SC2Mapster

Do you mean to delete the missile actors and recreate them? It seems to be working at least in some cases (at 0 range), but I'm getting a bit confused as to how much is an optical illusion.

BroodLordMissileB dead-ends? Good to know. Why does the broodlord (or the siege tank) have a second set for buildings/large units anyway? Won't try recreating the ability with that mechanic now.

The problem with the Specialise ability is that I can't shift the "construction process" to it, as I probably need 1 behavior when starting (to deactivate abilities, apply speed debuff/suppress movement etc) and an additional effect upon completion ("carry completed structure"). I should be able to compound the initial abilities into 1 "Info+" type ability though, that should bypass the ability field restriction.

Are the button restrictions for all 4 cards combined or 64 per card? Or is the limit 16 per card, x4 cards?

@DrSuperEvil: Go

1+2: Thanks, that worked. I already had tried this, but didn't think of the validator. For some reason it works with "model addition" actors but not "anim type - play once" actors (don't show up at all, exact same code)

3.

• I'm using the mover from the Raven's standard spawn autoturret ability. It has 2 phases, 1 "homing", 1 "nothing" (which I assume remains unused) The turret is dropped facing directly "south" (down on minimap) regardless of the direction the caster is facing.
• What do you mean with "action" actor? The missile effect/actor is already linked to an action-attack type actor.
• I already tried "SetRotationFrom", with source=_Unit/_Selectable and target=_Missile/MissileActorName. Wrong refs? Can't use ActorCreation as the initiating event even though the actor triggers on the Launch Missile effect? Use the signalling system from colossus/medivac beams?

4. Add a "construction failed AND CasterNotDead" validator to make it work like regular construction?

Launch Missile effects automatically sacrifice the caster(/specified launcher?) unit? Cool! Still can't make out which of the broodlord weapon effects are relevant to this though. It has a split for units/buildings, and the unit one triggers several missiles, 1 of which uses a predefined projectile unit ("BroodLordBWeapon", A also exists but appears to be unused)

I tried the Specialise ability type, but had several problems with that as well:

• Forces caster to remain stationary. I'd like to have the option of constructing on the move. (Suppress flags and Deactivate Ability is much more flexible)
• Autocancels when given any? order. (move orders, anyway) Construction abilities queue the order or ignore it.
• Unless I missed something that ability type can't apply buffs/effects when cast/channeled. And the regular Ability actor triggers don't work well with it. Do the Ability-Morph ones work?
• On a related note, how do I identify the "selected specialisation" as soon as the ability is cast? Is there a validator that can extract the intended specialisation effect?
• How does that save ability slots? I still have 1 "build" button for each individual unit (currently command card #2, like Hallucination), and the "drop" buttons which can be compressed into 1 slot anyway. Or did you mean actual Ability entries (i.e. stuff everything into that Info+ slot instead of making additional Ability data entries)?

Please go to this post >> @Photoloss: Go << for current progress and a demo map (works for the most part now)

First of all, I should probably explain what I'm trying to do: I want to make a more "realistic" construction mechanic for the Raven/Nomad: First it constructs the building/drone, then carries it around (visibly). You can then command it to "drop" the building, this works the same as the current "spawn autoturret/PDD"

My current approach is as follows:

• "Construction" is handled by an on/off behavior ability (like cloak), which applies/removes the "constructing" behavior. This is a countdown, completion of which adds the "carrying finished structure" behavior.
• Posession of either of these behaviors disables further build commands.
• Posessing the "carrying structure" behavior is mandatory to cast "drop structure"

My current actor structure is as follows: * Unit actor reacts to "constructing" behavior on/off, starting "work" animations.

• "construction" actor (model addition) synchronises with the "constructing" behavior, and creates the visual for the building under construction (currently "autoturret-birth" at about 0.15 time scale), removal of the actor doesn't trigger a "death" animation.
• "carrying" actor (model addition) synchronises with the "carrying" behavior, it's responsible for the visual of hauling the completed structure along with the Raven/Nomad. Currently plays the structure's "stand" animation forever, no death anim.
• The "carrying" behavior is removed through use of the "drop" ability, allowing construction again. This currently works via a missile unit with the same model as the completed structure, launched from the attachment site used by the previous actors.

Now on to the problems:

1. SOLVED Canceling the construction causes the related actor to vanish instantly. Any attempts to play a death animation if and only if the construction hasn't been completed have failed so far. (idea: "model-play once" actor plays the death anim, but vanishes instantly if construction was successful) -Problem: There is no Behavior-Expire actor trigger -Problem: Model-Play Once actor created on behavior-"contruct"-off/destroy does not react properly to behavior-"carry"-on event with "destroy immediately"/"cancel animation" action
2. SOLVED Same goes for the "carrying" behavior (which basically is a copy of the "construction" one), relevant if the casting unit dies.
3. RANDOMLY STARTED WORKING? The transition between the carried visual and the "dropped structure" missile is a bit ugly, should be fixed if I can make the missile inherit the rotation of the casting unit.
4. BYPASSED Not visual, but canceling the construction via ability-construct-off doesn't refund minerals. This could probably be bypassed by making the cancelling effect a seperate ability, but is there really no way of refunding costs/adding negative costs upon switching this off? -Modify Player effect with validator is a reasonable solution.

There probably is an easier way of doing all this using the broodlord escort system, but I don't really understand how that works, specifically how it "converts" the escorts into missiles or guarantees a smooth transition between the escort and the missile (and it's more of a mess than the current state of my system)

Thanks in advance!

