Easy script system

[Boba Fonts]

For my point&click adventure I'd like to create a very simple custom script system that allows me to make characters walk, speak and do other animations during cutscenes without the need to specify each time, for each action, the same events. I could have a dozen of general events and then, for each cutscene, a script with a list of functions that MMF can interpret.
I imagine something as:

Character.Walk (160,204)
Character.Animate ("Crouch down")
Character.Say ("There's nothing here, let's try there")
Character.Walk (190,136)
Character.Say ("Hmm, someone's approaching me")
Music.Play ("Music4.ogg")
Wait.Time (60)
Character2.Walk (214,140)
Character2.Say ("Hello!")

etc.
Which is the best (and the easiest) way to achieve that?

[Looki]

XLua - An extension that can interpret lua scripts.
Your pseudocode is valid lua code, so the syntax should work for you.
Prepare for a challenge, though, it won't be easy to make this - I might have time to set up an example though.
The biggest problem is that when the Walk() function is called, you have to halt the script until the player has finished walking.

For lua help, we have this forum.

[dragonguy]

Never done or thought of anything like that but I'll take out a hammer and give it a little whack!

Create a List object and put your commands in to that hten make a Counter, make it so that it follows each command at an interval or wait for the last action to be finished, then add to the Counter to make it do the next thing.

You will have to set-up a system of transferring each individual command to the alterable string/value object of the objects and then after that is finished add 1 to the counter, tokens is recommended as your command language is a bit difficult, I highly recommend to use 'Only one action when the event loops' an aweful lot.

[color:#FF0000]There is no easy way to do this without Lua or something![/color]

[Pixelthief]

An often easier way to do it is to align your script along timesteps, rather than simple 'in order' actions. This can remove the need for putting "Wait(30)" or whatever all over your script, and makes the xlua code much less of a headache.

The runtime could simply fill a table with those events, populate another table with 'active' events, and then run all the events for that frame. Particularly if you are using a movement system that moves object "O" inbetween point "A" and "B" in "T" frames, its exceptionally easy to set up- you'd just set the position to be a percentage of the distance between the points.


If I were setting it up, which I will be later this week, the syntax would look like:

--CreateRoutine(Event ID) : Registers new event table
--Event($ EventType, # TargetID, # Duration, # ValueA, #ValueB... etc)

--ex. Event("Walk"..) -> Walk(TargetID, 20 Duration, X = 234, Y = 64)

CreateRoutine(1)
Event("Walk", 1, 20, 234, 16)


I'm not entirely sure xlua allows overloading functions, so I'd probably have to have a finite number of inputs into the Event() call, but thats life. ID would probably be one of those for consistency.

[Boba Fonts]

Thank you all.

The biggest problem is that when the Walk() function is called, you have to halt the script until the player has finished walking.

That could be a problem, since I need to be able to do two or more things at the same time. In the Event Editor I can have two characters walking simultaneously, or a character walking AND speaking; so why should I give up such a chance?
I've already got the XLua extension but I was reluctant to use it, scared by the idea to learn a new scripting language.
I love the simplicity of the Event Editor and my dream is to create a custom system, I mean a very simple one, without particularly advanced features.
The idea of using a List Object sounds good, sounds basic (and I must do basic things in my scripts), but at the moment I'm puzzled and can't figure out which way is the best one.
I'm open to examples, if you would be so nice to take time for those!

[uprize]

You will need to use Lua im affraid. I have played with something similar before and its certainly possible, but be prepared to do some work and lots of testing/debugging :P

If you are having multiple objects you will also need to give them their own ID so you can do code for different objects at once.
You could store each object in a LUA table along with it's state.
For exampple, you could do this for the walk command

event("Walk",ID,xpos,ypos,speed)

Then you set up an event in MMF which will pick the object via ID and then set its destination to xpos/ypos with a movement speed. You can store this info in the objects alterable values then MMF can handle the movement side of things, while LUA is simply allowing you to control it in a script like manner.

Once you learn the LUA syntax and how it works with MMF you should be OK

[Pixelthief]

Its still a fair bit of work. I created this entirely today, if you want to take a look at it. Its fairly commented, but I'm afraid it won't be too grokkable. But this is a scripting system that reads in a text file and lets me activate that script and apply it at any time (and once I've spruced it up, will work in reverse too).

Feel free to use any bits or pieces, or just learn from it

--	List of loaded scripts and their parameters by time value
--	3 Dimensional array.
--	First : Script Name
--	Second: Time Value
--	Third: Parameters
--		(String,Number,Number) -> @Value@
scriptArray = {};


--	List of currently active event indexes
--	1 Dimensional array
--	First: Index of active event
--		(Number) -> @Value@
eventArray = {};


--	List of current script's time values
--	1 & 2 Dimensional array
--	First: Index of active script's time value
--	also
--	First: Name of script
--	Second: Index of time value
--		(Number) -> @Bool@
--		(Name,Number) -> @Bool@
scriptTimeArray = {};
for k=1, 128 do
	scriptTimeArray[k] = 0;
end


