Difference between revisions of "Loading Level Resources With Lua"

[[Category:Native Lua Functions]]

[[Category:Level Resources]]

These methods do not actually edit how the game reads an embedded Level_''Somewhere''/''Something''Instances.lua , so these changes only last until the level is unloaded. When a level unloads, it seems the Names table is completely cleared, including any new objects you created that weren't in the original ''Something''Instances.lua.

*Load order not yet known for Particle Emitters, Sound Emitters, Terrain Data, the SFX/Music Banks, or the DuneColorShadow texture.

Triggers are various types of events, including events that activate other events. They control basically everything that ever "happens" in a level, apart from basic player actions.

The functions in this category are mainly from EventSetter.lua .

To modify existing Triggers, find them in TriggerInstances.lua, define them in the TriggerInstances table with the same format used in that lua, then run the ResolveTriggerNames function.

With this method by itself, if you change the trigger type to a different one than the original, it seems to (sometimes?) not work due to it expecting different data types; it's not yet known how to completely change the trigger type. You might be able to at least change trigger types if the Vars would be the same data types/names - for example if two trigger types both use { var1 = float, var2 = string, var3 = a Clump of Hulls, var4 = boolean } you could possibly switch from one type to the other and change the Var values and it would work; not tested yet.

You can temporarily create new triggers basically the same way, by adding the CreateTriggers function:

</code>

Clumps are groups of multiple objects, used so that a single Trigger can reference and/or manipulate everything in the Clump at once.

The functions in this category are from ClumpLoader.lua.

To create new Clumps, define the ClumpInstances table with the same format used in ClumpInstances.lua (but concatenated, not with line breaks). Then run the LoadClumps function, then the SetClumpMembers function.

</code>

To modify existing Clumps, get them from ClumpInstances.lua and do basically the same code, but without the LoadClumps function:

</code>

Timelines are timed sequences of Trigger activations, used to organize cutscenes and other events where a bunch of Triggers get activated in a row.  

</code>

Creatures are dynamically moving and interacting objects, other than the player avatars and the tiny flying cloths (Strands).  

It seems that Creatures/Dynamic Nodes might actually be Triggers, based on how TriggerInitialize() is also used in Creatures.lua - so new Creatures might have the same issue as Triggers, and might disappear from the Names table shortly after being created with this method.

Particle Emitters emit particles (sparkles, puffs of sand/dust, etc.)

Based on tests where logging code was put in LoadEnvFXParticles() and ParticleEmitterInitialize() and nothing was logged, it seems this script doesn't actually run at level start, so Particle Emitters might be added to Names table by another Lua script or by inaccessible C code. But maybe this function could still add/modify Particle Emitters anyway.

Sound Emitters emit sounds. They can be stationary or attached to a moving object somehow. It seems that most looping music is played by Sound Emitters that are set to be audible at the same volume anywhere in the level.

Based on tests where logging code was put in LoadSoundEmitters() and SoundEmitterInitialize() and nothing was logged, it seems this script doesn't actually run at level start, so Sound Emitters might be added to Names table by another Lua script or by inaccessible C code. But maybe this function could still add/modify Sound Emitters anyway.

Environment/Env Nodes set the environmental effects within certain regions, such as lighting, sky color, shadows, fog, bloom, etc.

LoadEnvNodes does ''not'' clear the EnvNodeInstances table automatically upon completion, and the code comments say this causes a crash, so might be a bad idea to do it yourself.

Markers seem to be locations, or regions of space around locations, which objects can be aimed or moved towards/away from by certain Triggers. Also, Markers can be moved around or attached to moving objects by Triggers.

</code>

Rails seem to be paths that objects can move along.

( There doesn't seem to be a game:railBarn(), so maybe it's a different name in game:, or maybe it's used like RailBarn, RailBarn() or RailBarn(game). )

Camera Key Frames seem to be the data for basically any location/angle/etc that the camera can get moved to, whenever the camera moves by itself - not just following behind the player, or being moved around by the player.

</code>

Jets seem to be the physics effect that pushes your avatar down when you are inside certain sandfalls, and maybe other effects. Could probably be used to push the avatar in other directions as well.

( There doesn't seem to be a game:jetBarn(), so maybe it's a different name in game:, or maybe it's used like JetBarn, JetBarn() or JetBarn(game). )

Signs are scrolling text, used only in the credits. Could maybe be used for other scrolling text as well, although there seem to already be scrolling text Triggers that might be easier for that.

( There doesn't seem to be a game:signBarn(), so maybe it's a different name in game:, or maybe it's used like SignBarn, SignBarn() or SignBarn(game). Also, signData/signInstances don't seem to actually be referenced inside InitializeSignBarn, so they might not be required, but if required then maybe signData is Credits and signInstances is SignInstances. )

These are the remaining types of level resources. They can *maybe* be manipulated in real time with Lua code, but it's not yet known if/how it can be done.

Hulls are regions of space that never move(?), which are used as physical collision geometry and/or a way for Triggers to determine "if ''this thing'' is touching/inside ''this region'', do ''this event''".

You can change the Hulls loaded at start of level by editing HullInstances.lua in the folder for that level under Data/Scripts.

Decoration Meshes are any visible object other than terrain, fog, particle effects, Strands(?), and the basic "naked" player avatar. By themselves, they are not physical objects, their collision data comes from physical Hulls put in the same place.

You can change the Decoration Meshes loaded at start of level by editing DecorationMeshInstances.lua.bin in the folder for that level under Data/Scripts.

SFX Banks contain sounds, and references/mixing data for longer sounds streamed from the audio files in Data/Sounds/Streams.

These are LevelSfx''Somewhere''-SFX.bnk and LevelMus''Somewhere''-MUS.bnk in the Data/Sounds folder; not much is known yet about how to edit these at all, other than renaming files to swap one level for another.

Terrain Data determines the terrain's Height Map and Land Color (the color of sand/snow added to the sides and/or top of some Decoration Meshes, and that collects on the player avatars). It also determines Mask Data which seems to be unused.

You can change what is loaded at start of level by editing the TerrainData.bin inside TerrainData.bin.gz in the Data/Terrain/Level_''Somewhere'' folder.  

DuneColorShadow is a texture that determines the color of the terrain in a level, and which areas are in shadow.  

You can change what is loaded at the start of a level by editing/replacing the DuneColorShadow.dds texture inside the DuneColorShadow.dds.D3D11x64 file in the Data/Textures/Level_''Somewhere''/Bin folder.