According to "other people here" (can't remember who, but they knew what they were talking about) the problem is that the editor writes an xml file containing a list of actors in alphabetical order. This order also determines which actor is created first, if they trigger on the same event. Editing this file, which is possible with an mpq editor, should solve the problem, so if Blizzard made sure the HealBeam actor is listed before the Launch/ImpactSites the bug wouldn't occur.

The solution suggested by the one who posted this info in an earlier thread was to create a new beam actor with a "z" at the end of its name (e.g. MedivacHealBeamz), and copying all fields from your old actor. The "copy from..." option in the create dialog window should also work, but apparently renaming the existing actor doesn't.

This also is important if you have an ability with multiple timed stages, as then the Cast and Channel references won't be equal. (e.g. first "prepare" like Thors adjusting their cannons, then "charge" like Yamato Cannon, then channel the main effect, then "unmorph" like Thors retracting the cannons)

I don't think it's possible to solve this easily. The problem occurs with other doodad models too (I tried the Zhakul Obelisk). The Medivac beam is unaffected, but that thing uses a Site actor as the impact location for the beam.

I suspect the game handles attack impact locations via points/methods hardcoded into the models. Any model not made to include a valid set of impact points will display this bug.

It might be possible to change all affected weapons so they hit the center of the unit if it uses a bugged model, but that would be a lot of work. You'd basically have to recreate every weapon to use the beam setup of the Medivac, plus a validator so the weapon still functions normally when used against other targets. A slightly easier solution would involve making the attack actor target the center of the unit by default, but I was unable to do so for the Sentry. You'd still have to copy all affected attack actors (and actors linked to them) and use a validator to identify bugged units.

tl,dr: use the Terrazine Tank model.

PS: any progress on the Archon?

Since it works with other models I suspect the problem can't be solved without editing the model.

I'll experiment a bit when I have the time, but it's almost 1 o'clock in the night where I live.

Things you can try include adding/removing Site Ops at random, testing with other doodad models that have multiple variants, and look for a different model for your building. There's a couple of water tanks and the Terrazine Tank for example.

As for making a demo map, you only have to change the model of any building to the vespene tank in question, then place a Sentry next to it.

That looks like you set the wrong fields. It's "Target - Impact Location - [something about site operations]+"

And that green looks unhealthy, considering you're supposed to modify the original SentryAttack actor.

When you encounter a graphics problem it's most likely caused by an actor. Posting the unit details doesn't really help.

Do the test with the SentryAttack actor and post whether the beam still vanishes.

For future problems: Generally the best way of posting data is to provide a demo map that only contains the problem at hand. Inability to replicate the problem in a new map usually means something went wrong with copying stuff, linking up actors, earlier unrelated edits or you made a trivial mistake in your original map.

What model did you use for your custom building? Do other beams vanish too? (try with Interceptors) Do other damage effects display correctly?

Archons can attack friendly units, but their splash doesn't harm allies. There's a main target filter in the weapon entry with 4 checkboxes for Player, Ally, Neutral and Enemy, and another target filter for the splash, for the Archon this is in the damage effect itself. In other cases the AoE filter may be located in a search effect (Colossus)

Edit: Select the SentryAttack actor. Find the field Target - Impact Location - [Site Ops or something?]+ The first entry in that field should be SOpAttachHarness. Change that to SOpAttachCenter or SOpAttachOrigin Attack the building again. The beam should now go to the center of the structure. Undo all changes to the SentryAttack actor once you've confirmed whether the beam still vanishes or not.

Did you try the Marine model change? That should of course result in Marines looking like asteroids.

Try starting over again. If you've messed up something when you copied the unit/actor it'll be easier to make another copy than to find the mistake. Try changing the model to something else. And again: check that you're actually looking at the modified mineral field and not the stock one; and make sure the actors are linked correctly.

Try to replicate your problem in an empty map. If the model change works there you must've messed up somewhere or other data in your map is interfering. If your problem does occur in the new map, post said map as an attachment to your next post. It might be helpful to add an editor prefix or suffix to any files you modify in the demo map so we can search for said prefix. ("modified" is a good choice)

Try replacing the model in the Marine actor with the asteroid model?

Are you sure you modified the correct field for the actor? The Mineral Field uses its standard model as a Construction and Placement model too. Have you placed the copied mineral fields? (Though copying resource units isn't a good idea if you're new to the editor)

When I change the model of the stock mineral field actor it displays ingame, so you must've messed up with copying the unit or setting the model.

Post an example map, or at least describe what you mean with "doesn't work".

Does the model show up at all? Does it look weird when the unit performs certain actions? Does the model appear in the wrong place (high above ground, a building length to the left of the unit's position etc)?

To my knowledge you have to create a new beam actor (with added "z") for it to work. You can choose to use the old beam actor as the template for creating the new one so you don't have to copy all the fields over.

Also check the RefSet actor events of the launch/impact sites. These references are used by the beam actor (in some Host...+ fields), and I would suggest creating new ones for your ability.

There doesn't seem to be a way of adding to bonus damage with behaviors, so the only way you can make it show up in the tooltips is to make new weapons for every damage setup you want. Don't forget you have to duplicate the Attack actor, and for other units their Missile/Beam, Model and Sound actors which can be a real pain for something like Voidrays.

Does the card have a "flipped over" Stand animation? You need to tell the actor to use that after it completes the flipping animation.

Does the card flip back with a proper animation, or does it just "magically" revert to its unflipped state?