Basic Pipe System

Alexandre · 2010-09-06 03:35:49

Basic Pipe System

EDIT: there's an improved pipe system at http://opensnc.sourceforge.net/forum/vi … php?id=633

A simple 4-directional pipe system made using the Open Surge scripting system.

You need version 0.1.4 stable or greater to use this.

Please read carefully the text below, specially the "How to use it" section.

-------------------------------------------------
Basic Pipe System
Made by Alexandre Martins
Sprite graphics by Christopher Martinus
Date: 2010-09-05
-------------------------------------------------

1. Introduction

This is a simple pipe system made using the
Open Surge scripting system. It handles pipes
in four directions (up, down, left and right)
and it is pretty simple to use.

2. Installation

Unzip basic_pipe_system.zip into the game
folder. The following files will be created:

- objects/basic_pipe_system.obj
- sprites/basic_pipe_system.spr
- images/basic_pipe_system.png
- levels/pipe_test.lev (example level)

3. How to use it

The Basic Pipe System features six objects:
- Pipe Master
- Pipe Off
- Pipe Left
- Pipe Right
- Pipe Up
- Pipe Down

YOU MUST PUT EXACTLY ONE Pipe Master OBJECT
IN YOUR LEVEL. We insist: *exactly* one.
Pipe Master is responsible for making the
pipes work. It doesn't matter where you put
it, but it must exist in your level.

The Pipe Off object will disable the pipe
mode, making things go back to normal.

The Pipe Left/Right/Up/Down object will
enable the pipe mode, making the player
travel in the desired direction.

There's an example level showing how to
use the pipe system called "Pipe Test"
(see levels/pipe_test.lev)

4. How does it work

You may read the object script in order to
know how it works, but here's the catch:

The Pipe Off/Left/Right/Up/Down objects
will wait for the player to touch them.
When that event happens, they will send
a message to Pipe Master (which is unique
in the whole level) telling they have
been touched. Pipe Master will do all
the hard work, moving the player in
the desired direction (or disabling the
pipe mode if Pipe Off has been touched).

Pipe Master has the always_active property,
so the engine will update it no matter
it's far from the screen or not.

Screenshot:

Download:

Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?buz7bqx5e73dysx
Mirror: http://lc.ssdw.nl/levels/Users/basic_pipe_system.zip (thanks to ssdw)

Have fun!

Improvements:

Points that can be improved:

This supports only four directions. There's space for more;
The pipe mode will always be enabled when you touch a "Pipe Left/Right/Up/Down" object. This may be an issue for you or not, depending on your level design. One could develop a "Pipe entrance" method to make a complete pipe system.

I'm leaving any further improvements up to you guys. I'm now becoming really busy with university and work, so I won't be programming much for Open Surge during the next few months. I'll be here mainly to do administrative stuff.

Last edited by Alexandre (2010-11-28 13:11:40)

SurgeChris · 2010-09-06 05:24:19

Did you use my images? If yes, thanks!

Bertram · 2010-09-06 06:53:24

Hi Alexandre,

Alexandre wrote:

I'm leaving any further improvements up to you guys. I'm now becoming really busy with university and work, so I won't be programming much for Open Surge during the next few months. I'll be here mainly to do administrative stuff.

From many, thanks for all the hard work, especially for the decorator-based engine.

May I suggest you do a release before going back to university, even as a beta, so people can actually test it out with the latest possibilities, and let you concentrate on your own RL work?

My best regards and wishes of luck for your studies.

TheSeventhEmerald · 2010-09-06 08:58:56

I'm leaving any further improvements up to you guys. I'm now becoming really busy with university and work, so I won't be programming much for Open Surge during the next few months. I'll be here mainly to do administrative stuff.

That´s a shame. Luck. Pipes are really cool

Alexandre · 2010-09-06 14:09:53

Bertram wrote:

Hi Alexandre,
Alexandre wrote:
I'm leaving any further improvements up to you guys. I'm now becoming really busy with university and work, so I won't be programming much for Open Surge during the next few months. I'll be here mainly to do administrative stuff.
From many, thanks for all the hard work, especially for the decorator-based engine.
May I suggest you do a release before going back to university, even as a beta, so people can actually test it out with the latest possibilities, and let you concentrate on your own RL work?
My best regards and wishes of luck for your studies.

Thank you, Bertram.

A pre-release is available here: http://opensnc.sourceforge.net/forum/vi … php?id=438

0.1.4 should be released about a week or so from now. I'm just waiting for translators to update their translations and checking if users find any fatal bugs. User-made content such as musics, sfx or art can be eventually accepted as well in the meantime.

SilverstepP · 2010-09-06 23:04:54

...

Alexandre, these pipes are AWESOME.

TheSeventhEmerald · 2010-09-07 08:30:21

I'm just waiting for translators to update their translations and checking if users find any fatal bugs.

What translation?? I´m Spanish and my English (understanding, writing I had some fails )
is very good. I can make Spanish translation if you need, only explain me how.

SurgeChris · 2010-09-07 11:25:31

TheSeventhEmerald wrote:

I can make Spanish translation if you need, only explain me how.

Look at http://opensnc.sourceforge.net/wiki/ind … tion_Guide

So-Nick · 2010-09-07 13:37:18

nice system!

