Change a particular clone parameter

[lverona]

When the game starts, I have 30 clones created. Is there a way later on in the game to, say, change yvelocity of a particular clone, say, clone number 26?

[koala]

When the game starts, I have 30 clones created. Is there a way later on in the game to, say, change yvelocity of a particular clone, say, clone number 26?

Hi, lverona!

Global code:

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#define MAX 5 // number of clones
#define NAME 31 // clone's name length

char cloneName[NAME]; // clone's name
Actor *clonePlayer; // pointer to a clone


Global Variables:
- index - clone's index
- acc - initial index value after you press [SPACE]

view -> Create Actor -> Script Editor:

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acc = -MAX; // initialize

When you press [space] first time and start the program, acc will be 0.

choose (text) -> Draw Actor -> Script Editor:

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sprintf(choose.text, "choose clone: %i", index);

This shows index of current clone.
Every frame it activates this code because it is in Draw Actor. Writes string in choose.text.

view -> Key Down (space) -> Repeat: Disable -> Script Editor:

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int i;

// delete all previos clones
for (i = acc; i < acc + MAX; i++) {
    sprintf(cloneName, "player.%d", i);
    DestroyActor(cloneName);
}
// first i goes from 0 to 4, next time i goes from 5 to 9, and so on,
// because when you destroy previous clones and create new, those new clones have their indexes
// new clones will have new indexes

acc += MAX;

index = acc;

// create new clones
for (i = 0; i < MAX; i++)
    CreateActor("player", "square", "no parent", "no path", (i * 100 - 200), 0, true);

// create text and border, but only when game is started
if (acc == 0) {
    CreateActor("choose", "no animation", "no parent", "no path", -280, 200, true);
    CreateActor("border", "no animation", "no parent", "no path", -300, -220, true);
}

Changing index:
When left arrow key is pressed index decreases:
view -> Key Down (left) -> Repeat: Disable -> Script Editor:

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index = (index - 1 < acc) ? acc + 4 : index - 1;

Similarly, when right arrow key is pressed index increase:
view -> Key Down (right) -> Repeat: Disable -> Script Editor:

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index = acc + fmod (index + 1, MAX);

Moving up and down (on y-axis):
Moving up:
view -> Key Down (up) -> Repeat: Enable -> Script Editor:

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sprintf(cloneName, "player.%d", index);

clonePlayer = getclone(cloneName);
(*clonePlayer).y -= 5;

Moving down:
view -> Key Down (down) -> Repeat: Enable -> Script Editor:

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sprintf(cloneName, "player.%d", index);

clonePlayer = getclone(cloneName);
(*clonePlayer).y += 5;

player (main actor) -> Collision: When collides with border_top, or border_bottom activate Physical Response and set Final Velocity Multiplier of Event Actor (player) to 0. This Event needs to be repeated.

border (canvas actor) -> Create Actor -> Script Editor:

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erase(0, 0, 0, 1);

setpen(255, 255, 255, 0, 1);

lineto(width - 2, 0);
lineto(width - 2, height - 2);
lineto(0, height - 2);
lineto(0, 0);

Draw border when canvas actor border is created.

Actors Filled Regions: border_top, border_bottom; border_left and border_right are not necessary because clones move up and down.

Links to files same as in attachments:
executable file:http://www.mediafire.com/download/392q0f6orxf8s70/clone_motion_exe.zip
source (ged and data files):http://www.mediafire.com/download/b61ulbm5cvtt1ry/clone_motion_ged.zip

[MrJolteon]

tl;dr

Or instead of doing all that, just use the built-in cloneindex variable:

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if(cloneindex == 420)
{
    //whatever you want clone #420 to do
}

[lverona]

Guys!

Big thanks for the very detailed replies. I had to add more details, but I think part of what you suggested would still be applicable.

So I have 30 clones of an actor.

How can I change yvelocity of clone number 26 from another actor, say, an actor that awaits a button press? So this is not something I can necessarily do from within the clones.

My hunch was that you can do ThatActor.26.yvelocity=3;
But this does not work. You can do ThatActor.yvelocity=3; But it will target the lowest index actor, by default ThatActor.0

[MrJolteon]

Guys!

Big thanks for the very detailed replies. I had to add more details, but I think part of what you suggested would still be applicable.

So I have 30 clones of an actor.

How can I change yvelocity of clone number 26 from another actor, say, an actor that awaits a button press? So this is not something I can necessarily do from within the clones.

My hunch was that you can do ThatActor.26.yvelocity=3;
But this does not work. You can do ThatActor.yvelocity=3; But it will target the lowest index actor, by default ThatActor.0

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if(actor.cloneindex == 26)
{
    actor.yvelocity=3;
}

[lcl]

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getclone("ThatActor.26")->yvelocity = 3;

It's better to learn to use getclone than to use if checks for cloneindex. Think if you have hundreds of clones and you tell them all to check if their cloneindex is 26 just in order to change that specific clone's yvelocity.. Not efficient.

[koala]

When the game starts, I have 30 clones created. Is there a way later on in the game to, say, change yvelocity of a particular clone, say, clone number 26?

Maybe this topic can help you somehow. It doesn't refer to your question, but it uses clones, so it might help.
http://game-editor.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=13558

[lverona]

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getclone("ThatActor.26")->yvelocity = 3;

Yes! This is the syntax I was asking about!

But now is there a way to make the number of clone random? I tried variations but could not find a way to incorporate a variable into getclone.

[lverona]

I tried this, but it does not seem to do anything.

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char random_item[1];
short int ch;

ch=rand(26);

sprintf(random_item, "item1.%d", ch);
getclone(random_item)->yvelocity=-3;

[lcl]

The problem is in your definition of the variable random_item. You've made it to be an array of characters that is only one character long. Then you're trying to store in it something that is either 7 or 8 characters long. And obviously that doesn't work. Make the array to be lengthy enough, put anything bigger than 7 in there and it'll work.

[lverona]

Thank you, it worked when I added characters.

char random_item[8];

[Zivouhr]

This is an awesome thread with very helpful information, and a great first question too! Thank you all.
I was trying to figure out without any references, how to change the color of an individual clone, but I kept trying to code with case 0, case 1 and couldn't get it to work.

clone/create actor/script editor:

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if (cloneindex==22)  // "robot.22" is the one clone of say, 100, that I need to change color or do something.
{
b=-55;
g=235; //both make yellow
}

The GetClone code is also helpful too.

[lverona]

What if I want to use this construction in a MoveTo function? This function will not accept a char.

[lverona]

Also, how do I read variables from a clone?

[koala]

You read variables form a clone using
getclone(clone_name)->variable

Argument of MoveTo() shouldn't be char, but string. String is an array of chars that ends with '\0'.
You can make a string this way:

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char name[31];

sprintf(name, "clone.%d", clone_num);