Originally posted here: Stargatecommand16659.yuku.com
Created by: MaLuS
Mirrored here for archival purposes
Objects
Below is a list and basic description of game objects used in the creation of Alien vs Predator 2. If you have a question about the meaning of any of the available properties of an object, you may access the online help built into DEdit by placing your cursor over the property in question until the cursor is replaced by a question mark. Left click to display a definition of that property.
AmmoBox
AmmoBoxes are placed in the world as a powerup. Each Ammobox can contain up to ten different kinds of ammunition.
Camera
Cameras show scenes in the world outside the player.
CinematicTrigger
This is a controller object used for cutscenes and in game dialog.
ClientLightFX
ClientLightFX can be used to create things like flashing lights, lightning, and switchable lights. Although many objects and weapons generate their own lights, it’s still useful to be able to individually place lights to create more customized effects. You can also design a ClientLightFX object so that it creates high-quality animating lightmaps or casts shadows on moving objects.
Controller
This object controls properties of up to 8 objects. Just setup its TargetX properties for the objects and send it one of these messages:
· FADE <parameter type> <destination value> <duration> [Wave type (default is SINE)]
Fades to the specified destination value over time.
· FLICKER <interval min> <interval max> <message to send> [count, default -1 which means forever]
Sends a trigger message to the objects in a random time between the specified interval.
· OFF
Stops whatever happening.
· Supported parameter types:
· Alpha - value 0-1
· Color - values 0-255, must be specified in quotes like "1 2 3". If you specify an X for the value, that value won't be changed.
· Wave types supported:
· LINEAR
· SINE
· SLOWOFF (linear until halfway, then sin for other half)
· SLOWON (sin for halfway, then linear for other half)
· Sample messages:
· To send a message between every 5 and 10 seconds forever:
FLICKER 5 10 "Some message to send"
· To send a message every 3 seconds, 10 times:
FLICKER 3 3 "Some message to send" 10
· To fade alpha to 0 over 5 seconds using a sine wave:
FADE ALPHA 0 5 SINE
· To fade color to "0 128 256" over 7 seconds using a slow on wave:
FADE COLOR "0 128 256" 7 SLOWON
· To fade red and blue to 111 over 9 seconds using a linear wave:
FADE COLOR "111 X 111" 9 LINEAR
DebrisSpawner
This object is used for spawning debris. Turn the debris spawner on by sending it an “On” message.
DemoSkyWorldModel
DemoSkyWorldModels allow objects to render in the skybox in a single step. A DemoSkyWorldModel is an object that fuses a WorldModel and a SkyPointer. By doing this, binding a brush to the one object allows it to be rendered in the skybox without the need for any additional objects.
DirLight
DirLights act like a spotlight, shining only within an arc that you specify instead of in a sphere like a regular light. You can aim them to any angle you choose.
DisplayTimer
This object was not used in the creation of AVP2 and is not supported.
Door
Doors are objects you bind to a brush to create a moveable worldmodel.
Breakable
This is a subclass of the Door object The Breakable object can be used for both collapsing floors (default behavior) and falling objects. Since it is a subclass of the Door object, it shares many of its properties.
HingedDoor
This is a subclass of the Door object The HingedDoor object is used to emulate the functionality of a door that swings on hinges. Since it is a subclass of the Door object, it shares many of its properties.
Switch
This is a subclass of the Door object The Switch object is used to create an easily identifiable “switch” object that the player can interact with to control things within the game environment. Since it is a subclass of the Door object, it shares many of its properties.
Dripper
This is an object used to place dripping effects in the world. The dimensions of this object should stretch from the drip origin to the ground.
EvacZone
This is an object used to establish the Evac zone in an Evac multiplay level. The dimensions of the object determine the size of the zone.
EventCounter
This object will store up to 5 different "events", with each event containing an integer value and two commands. The idea is that the game code can increment/decrement the EventCounter's value (by sending ”Increment” or “Inc” and ”Decrement” or “Dec” messages). When the counter’s value is equal to one (or more) of the EventXValue (i.e., Event1Value, Event2Value, etc.), either the EventXIncToValCmd or EventXDecToValCmd will be processes. In other words, how the counter gets to the EventXValue determines which command is sent. For example, if Event1Value = 2, and the EventCounter’s staring value is 0, if the EventCounter gets 2 “Inc” messages, the Event1IncToValCmd will be processed. If at this point the “Inc” message is sent again (so the counter is now at 3), and then the “Dec” message is sent to the counter, the Event1DecToValCmd will be processed. This object also understands the “Lock” and “Unlock” commands (Inc/Dec don’t have any effect on the counter if it is locked).
