In over my head

09-25-2011, 04:39 AM

So as anitarf knows, I like to try things that I have absolutely no idea how to do and then inevitably end up here asking someone to help fix what I (possibly) shouldn't have started in the first place.

Well this time its not any different.
Well its a little bit different, but not in a good way.
This time I have absolutely no idea how to do (the majority) of this

Mazes for people who've never played them (this is important if you don't know what a maze is but still want to help (<3s))
in mazes there's a path. In this example the path is ice. If you step off the path with your unit (you only have 1) your unit dies. In this example the death terrain is snow.

on a sidenote, this is for a friend. I probably never would name a map about lettuce.

so here's the idea
this struct remembers the initial terrain types (on initialization) at every 128x128 space in the given terrain change rects

this is an example of how the rects would be setup. I'll get to why there are 3 rects instead of 1 later.

what happens is this entire path is replaced with snow and then every x seconds a row or column is revealed. But also only so many (variable) rows/columns are revealed at a time.

what it looks like

so I'll post the parts that I was able to do

JASS:

    struct TerrainChangeRect
        integer         TrailSize
        real            TimeStep
        integer         StartCorner     //0 = bot left, 1 = bot right, 2 = top left, 3 = top right

        integer array   TerrainTypes[0] //records the integer values for each terrain type in the rect
        boolean         RectType        //false = horizontally long, true = vertically long
        
        integer         XDirection
        integer         YDirection
        
        real            XStart
        real            YStart
        real            XEnd
        real            YEnd
                
        static method create takes rect area, integer trailSize, real timeStep, integer startCorner returns TerrainChangeRect
            local TerrainChangeRect new = TerrainChangeRect.allocate()
            
            local integer i = 0
            local real x
            local real y
            
            local real AreaMinX = GetRectMinX(area)
            local real AreaMinY = GetRectMinY(area)
            local real AreaMaxX = GetRectMaxX(area)
            local real AreaMaxY = GetRectMaxY(area)
                
            set new.TrailSize = trailSize
            set new.TimeStep = timeStep
            set new.StartCorner = startCorner
                    
            if startCorner = 0 then
                set x = AreaMinX
                set y = AreaMinY
                
                set new.XDirection = 1
                set new.YDirection = 1
                
                set new.XEnd = AreaMaxX
                set new.YEnd = AreaMaxY
                set new.XStart = AreaMinX
                set new.YStart = AreaMinY
            elseif startCorner = 1 then
                set x = AreaMaxX
                set y = AreaMinY
                
                set new.XDirection = -1
                set new.YDirection = 1
                
                set new.XEnd = AreaMinX
                set new.YEnd = AreaMaxY
                set new.XStart = AreaMaxX
                set new.YStart = AreaMinY
            elseif startCorner = 2 then
                set x = AreaMinX
                set y = AreaMaxY
                
                set new.XDirection = 1
                set new.YDirection = -1
                
                set new.XEnd = AreaMaxX
                set new.YEnd = AreaMinY
                set new.XStart = AreaMinX
                set new.YStart = AreaMaxY
            else
                set x = AreaMaxX
                set y = AreaMaxY
                
                set new.XDirection = -1
                set new.YDirection = -1
                
                set new.XEnd = AreaMinX
                set new.YEnd = AreaMinY
                set new.XStart = AreaMaxX
                set new.YStart = AreaMaxY
            endif
            
            if ((RAbsBJ(new.AreaMaxX) - RAbsBJ(new.AreaMinX)) > (RAbsBJ(new.AreaMaxY) - RAbsBJ(new.AreaMinY))) then
                //rectangle is horizontally long and should use vertical strips
                set new.RectType = false
                
                loop
                exitwhen x > new.XEnd
                    loop
                    exitwhen y > new.YEnd
                        set new.TerrainTypes[i] = GetTerrainType(x, y)
                
                        set i = i + 1
                        set y = y + (yDirection * TerrainYSize)
                    endloop
            
                    set y = new.YStart
                    set x = x + (xDirection * TerrainXSize)
                endloop
            else
                //rectangle is vertically long and should use horizontal strips
                set new.RectType = true
                
                loop
                exitwhen y > new.YEnd
                    loop
                    exitwhen x > new.XEnd
                        set new.TerrainTypes[i] = GetTerrainType(x, y)
                
                        set i = i + 1
                        set x = x + (xDirection * TerrainXSize)
                    endloop
            
                    set x = new.XStart
                    set y = y + (yDirection * TerrainYSize)
                endloop
            endif
        
            return new
        endmethod
    endstruct

this records the terrain types in the TerrainTypes[] array. because its using an array (as opposed to a hashtable or (maybe) a table) their indices matter. Thus the (sorta) switch statement on the value of startCorner tells the loop what corner to start in.

