Menu system

[SolarPortal]

Thanks for the patience and i will get around to it asap

[SolarPortal]

Hi PlanetX,

I have been doing some lua work and managed to fit the extra commands you needed in.

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projectpath = sky.getDir_Project(); -- Returns the root of the project folder
projectOrGame = sky.getDir_ProjectOrGameFolder() -- Returns the project if in editor or the game assets folder if in end game.
assetLibraryOrGame = sky.getDir_AssetLibraryOrGameFolder() -- Returns the AssetLibrary if in editor or the game assets folder if in end game.
isEditor= sky.isEditor() -- Returns whether this script is running in the editor or in an end game. 1= Editor, 0 = end game.


These will be in the next release and should make it easier to detect where the files need to go

[planetX]

This is great, exactly what I need.

Thanks very much, I wouldn't be able to do anything without your support!

[SolarPortal]

Excellent If you need any other additions, then let me know

If you want to get the documents folder like most games do for save locations, then these links should help:
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/20821226/lua-my-documents-path-and-file-creation-date
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/16029504/creating-new-folders-and-files-with-lua
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1690913/how-to-create-a-directory-in-lua

[planetX]

Thanks, very useful.

[planetX]

Hi peeps,

hope you're doing well... I'm currently rewritting the whole menu system (don't ask why ) and I want to organize the .lua script in separate files, instead of having all the code in one file. So the plan is having a main script, then import all the snippets in a sctructure like this:

- main
-> camera
-> player
-> sound
-> cars
-> tracks
-> etc...

But it's not really working, and I guess is because all the snippets have a section inside the onInit() function, which I'm replicating on each script. So my questions are... can I even have more than one onInit()? Do I have to assign an ID to each snippet? Should I group all the commands inside the onInit() function in a separate file too? (I don't like that much)... what would you do guys?

Thanks in advance!

Cheers

[StarFire]

Hi mate,

What we do is to set all of the include files to have their own Camera_Init(objID), Player_Init(objID) etc function
then call these from the main scripts onInit() or even postInit() to ensure all actions have been initialized, also you can pass the objID to these includes this way.

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eg.
sky.include("UI_Camera.lua");
sky.include("UI_Player.lua");

function onInit(objID)
     Camera_Init('optional' objID); -- only passing the objID or the ui ID if its needed in the include script.
     Player_Init('optional' objID)
end

Hope this helps

[planetX]

Hey, thanks!... it works like a charm!

Camera_Init('optional' objID); -- only passing the objID or the ui ID if its needed in the include script.

Actually, I don't make any reference to the objID, don't even know what it is for... I just know that it has to be there inside the onInit() function, otherwise the script doesn't work.

[SolarPortal]

Great that you got it working.

The objID passed in through the lua onInit is the sceneEntity that the script is attached to for a microscript or an external script.
We usually make a global reference to it so you can use it like this:

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-- Create a global reference in the script for the ID to be stored into.
obj = -1

-- The onInit() objID argument is the sceneEntity ID that the script is attached to in the scene and is passed from c++ to lua
-- if the script is a microscript or external script.
function onInit( objID )
    - Assign the passed id to a global id.
    obj  = objID;

    -- then you can use the id in other functions or this function to set entity properties such as position, rotation or scale
    -- or use the id to retrieve the tag of a sceneEntity.

    entityTag = entity.getTagFromID( obj ); --or objID in this function

    x,y,z = vec3(0,1,0);
    entity.setPosition( obj, x, y, z) --or objID in this function
end

-- if using the id outside the onInit, then use the global variable: obj


Note: A Scene Script does not pass it in the same way as the objID on a sceneScripts onInit will always be -9.

Hope this helps

[StarFire]

By knowing the object ID we can communicate with any object or objects script in the scene, including the scene script. Being passed by the onInit(objID) we can write generic scripts that will adapt to any object the script is attached to, assuming the commands are relevant

[planetX]

I think I got it... I just need to get used to those concepts, as I didn't have such possibilities in the old game engine I was using.

Thanks guys for the support, as always.

[SolarPortal]

ahh i see, skyline has a lot of interactivity between entities which is how you control what happens in games or as StarFire wrote it, so same scripts can be reused on different entities. Then when extended with dynamic properties in scripts, you can have interchangeable values all from a single script.

... and no problem We are happy and ready to help

[planetX]

Camera_Init('optional' objID); -- only passing the objID or the ui ID if its needed in the include script.

Hi, it's me again

After chopping the main script here and there, I've noticed that there are more than one reference to some UIs in the included files. The ui IDs are part of a multidimensional array, as shown below:

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   menu[1]["page"] = gui.load("menu_01.rml",0,0)
   menu[2]["page"] = gui.load("menu_02.rml",0,0)
   menu[3]["page"] = gui.load("menu_03.rml",0,0)
   etc...


I'm currently having problems to run the script and I guess is because of that, but not sure how to pass 3 variables... help!

ahh i see, skyline has a lot of interactivity between entities which is how you control what happens in games or as StarFire wrote it, so same scripts can be reused on different entities. Then when extended with dynamic properties in scripts, you can have interchangeable values all from a single script.

I'm slowly getting it, that definitely opens a lot of possibilities and that's why I'm so excited. Shame I don't have the time I'd like to spend on this. But I'm already cooking another project: a crafting inventory. So be prepared for a tsunami of questions. just kidding, that's something I have in mind since long time ago and now I feel I have a chance. But a long term project anyway.