Explosion
This is an object used to place explosion effects in the world.
Mine
This object is a subclass of the Explosion object. It is used to emulate land mines. Since it is a subclass of the Explosion object, it shares many of its properties.
FastApproxArea
A FastApproxArea marks an area of the level (bounded by hull makers or portals) to use the Fast Approximation method in the preprocessor. This can be useful to make preprocessing go faster in outdoor areas where visibility can’t be optimized very well anyways. This is an object that was not used in the creation of AVP2 and is not supported.
Fire
This is an object used to create fire effects.
FogVolume
This object was not used in the creation of AVP2 and is not supported.
GameStartPoint
This is the point that the player enters the game world.
MPStartCommand
This is a property field found in the GameStartPoint object. Every time a multi-player level loads, all commands in this field will be sent from any startpoint in the level. For example, if there are 20 startpoints in the level and 12 of them have a message in this field, all 12 messages will be sent at level load every time. The code makes no distinction between one startpoint and another. If you have just one message that needs to be sent, put it in any startpoint in the level and leave all the rest of the startpoints alone.
GenericObject
This object was not used in the creation of AVP2 and is not supported.
Group
This is an object used when you wish to send the same message to several different objects at once. It acts as a simple relay.
InsideDef
This object is used to define an area as the inside portion of a shell. The GameStartPoint normally does this. But, sometimes you will want to build other separate areas that are cut off from the main map, but that are still a part of the level. To keep these from being removed when the level is processed, you will need to add an InsideDef object to define the area as part of the inside shell.
Key
This is an object used to define a point in the path of a keyframed object.
KeyFramer
This is an object used to define a point in the path of a keyframed object.
KeyFramerLight
This is a special light object used for animated lighting.
Light
This is a basic point light, or omni light object used to light the world.
LightGroup
This is object is used to turn lights on and off in a level. To use this object, drag a Light or Dirlight beneath a LightGroup object (Lights/Dirlights are children to the LightGroup parent). To turn the lights on or off, send the Lightgroup object an “On” or “Off” message.
Lightning
This object is used to create lightning and electrical effects in the game.
ObjectLight
This is a light that only affects models.
ObjectRemover
ObjectRemover contains several "groups" of objects. For each group, you may list up to 6 objects. Specify how many groups of objects you wish to keep in the "GroupsToKeep" property.
On the first update, the ObjectRemover will randomly select the groups of objects it will keep (based on how many were specified to keep), and remove all the objects in all the other groups, and then remove itself.
OutsideDef
This object is placed to define the outside leaf of the world.
ParticleSystem
Any time you want to spawn a large number of similar simple objects in one location or area, you probably want a ParticleSystem object. Particle systems create a cloud of objects, usually sprites or simple models. They can make the sprites move, determine the area where they appear and how long they remain after being created.
PolyGrid
A polygrid is a grid of triangles that can have an animating surface. They’re used to simulate flags, curtains, water, force fields and many other effects.
PickupObject
This object is used to place powerups throughout a level (ammo, armor, health, etc…).
Prop
The Prop object is used to place .abc models into the game world. Props are typically things that would be too complex or impractical to be created from world geometry. Examples would be plants, telephones, detailed furnishings, etc.
AmmoBox
This object is a subclass of the Prop object.This object is used to place ammobox powerups that hold multiple pickups.
TorchableLock
This object is a subclass of the Prop object. This object is used to place Locks in the world that the player can circumvent using the torch. Since it is a subclass of the Prop object, it shares many of its properties.
PropType
This object is a subclass of the Prop object. This is a different way of managing prop placement in levels. We found that a lot of the props that we placed were set up the same as each other. Yet we still had to set all of the flags. The PropType object places props by way of a simple dropdown menu. The dropdown menu refers to a bute file where the all of the prop flags have been predefined. Since it is a subclass of the Prop object, it shares many of its properties.
RandomSpawner
The RandomSpawner is used to spawn objects randomly through multiple Spawner objects.
RaySelecter
This object was not used in AVP2 and is not supported.
