When a unit casts an ability... then..

Hi, does anyone know the difference between the following functions? And which Event Response functions are appropriate to them in certain situations?

Begins casting an ability
Starts the effect of an ability
Begins channeling an ability
Stops casting an ability
Finishes casting an ability

Also.. when is new Enfo coming out :D

Begins casting an ability - Right when the ability button is clicked, before the actual firing of the spell.

Starts the effect of an ability - Generally immediately when a spell fires (haven't found any exceptions yet, but I'm sure there is a few), be sure to use this one often... but you probably know that.

Begins channeling an ability - for channeling spells, this is after the spell animation cooldown, after the spell is fired and begins to work...

Stops casting an ability - not sure, sorry :( I imagine it's if you, for instance, click a targetable ability on an area, then interrupt before the unit reaches the minimum range of the spell. Either that or for interrupting channeling, but I've never used this for anything so I really don't know.

Finishes casting an ability - when channeling is done, when a storm bolt is fired, etc. I think "starts the effect of an ability" is more reliable but this works for most dummy spells.

Event response - Casting unit, or Ability being cast =\ it's not like you have much to choose from.

Thanks, this helps somewhat. I didn't know about the 1 sec thing. Also, when does Event Response - Triggering Unit and Event Response - Casting Unit apply to those triggers? Sometimes Casting Unit does not work for some of those Events.

my map will come out jan 7 at the latest (maybe earlier if i can figure this problem out), because that's when i go back for winterquarter and disappear for months at a time. i don't think many will care though. there are too many variations of my map out by now that the makers have spent alot of time on, and ppl are probably sick of team survival. but i hate to leave something unfinished.

edit: for ferret's post which just popped up:

Thanks also. Actually I didn't know that the starts the effect was the best to use... i recently just begun using it. Thanks alot.. I hope this bug i'm struggling with will just die

Okay to clarify on "Finishes casting an ability".

Say you tell a beastmaster to summon a bear, approximately once the animation has stopped the event fires.

However, you can easily move the beastmaster right after the bear has spawned, the event will never fire even through the ability HAS been cast.

Therfore I feel that event is unreliable, definitely for some spells and possibly for many.

Possibly the combination of "Stops casting an ability" and "Finishes casting an ability" will catch the ability being cast in every instance, but I havn't tested that.