What is "channel"?

10-11-2008, 02:07 PM	#1
Raydude	I was looking for a dummy no target channel when I found this spell, it's listed under heroes and you should see if after u pressed "New Custom Ability...". I can't find the hero that uses this spell AND when I gave it to a unit in my map, it doesn't even appear on the command card, what is it?! (and yeah, I did give it to the unit and the search engine only gave me so much pages of other stuff)

10-11-2008, 02:11 PM	#2
Askhati	In the last mission of the RoC Undead campaign, Kel'thuzad is channelling some spell to summon Archimonde. I believe that may be the spell (triggered) that you're talking about, but check that mission's setup just to be sure.

10-11-2008, 02:16 PM	#3
Tide-Arc Ephemera	Channel is an ability that does absolutely nothing but has infinite configurability. You can make it show a UI if you want, you can make it not. You can make it target points, units or whatever. You can make it disable the unit, you can make it not disable the unit. You can make it have a targeting circle if you want. Pretty much it's the #1 loved dummy ability.

10-11-2008, 02:46 PM	#4
Askhati	Holy crap! Is there a tut for this somewhere?

10-11-2008, 02:47 PM

Tide-Arc Ephemera

Nope. But each field is trivial once you think about it a little.

EDIT!
There should be one of the data fields it initially says nothing but when you open it, it should have something like ticking boxes and "Show UI, Show Targeting Image, Universal, Physical" or stuff like that.

Switch "Show UI" to on and it becomes an activateable ability.

EDIT!
Actually I think that weird abilities list might have one, I dunno, go search around. There might be a tut, not sure...

EDIT!
Just checked, they only tell you how to make it have no follow through time (so it becomes a blank ability that either; activates, targets a point, unit, point/unit.).

10-11-2008, 03:05 PM	#6
Anitarf	I'm surprised nobody has yet recommended the legendary Warcraft III Ability Guide.

10-11-2008, 03:11 PM	#7
Tide-Arc Ephemera	Bargh, I've been looking for that EVERYWHERE.

10-11-2008, 06:15 PM	#8
Raydude	actually I found this by mistake, suprised no1 mentioned this one either http://wc3campaigns.net/showthread.php?t=86307, sucks that I only found this out now, thnx anyways, it can be a channel spell, instant spell, target spell, point spell, or a aoe spell, so that pretty much covers everything u need in a dummy spell

10-11-2008, 06:18 PM

Rising_Dusk

Awh, Anitarf beat me to it.
Anyways...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pitzermike

ANcl (Channel): Channel was made to be used as a dummy ability that has no real effect in the game. It can be used to trigger the effects. You can specify if it can target a unit, a point, an area of effect, a unit or if it has no target at all, if it shows an icon on the command card and if it shows an aoe targeting image. The spell also has physical spell, universal spell and unique cast options. The channelling behaviour can be changed by setting the follow through time and the disable other abilities option, which will black out the whole command card during the follow through time. You can alter the caster and target art fields as well, only buffs cannot be added. Because the base order id of a channel spell can be changed you can have more than one working channel spells on a single unit. The real effect of the spell will of course have to be triggered.
JASS:
```
function Channel_Conditions takes nothing returns boolean
  return GetSpellAbilityId() == <channel ability id>
endfunction

function Channel_Actions takes nothing returns nothing
endfunction

function Channel takes nothing returns nothing
  local trigger t = CreateTrigger()
  call TriggerRegisterAnyUnitEventBJ(t, EVENT_PLAYER_UNIT_SPELL_CAST)
  call TriggerAddCondition(t, Condition(function Channel_Conditions))
  call TriggerAddAction(t, function Channel_Actions)
endfunction
```
Since the 1.18 patch channel also works well in spellbooks and in conjunction with the engineering upgrade. One possible problem is that channel spells get cancelled by stunning abilities. To avoid that replace your stunning abilities with spells based off of ANab (Acid Bomb) for example.

10-11-2008, 07:08 PM	#10
Kyrbi0	^QFT. ~~~ I believe it's actually used in-game; pretty sure that Arthas/Illidan have a Channel (thru triggers) that they use on the Obelisks. It's set to "no-UI" so you can't see it, and it has a big "follow-thru" time. Which is the actual Channeling. Yeah. Inadvertent awexomeness.

10-12-2008, 02:25 PM	#11
Zandose	I believe you need to check the field viable for it to show on a unit.