As is, it automatically chooses whether to add in horizontal or vertical bands by looking at the size of the rect horizontally vs. vertically.

so here's a few features i want to incorporate
integer TrailSize: this refers to how long of a trail is behind the "front"
real TimeStep: this refers to how long between each update to the trail

the first tricky part is that these (as i want them) are both specific to each rect.

another thing is that all these TerrainChangeRects will be (unless I'm doing this completely wrong) inside another struct like this:

JASS:

    struct TerrainChangeArea
        TerrainChangeRect array     Rects[0]
        integer                     DefaultTerrainType
        real                        Period
        
        readonly integer            rI

        public method start takes boolean returns nothing
        endmethod
        
        public method insertAt takes integer insertHere, rect area, integer trailSize, real timeStep, integer startCorner returns nothing            
        endmethod
        
        public method insert takes rect area, integer trailSize, real timeStep, integer startCorner returns nothing
        endmethod
        
        public method removeAt takes integer deleteHere returns nothing
        endmethod
        
        public method remove takes nothing returns nothing
        endmethod
        
        static method create takes real period, integer ttype, rect area, integer trailSize, real timeStep, integer startCorner returns TerrainChangeArea
            local TerrainChangeArea new = TerrainChangeArea.allocate()
            
            set new.Period = period
            set new.DefaultTerrainType = ttype
            
            set new.Rects[0] = TerrainChangeRect.create(area, trailSize, timeStep, startCorner)
            
            //period is too small for the given trailsize and timestep
            if new.Period =< (trailSize * timeStep) then
                set new.Period = (trailSize * timeStep) + 4
            endif
            
            set new.rI = 1
            
            return new
        endmethod
    endstruct

this is kinda an ordered conglomeration of all the different TerrainRects. but this also has its own timer (period). Ie every x seconds (where x is the period) this "snake" of terrain change starts and goes through (completely separate from all other "snakes").

This is hard to explain and I'm sure it shows, so I attached a map from a friend that shows this concept of mazing in action. use arrow keys to control the mazer.
The way he did this level was a huge mass of individual terrain change calls (which this will do as well, just in a much, much lazier and easy way)

anyways I'm literally taking anything offered for this project
from actual code to death threats in the mail, everything is appreciated because I have absolutely no idea how to proceed from here.

Attached Files

Platform Escape example.w3m (1.2 MB)

09-25-2011, 04:12 PM

Anitarf

I think there are easier ways to approach this than the one you took. It seems like it would be easier to simply do manual data entry for each terrain tile than to make the path in the terrain editor and then read it with triggers, especially since that still requires data entry in the form of regions.

Sure, you can still draw the thing in the terrain editor first to see how it works out. Then, what I'd do is take a piece of paper with square grid lines on it and copy the layout, adding numbers to all rows and columns covered by the maze. Once that is done, I'd take the CineScript library and write a module for it that changes terrain tiles, with a public API consisting of a single function: function ScriptTerrainTile takes CineScript s, real timestamp, integer tilex, integer tiley, integer tiletype returns nothing

With this code and your sheet of paper, you could make a CineScript that gradually creates ice tiles along your maze. If you made the function that writes this CineScript take a terrain tile argument, you could then use it write both the script that creates ice tiles as well as the script that turns them back to snow. In game, you would just run these two scripts with a sufficient delay between them, at the ingame coordinates where the 0,0 tile on your paper is. The first script would be creating ice tiles and the second one, run later, would be turning those back into snow tiles.

