Changes between Version 1 and Version 2 of code/doc/Pickups

Timestamp:

Mar 18, 2010, 4:08:30 PM (14 years ago)

Author:

dafrick

Comment:

—

code/doc/Pickups

@@ -2 +2 @@
 
 == Description ==
-Pickups, or more precisely Pickupables (in the following refereed to as pickups), are items that can be picked up by other entities (which are derived from the PickupCarrier class and I will in the following simply refer to as carriers) and have some effect on the carrier.
+Pickups, or more precisely Pickupables (in the following referred to as pickups), are items that can be picked up by other entities (which are derived from the PickupCarrier class and I will in the following simply refer to as carriers) and have some effect on the carrier.
 
 == HowTo's ==
@@ -10 +10 @@
 I wanted to make including pickups in level as simple as possible, while also ensuring a division between the pickup itself and how it looks. For you to be able to use pickups in your level you need to understand a few concepts.
 -  Pickups (Pickupables) are entities which have no physical (or graphical) dimension. The simply represent the effect they will have on a carrier, when used.
-- The physical (or graphical) dimension of a pickup is called a PickupRepresentation (or in the following refereed to as representation). 
+- The physical (or graphical) dimension of a pickup is called a PickupRepresentation (or in the following referred to as representation). 
 - The representation of a pickup and the pickup itself are linked to each other, meaning a representation can only represent one type of pickup.
 - The entity that actually gives a pickup to a carrier is called a PickupSpawner (in the following called spawner). A spawner creates (based on some parameters) pickups which can be picked up and how the spawner looks in the game is defined by the representation of the pickup it spawns.
+- A type of pickup is a specific pickup class with values for all its relevant parameters. This means, that a pickup of the same class with the same values for all parameters except for one is a different type of pickup and will therefore have a different representation.
 
 ==== Using predefined pickups ====
@@ -57 +58 @@
 }}}
 
-work in progress...
+==== Using not-predefined pickups ====
+
+Now let's assume you're not satisfied with the pickups that are provided by the two before mentioned file, but you're not much of a coder as well. Luckily there is a way for you. Pickups were created with a broad range of use in mind, which means that the pickups provided by the files are not all there is.
+
+There is no minimum requirement to use pickups in your level files, as long as they have been coded in C++. e.g.
+
+{{{
+<PickupSpawner position="-100,0,-100" respawnTime="30" maxSpawnedItems="10">
+   <pickup>
+       <HealthPickup
+         health = 33
+         healthType = "limited"
+         activationType = "immediate"
+         durationType = "once"
+       />
+   </pickup>
+</PickupSpawner>
+}}}
+
+As you can see in the pickup_representation_templates.oxt file and the pickups.oxi file there is no representation defined for this pickup, so the default representation will be used.
+
+Now let us assume you want to create a representation for the inserted pickup above. This is done by creating a representation within the scene.
+
+{{{
+<PickupRepresentation
+    name = "My new health pickup"
+    description = "This is an awesome new health pickup."
+    spawnerTemplate = "newhealthpickupRepresentation"
+>
+    <pickup>
+        <HealthPickup
+         health = 33
+         healthType = "limited"
+         activationType = "immediate"
+         durationType = "once"
+       />
+    </pickup>
+</PickupRepresentation>
+}}}
+
+As you maybe have noticed by now, we also have to define the template for the representation which is used in 
+
+{{{
+    spawnerTemplate = "newhealthpickupRepresentation"
+}}}
+
+the template you need to create defines how the pickup (or actually the spawner) is displayed in your level.
+
+{{{
+<Template name=newhealthpickupRepresentation>
+    <PickupRepresentation>
+        <spawner-representation>
+            <StaticEntity>
+                <attached>
+                    -- Here you can put all the objects which define the look of the spawner. --
+                </attached>
+            </StaticEntity>
+        </spawner-representation>
+    </PickupRepresentation>
+</Template>
+}}}
+
+Your done. Now you have a new pickup type with an appropriate representation for your use. If you feel that it is useful in general please don't hesitate create a template for the pickup and add your pickup to the pickup_representation_templates.oxt file and the pickups.oxi file, so that anyone who wants to use kit can do so quite easily.
+
+Let's assume you're still not satisfied. I mean, come on, we just used a pickup that already existed and created a new type by changing some parameter values and adding a representation, that's not really anything new now, is it?
+
+Well I've got something for you. It's called a PickupCollection (in the following just referred to as collection). A collection is comprised of many different types of pickups and behaves just as if it were one pickup itself. This is how you create one:
+
+{{{
+<PickupCollection>
+    <pickupables>
+        -- some pickups you want th have in your collection, e.g. --
+        <HealthPickup template=smallhealthpickup />
+        <HealthPickup health=50 healthRate=5 durationType=continuous activationType=immediate healthType=limited />
+    </pickupables>
+</PickupCollection>
+}}}
+
+That's it, there's nothing more to it. However if you have questions regarding any of the above please feel free to contact [wiki:DamianFrick|me].
+
+=== Creating a new pickup ===
+