RotatingWorldModel
These are objects that spin on any given axis. The most common example of a RotatingWorldModel would be a spinning fan.
ScaleSprite
ScaleSprites are free-standing textures that don’t need a surface to appear on. ScaleSprites get compounded into a lot of other game objects, but they can be used on their own to make a lot of things happen too. ScaleSprites are used for all kinds of things — halos around lights, floating symbols, decals on walls and objects in the sky
ScreenShake
The ScreenShake object shakes the camera when triggered.
SkyPointer
SkyPointer objects allow the objects that they target to render in the skybox of the level. Only WorldModel-derived objects and Sprites can appear in the skybox.
SoundFX
This object allows you to place sounds in the world.
SoundFXObj
This object was not used in AVP2. Use the SoundFx object for all sounds.
Spawner
This is a generic object used to “Spawn” objects into the game world.
MultiSpawner
This object is a subclass of the Spawner object. The object is used for controlling multiple spawns from the same object.
SpectatorPoint
This object is used for player view cameras in Evac and OverRun team maps.
Sprinkles
This object was not used in AVP2 and is not supported.
SpriteControlObject
This object was not used in the creation of AVP2 and is not supported.
StarLightView
This object is used with levels supporting vision modes. You’ll need one StarLightView for each vision mode for Predators, Marines, and Aliens. The standard vision modes used for the retail version of AVP2 can be found in the StarLightTest.ed file found in the Worlds directory.
StaticSunLight
The StaticSunLight object supplies levels that have a skybox with light from a sunlike source. The light radiates into the level through all skyportal brushes as if from an infinitely far point. This sunlight’s direction is determined by the rotation of the StaticSunLight object. Its position doesn’t matter, since the emitted light acts as if it comes from an infinite distance. The StaticSunlight’s position is ignored.
Steam
The Steam object is a form of the ParticleSystem object that has been set up to more easily create particle effects resembling jets of steam. The effect created by this object travels down the forward facing vector of the object.
TeleportPoint
This object is used to define the position and rotation of a point in space that the player or an AI can be moved to instantly.
Terrain
Terrains are a special case object similar to a WorldModel that are able to contain a group of brushes. Although they get the full benefits of game physics, they never block visibility or cast shadows and they cannot move or be transparent, but they have the special property that they can contain one-sided brushes. This allows them to take meshes from external 3D packages and use them as valid world objects. You can model very irregular objects in an outside package and still have it operate in the world like world geometry instead of model geometry using a terrain object. It is important for performance reasons to only use a single terrain object to hold all terrain geometry in your level. It won’t affect their physics even if pieces are in totally separate parts of the level.
TorchableLockCounter
This object is used when multiple torchable locks must be torched before an event can occur.
TranslucentWorldModel
By binding world geometry to a TranslucentWorldModels it becomes a world model and inherits properties unavailable to normal world geometry. The three main reasons for binding geometry to a TranslucentWorldModel are translucency and chromakeying, to be able to keyframe an object, and to simplify the physics of particularly complex geometry for performance reasons.
Trigger
Triggers can be used like tripwires. When the player or an A.I. character passes through one, it sends a message to any other objects you want, telling them to do whatever they do. If a keyframer is the target, the keyframer will start moving the objects attached to it. If the target is a door, the door will open or close. Triggers can trigger any object, even other triggers.
ExitTrigger
This object is a subclass of the Trigger object. This object is used to trigger the end of a level. Since it is a subclass of the Prop object, it shares many of its properties.
LaserTrigger
This object is a subclass of the Trigger object. This object is used to create laser trip wires that are invisible without the use of the infrared sunglasses gadget in AVP2. Since it is a subclass of the Prop object, it shares many of its properties.
VolumeBrush
Volume brushes are used for a number of effects — Water, damaging environments, rainy areas, and AI movement. A VolumeBrush object is designed to bind to a brush and use the brush to determine its area of effect. If the effect is continuous, such as rain or snow, it only occurs within the space defined by the brush. If the effect happens to players and Ais, it only happens to them when they’re within the volume. The effects of the volume are triggered when the player enters the space and usually un-triggered when they leave.
WorldProperties
This object is placed in every level to define many of the global properties of the level.
WorldSection
This object was not used in the creation of AVP2 and is not supported.
Zone
This object was not used in the creation of AVP2 and is not supported.