09-27-2011, 08:02 AM	#3
Yrth	If you have a chance could you give me a bit more direction than that? I'm really bad at learning things from description. I pick things up really quickly from examples though. I think I'll take your advice and try hardcoding it first, but I'd like to create the module in a way that later on I can implement some sort of auto create.

09-27-2011, 11:01 AM

Anitarf

Well, this is what a terrain type CineScript library would look like:

JASS:

library TerrainCineScript requires CineScript

    private struct TerrainTypeAction extends ScriptAction
        private real x
        private real y
        private integer typ
        private integer var
        private integer size
        private integer brush

        static method create takes CineScript s, real timestamp, real x, real y, integer typ, integer var, integer size, integer brush returns TerrainTypeAction
            local TerrainTypeAction this=TerrainTypeAction.allocate(s, timestamp, 0.0)
            set .x=x
            set .y=y
            set .typ=typ
            set .var=var
            set .size=size
            set .brush=brush
            return this
        endmethod
        method run takes nothing returns nothing
            call SetTerrainType(.parent.globalX(.x,.y),.parent.globalY(.x,.y),.typ, .var, .size, .brush)
        endmethod
    endstruct
    
    function ScriptTerrainType takes CineScript s, real timestamp, integer tileX, integer tileY, integer terType, integer variation, integer size, integer brushType returns nothing
        call TerrainTypeAction.create(s, timestamp, tileX*128.0, tileY*128.0, terType, variation, size, brushType)
    endfunction
    
endlibrary

Then, you would use it like this:

JASS:

globals
    private CineScript mazeMaker
    private CineScript mazeEraser
endglobals

private function WriteMazeScript takes integer terrainTile returns CineScript
    local CineScript s=CineScript.create()

    set s.x = X_COORDINATE_OF_BOTTOM_RIGHT_TILE
    set s.y = Y_COORDINATE_OF_BOTTOM_RIGHT_TILE

    // I made the tile changes below happen once per second,
    // but you can easily change this by modifying the speed of the script.
    set s.speed=1.0

    call ScriptTerrainType( s, 0,   0, 0,   terrainTile,-1, 1,0)
    call ScriptTerrainType( s, 0,   0, 1,   terrainTile,-1, 1,0)
    call ScriptTerrainType( s, 0,   0, 2,   terrainTile,-1, 1,0)

    call ScriptTerrainType( s, 1,  -1, 0,   terrainTile,-1, 1,0)
    call ScriptTerrainType( s, 1,  -1, 2,   terrainTile,-1, 1,0)

    call ScriptTerrainType( s, 2,  -2, 0,   terrainTile,-1, 1,0)
    call ScriptTerrainType( s, 2,  -2, 1,   terrainTile,-1, 1,0)
    call ScriptTerrainType( s, 2,  -2, 2,   terrainTile,-1, 1,0)

    call ScriptTerrainType( s, 3,  -3, 1,   terrainTile,-1, 1,0)

    call ScriptTerrainType( s, 4,  -4, 0,   terrainTile,-1, 1,0)
    call ScriptTerrainType( s, 4,  -4, 1,   terrainTile,-1, 1,0)
    call ScriptTerrainType( s, 4,  -4, 2,   terrainTile,-1, 1,0)

    call ScriptTerrainType( s, 5,  -5, 0,   terrainTile,-1, 1,0)
    call ScriptTerrainType( s, 5,  -5, 2,   terrainTile,-1, 1,0)

    call ScriptTerrainType( s, 6,  -6, 0,   terrainTile,-1, 1,0)
    call ScriptTerrainType( s, 6,  -6, 1,   terrainTile,-1, 1,0)
    call ScriptTerrainType( s, 6,  -6, 2,   terrainTile,-1, 1,0)
    //...and so on.
endfunction

private function StartMaze takes nothing returns nothing
    call mazeMaker.run()
    // wait however long you like.
    call mazeEraser.run()
endfunction

private function Init takes nothing returns nothing
    set mazeMaker=WriteMazeScript( ICE_TILE )
    set mazeEraser=WriteMazeScript( SNOW_TILE )
endfunction

09-27-2011, 08:52 PM	#5
Yrth	This. This is perfect Thank you so much Ani And wow, you can actually change the speed at any time too thats incredibly cool tytytyty