Cheers

[SolarPortal]

because the Camera_Init() function is your own function, then you can pass as many arguments as you want or none if they arent needed just like any other function in lua except the default skyline ones e.g. onInit( objID ), postInit(), onUpdate( timedelta ), onKeyDown( key ), onKeyUp( key ), onMouseDown( button, x, y ), onMouseUp( button, x, y ), etc..

for your example, you could pass:

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function Camera_Init(obj, uiID1, uiID2, uiID3, etc....) -- or whatever names or extras you need.
end


Optional arguments in lua is quite simple but doesn't make as much sense as other more complex programs such as c++, but you can do something like this and i just tested and it works quite well:

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function Camera_Init(objID, uiID1, uiID2, uiID3) -- or whatever names or extras you need.
   -- If the ids are not passed, then default to -1
   uiID1 = uiID1 or -1
   uiID2 = uiID2 or -1
   uiID3 = uiID3 or -1
   
   -- print to see the results
   lprint("uiID1.."..uiID1)
   lprint("uiID2.."..uiID2)
   lprint("uiID3.."..uiID3)
end

obj = 0;
function onInit(objID)
   obj = objID;
   Camera_Init(20, 10, 20, 30);
   -- prints 10, 20, 30

   Camera_Init(20); -- no other arguments passed
   -- prints -1, -1, -1
end


As for your multi dimensional array being used in different files.
i think, that you could place the array in its own include file and then use it in each file. e.g.

Im not sure if this is what your wanting, but here is an example of including files that cascade into one another.

script example.zip

(1.07 KiB) Downloaded 2254 times

Hope this helps! if not, then please explain your problem a bit more or show a tad more code and we will see what we can do. Alternatively, you can pass in pm to not share your code out.

[planetX]

Now I'm starting to understand...

Yes, it helps a lot. Thanks very much for the info and the files, they're really useful. I also like the idea of moving the menu array in a separate file.

Next time I'll try to be more descriptive, sorry for that.

[SolarPortal]

no, dont worry about it.

You'll be a pro lua programmer before too long
Keep up the great work!

[planetX]

I just felt bad for forcing you to recreate the situation... although you were really close, despite the dumb question. I have to take care of my developers, they are the future.

Nah, just wanted to say that now everything is working. I was just doing it wrong. Thanks again!

[SolarPortal]

I have to take care of my developers, they are the future.

haha Thanks!

Great Job for getting it working again!

[planetX]

Hi, one question... I have this function to get the key I'm pressing:

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function onKeyDown( key )
   pressed_key = key
   sky.lprint("You Pressed the "..pressed_key.." Key");
end


... which returns a string that I can use later, like this:

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if ( pressed_key == "enter???" ) then
    ... do something
end


But when I press the "enter" key, nothing is returned. Do you know which string should I use in the conditional?

[SolarPortal]

I will take a look later on for you

[planetX]

Great!

BTW I've just noticed that it's the same with the "control", "alt" and "delete" keys. I particularly need to know the "enter" and "delete" ones in order to enable a keyboard navigation.

[StarFire]

lol fully featured key commands

[SolarPortal]

Hi PlanetX,
Another embarrasing moment lol No one has ever asked for these keys lol and i thought they were already in.
Strangely enough, i cant seem to find an enter, retur, or many other key presses in the editor side, so we will add this in for the next update, but the end game can use most already.

I have added the following keyboard commands:

You can already use "shift", "lshift", "rshift" (In editor, they do all the same, where end game has separate shifts). Control is missing though as are the others

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"space"
"up"
"down"
"left"
"right"
"shift" -- or "lshift" and "rshift" in end game. All three return the same in the editor.
"control" -- or "lcontrol" and "rcontrol" in end game. All three return the same in the editor.

"esc"
"tab"
"backtab"
"return" -- Both keypad enter and keyboard return ley
"delete"
"back"
"alt"

"*" -- asterisk
"+-" -- plus/minus key
"+" -- plus key
"-" -- minus key
"~" -- atilde

"&"
 "%"

"f1"
"f2"
"f3"
"f4"
"f5"
"f6"
"f7"
"f8"
"f9"
"f10"
"f11"
"f12"

"pgup"
"pgdown"
"end"
"home"
"insert"

"_"
"-"
"="
         
"["
"]"
"{"
"}"
"("
")"
"<"
">"
      
"@"
";"
":"
"'" -- Apostrophe
"?"
"!"

","
"."
"/"
"|"
"\"

"volumeup"
"volumedown"
"mute"



Thanks again for saving our arses with this one lol

p.s. there are more, so if you need a specific set, then let me know

Edit: When you want to know what a key is called,
do this in your script:

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function onKeyDown( key )
    lprint("key: "..key);
end

It will print blank if there is no key assigned

[planetX]

Hahaha... no problem mate, I can live without them in the meanwhile. As long I know that I'm not doing anything wrong, everything it's okay.

Edit: When you want to know what a key is called,
do this in your script:

Code: Select all

function onKeyDown( key )
    lprint("key: "..key);
end

It will print blank if there is no key assigned

I knew, I got blank, that's why I asked.

lol fully featured key commands

Now the menu can be controlled by mouse, keyboard and joystick.

[SolarPortal]

haha cool

Looking forward to releasing this next version as its had a huge... amount of changes.