don;t worry about being a noob  I am hardly an expert, and I couldn;t even create characters in the editor when I started!   
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al_kemyst



« Reply #7 on: August 14, 2004, 11:08:29 PM »

You would not beleive just how coherent you were, wickerman!
I just sucessfully programed a whole Objective chain of events  
 Basically the mission has about 3 main objectives, each one being of killing a certain boss. Idealy, once the first boss is dead, a new a new objective would be iniciated and an arrow pointing to the next creep would become visible. I have been able to start the process by putting the Objective_Add on the call back for the villanKO event. I also tried putting the function to call the new arrow there, but it does not work.

[!--c1--][table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1]

CODE

[td id='CODE][!--ec1--]def pimpdead(Event):     Objective_Complete('leeta_1_p1')     Objective_Add('leeta_1_p2', 'leeta_1_p2_desc_01', 0, 100)     addArrow('arrow1', 'dealer', colour = js.ARROW_RED, delete = 1), is it not working because of indentation or something like that? Or did I put it on the wrong place? ######################## now back to the nKO   my main question here is this: I assume you have to make a callback to define the thugs in the first place? and how do set a list to be associated with that value? I know how to set up a list ( I think) but I have no idea what the syntax for that would be. I have seen it done in a lot of different ways. Could you shine a little light on this subject for me, please? Once again, thanks! You just made me overcome a major hurdle  code                    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

[joemama]

last set of replies



wickerman

« Reply #8 on: August 15, 2004, 12:20:28 PM »

try this command

Mission_AddArrowObject('arrow', 'object', ARROW_RED, 1)

It might work for you...

You define the thugs with the regDeath command such as...

regDeath('thug_with_bat', 'OnThugKO')
regDeath('thug_with_bat_002', 'OnThugKO')

these would tell the game to call OnThugKo when thug_with_bat or thug_with_bat_002 are koed.


lists look like this (at least mine do)
thug_list=('thug_with_bat','thug_with_bat_002','thug_with_bat_003','thug_with_bat_004')


you add:

def Setup_Thugs():
   # setup to catch the thugs' deaths
   for thug in thug_list:
      regDeath(thug,'On_Thug_KO')
   Mission_SetAttr('attr_thugs_dead',0.1)

This says for every thug in the thug_list register their deaths On_Thug_Ko.

then this same old script catches their deaths and completes a primary when they are all dead....

nKO= Mission_GetAttr('numThugsKO') +1
Mission_SetAttr('numThugsKO', nKO)
if nKO == 10:
Objective_Complete('objective1')


Note that you must place the line

Setup_Thugs()

under onpostinit for it to run Setup_Thugs(0 when it starts up thereby ssetting up their regdeaths.

The advantage of the list is that you don' have to use seperate regdeaths for everyone, and later on i will show you how to count the deaths so that it counts to the contents of the list rather than an interger..

that is it will complete objective 1 when the entire contents of thug_list is dead rather than counting to 4.  This way you can add or remove thugs from the list as you play teset and you don;t need to rewrite scripts....


More on that later...                    

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Lude


« Reply #9 on: August 15, 2004, 10:34:19 PM »

Good thread Mike.

When playtesting few minor modifications to the script i noticed that it is much easier to run the game in a windowed mode. This allows for fast editing of the script. To run the game in windowed mode use : fforce.exe -w -game modnamehere -log         
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al_kemyst

« Reply #10 on: August 15, 2004, 11:29:19 PM »

Ok, got all the missions set, and with arrows pointing to the big creeps, working like clockwork

now out with the big guns  

I have also figured out how to make the interrogation CSs for each of the bosses  

I'm begining to see a light at the end of the tunnel here. Hope it's not a train  code             
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wickerman



« Reply #11 on: August 16, 2004, 06:41:37 AM »

Nah, it's not a train!

This stuff comes to you all at once it seems.. you struggle and struggle and then one day the light comes on and you just get it....

Good luck with everything!                    
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al_kemyst



« Reply #12 on: August 16, 2004, 10:59:40 PM »

One crucial dummy question:

Can you only add 3 main objective and 3 secondary objectives. I think I read that somewhere..                    
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DrMike2000



« Reply #13 on: August 16, 2004, 11:01:00 PM »

Its 4 and 4, but yeah. There's no more room on the objectives window after that.                    
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wickerman

« Reply #14 on: August 17, 2004, 05:31:32 AM »

remember too that false primaries count toward your limit -                    
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al_kemyst

« Reply #15 on: August 17, 2004, 08:54:03 PM »

How about CSs, any limits on those per mission?

Actualy, here is the big question:
In this mission, I had my hero KO 3 bosses, objctives 1,2 & 3
Now when she hits the last one an arrow pops up, not pointing at another villan, but a marker. The last villan and another hero (that will join in another mission) spawn off in a corner somewhere. Once she enters the marker a last CS (the 5th if you count the interrogation ones) is called. From that CS the mission ends.  
I have made the following callbacks:
[!--c1--][table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1]

CODE

[td id='CODE][!--ec1--]def loandead(event):     Objective_Complete('dance_club3')     Objective_Add('dance_club4','dance_club4_desc'),     regHeroMarkerEnter(('positional_003','SetUp_Finale') def SetUp_Finale(event):     Objective_Complete('dance_club4'),     removeArrow('arrow4')     Object_Spawn('stud', 'stud', 'positional_002') but I walk into the marker and nothing happens   I'm sure I'm missing something, but what? If I get this done, my first script will be finished. Well...sorta... I left off the other less important minions out while I got all this boss bashing bissiness straightened out. So far it's been about 110 lines of code   but i'm pleased to say that all of it so far ( including the CSs) are running like clockwork. I seem to have develped a real knack for CSs code Then all I'll have left to do is re-skin the thugs, put in the civies and the additional thugs that will make the mission interesting. Then I guess I'll be asking someone to test this mission and give me an opinion on it. Unfortunatly, everyone around me in RL have been less then receptive or supportive with this whole endevor  code                     XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX wickerman « Reply #16 on: August 18, 2004, 10:58:05 AM » The most obvious thing i see is no call to play(cutscene) also in the regHeroMarkerEnter(('positional_003','SetUp_Finale') line you have one too many ( 's let me know if that fixes things for you - if not i'll have another look code              XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX        al_kemyst « Reply #17 on: August 18, 2004, 12:35:40 PM » Actually I dind't put that call for the CS yet. I figure, if it's not doing anything when the hero enters marker ( like spawn the one dude and get rid of the arrow) it's not time to start thinking about the cutscene yet. ONce that stuff works, then I start in on the CS. I'll remove one of those ('s when i get home, see if it works. I was sort of refering to that exaple you gave me in the \"controled mayhem\" thread, but there was just too much going on there for me to be sure what was going on. Thanks again Wickerman code                     XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX al_kemyst « Reply #18 on: August 18, 2004, 04:31:11 PM » On an added note, I am pretty sure the whole problem is with the HeroMarkerEnter call. I moved the spawn to \"loandead\" call and he spawned allright. The only thing is he isn't suppost to get killed, at least not yet. So I guess the 3 main problems are: -It wont set a 4th mission. - the arrow will not go away when she reaches the marker - The marker event isn't working, so I can't make the villan spawn at the correct time and if I do write a CS it won't be  triggered. So close and yet so far code I can only think of one thing at this point: does it affect the marker if it's area overlaps a wall or 2?          XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX           wickerman « Reply #19 on: August 18, 2004, 08:49:20 PM » send me the whole code ina PM and let me take a look ,,,  I'll see if anything jumps out...      XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX                IP: [ Logged ]