Last edited by So-Nick (2010-09-07 18:26:10)

KZR · 2010-09-07 16:05:57

maybe i'm not using them right... i was testing diagonal paths using slightly dislocated pipe objects with different directions,with pipe directons overlapping each other, a little like this, .:

[>]
[v]
[>] [off]

and it worked. problem is... the pipe off object didn't seem to have much effect after touching many pipe objects. it just sends the players rolling infinitely, even through solid bricks...

one direction at a time, with some space, works ok.

good news is... the code for diagonal pipes is the same, only some x and y values change. so basically all we need is to change them accordingly, and new icons.

also if i go back and touch a pipe off before a pipe object, the pipe object use its behaviour correctly, but then the pipe off has no effect after that

other thing is, if i stand on the pipe off object after spinning through a pipe, it keeps playing the spin sound..
help...?

Alexandre · 2010-09-07 17:10:39

No, don't use this for diagonal pipes. Two pipe icons should not overlap.

The pipe off does exactly that. With some more logic it could be improved, though.

Regarding the pipe off sfx, I didn't have a "poooofff" sound, so I put the one you heard. A "poooofff" sfx would sound much better.

The reality is: I'm not providing a complete pipe system to you people. I'm showing you a simple example, so you can learn from it and make your own stuff. The whole purpose of the object scripting system is for you people to make things, so you won't depend so much on me to make everything related to functionality. I'll probably be around for the next one, two years... Perhaps a bit more. But what about 5, 10 years from now? I don't know.

By the way, KZR, have you received my e-mail about licenses?

KZR · 2010-09-08 00:41:47

Alexandre wrote:

No, don't use this for diagonal pipes. Two pipe icons should not overlap.

i know they aren't supposed to overlap. i just like messing things up a bit to see how they can be used in different ways. it was more to see if it was really necessary to script the diagonals.

Alexandre wrote:

Regarding the pipe off sfx, I didn't have a "poooofff" sound, so I put the one you heard. A "poooofff" sfx would sound much better.

i'm not complaining about the sound

let's suppose that "____" is ground level

___________[off ]___________
| |
|[^]|

if the off object is above ground, when you stand on it it plays the spin sound over and over again.

if put inside the pipe and not covered by an "obstacle" brick

____________ __________
|[off]|
|[ ^ ]|

when the player enters the pipe from the off object, it bumps you out.

if you cover the pipe's exit with an "obstacle brick", the pipe off does not give any boost. it just leaves you stopped right next to that brick.

ok, so these are simple template objects. and as such they are more likely to be buggy. scripting is certainly not my domain, but some other users may find these bug reports a good source of information to improve the script even further, so i hope that in about 5, 10 years from now the forum still exists and its users still work this way

Alexandre wrote:

have you received my e-mail about licenses?

sure have! Creative Commons is a good way to go

and i got some good news for you! i'm on vacation, so new sound effects are being made after so many weeks of silence

Alexandre · 2010-09-08 01:26:34

KZR wrote:

Alexandre wrote:
have you received my e-mail about licenses?
sure have! Creative Commons is a good way to go
and i got some good news for you! i'm on vacation, so new sound effects are being made after so many weeks of silence

Excellent.

---

Regarding the pipe system, we ask you not to put a solid brick on top of pipe off. When in pipe mode, the movement engine is disabled. When you touch pipe off, the movement engine gets enabled again, so if you put the player in the middle of a solid brick, you can only expect an undefined behavior.

On the other hand, I understand that the pipe off should do nothing if the player collides with it, but is not in pipe mode. This can be achieved with some more logic in the script.

I understand that scripting may not be your domain, and we appreciate your bug reports. For anyone interested in improving this, I suggest studying the "Object children" section in the API Reference (in the wiki). It's also useful to know that objects which name start with "." (example: ".pipetemp") are 'hidden', in the sense that they are not available in the user interface of the level editor (this is documented). This feature can be useful to create temporary objects that do not pollute the editor. One could create a temporary object to maintain the state of the pipe, so pipe off would send a message to this temporary object. If the temporary object does not exist, nothing will be done. Problem solved.

KZR · 2010-10-06 04:44:30

3 words describe the best use of this system so far: Wind Chime Zone

if you don't know what it is, you haven't played Sonic and the magical stone

jobromedia · 2010-10-14 22:27:28

Great addon! Will try to use it.

SilverstepP · 2010-10-14 23:01:42

Still wish for the 'change_all_object_states'.... this would allow so much.... including the 'pipe enter' system.

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#1 2010-09-06 03:35:49

Basic Pipe System

Basic Pipe System

#2 2010-09-06 05:24:19

Re: Basic Pipe System

#3 2010-09-06 06:53:24

Re: Basic Pipe System

#4 2010-09-06 08:58:56

Re: Basic Pipe System

#5 2010-09-06 14:09:53

Re: Basic Pipe System

#6 2010-09-06 23:04:54

Re: Basic Pipe System

#7 2010-09-07 08:30:21

Re: Basic Pipe System

#8 2010-09-07 11:25:31

Re: Basic Pipe System

#9 2010-09-07 13:37:18

Re: Basic Pipe System

#10 2010-09-07 16:05:57

Re: Basic Pipe System

#11 2010-09-07 17:10:39

Re: Basic Pipe System

#12 2010-09-08 00:41:47

Re: Basic Pipe System

#13 2010-09-08 01:26:34

Re: Basic Pipe System

#14 2010-10-06 04:44:30

Re: Basic Pipe System

#15 2010-10-14 22:27:28

Re: Basic Pipe System

#16 2010-10-14 23:01:42

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