--	1 Dimensional array
--	Ties tag name to object ID #
--		(String) -> @Value@
tagArray = {};


--	Currently active script string
--	@String@
currentScript = "";


--	Current frame time
--	@Value@
currentTime = 0;


--	Number of active events
--	@Value@
currentActive = 0;


--	Initializes a new script with the given name
--		(string) -> @LUA@
function initScript(Name)
	currentScript = Name;
	scriptArray[currentScript] = {};
	scriptArray[currentScript]["Max"] = 0;
	scriptArray[currentScript]["Number"] = 0;
	scriptTimeArray[currentScript] = {};
end


--	Adds an event to currently active script
--		(String,Number,Number,Number,Number,Number,Number,Number,Number,Number,Number) -> @LUA@
function addEvent(Name, Time, Duration, P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6, P7, P8)
	scriptArray[currentScript][Time] = {};
	scriptArray[currentScript][Time][1] = Name;
	scriptArray[currentScript][Time][2] = Duration;
	scriptArray[currentScript][Time][3] = P1;
	scriptArray[currentScript][Time][4] = P2;
	scriptArray[currentScript][Time][5] = P3;
	scriptArray[currentScript][Time][6] = P4;
	scriptArray[currentScript][Time][7] = P5;
	scriptArray[currentScript][Time][8] = P6;
	scriptArray[currentScript][Time][9] = P7;
	scriptArray[currentScript][Time][10] = P8;
	if Time + Duration > scriptArray[currentScript]["Max"] then
		scriptArray[currentScript]["Max"] = Time + Duration;
	end
	tempv = scriptArray[currentScript]["Number"] + 1;
	scriptArray[currentScript]["Number"] = tempv;
	scriptTimeArray[currentScript][tempv] = Time;
end


--	Tags an object based on Alterable String T
--		(String) -> @LUA@
function tagObject(Name)
	for k=1, maxObjects do
		if objectArray[k] == 1 then
			if Name == mmf.Object.GetString(k,5) then
				tagArray[Name] = k;
				return;
			end
		end
	end
end


--	Untags all objects
--	NOTE: INVOKE THIS ONLY AFTER FULL ROTATION THROUGH TIME CYCLE
--	IN A ZERO-TAG ZONE
--	Otherwise, rewinding logic would get all screwy
--		() -> @LUA@
function resetTags()
	tagArray = {};
end


--	Activates a script
--		(String) -> @LUA@
function activateScript(Name)
	currentScript = Name;
	currentTime = 0;
	for j=1, 128 do
		scriptTimeArray[j] = 0;
	end
	tempv = 0;
	for k=1, scriptArray[currentScript]["Number"] do
		tempv = scriptTimeArray[currentScript][k];
		scriptTimeArray[tempv] = 1;
	end
end


--	Activates a script from MMF
--		() -> @LUA@
--		(String)
function activateScriptMMF(Name)
	currentScript = mmf.LocalStore.GetString(1);
	currentTime = 0;
	for j=1, 128 do
		scriptTimeArray[j] = 0;
	end
	tempv = 0;
	for k=1, scriptArray[currentScript]["Number"] do
		tempv = scriptTimeArray[currentScript][k];
		scriptTimeArray[tempv] = 1;
	end
end


--	Reactivates a script
--		() -> @LUA@
--		(String)
function reactivateScript()
	currentScript = mmf.LocalStore.GetString(1);
	currentTime = scriptArray[currentScript]["Max"];
end


--	Executes active script forwards at given time value
--	Executes open events forwards at given time value
--		() -> @MMF@
function forwardScript()
	if currentTime > scriptArray[currentScript]["Max"] + 1 then
		DoCall("deactivateScript");
		if currentActive > 0 then
			DoCall("Sound");
		end
		return;
	end
	if scriptTimeArray[currentTime] == 1 then
		currentActive = currentActive + 1;
		eventArray[currentActive] = currentTime;
	end
	currentTime = currentTime + 1;
	if currentActive == 0 then
		return;
	end
	tempv = 0;
	k = 1;
	while k <= currentActive do
		tempv = eventArray[k];
		type = scriptArray[currentScript][tempv][1];
  		if (_G[type]~=nil) then                 
   			_G[type ](tempv);
  		end
		if currentTime >= (tempv + scriptArray[currentScript][tempv][2]) then
			removeActive(k);
			DoCall("number",currentTime);
			k = k - 1;
		end
		k = k + 1;
	end
end


--	Removes an event from the eventArray, lowering all above it
--		(Number) -> @LUA@
function removeActive(Numb)
	currentActive = currentActive - 1;
	for k=Numb, currentActive do
		eventArray[k] = eventArray[k+1];
		eventArray[k+1] = 0;
	end
end


--	Executes active script reverse at given time value
--	Executes open events reverse at given time value
--		() -> @MMF@
function reverseScript()
end


function testthis()
	DoCall("number", tagArray["Player"]);
end

-- #########################   SCRIPT FUNCTIONS   ##########################


--	Moves object ID from point A to B by percent
--		(Number) -> @MMF@
--		(Name, Ax, Ay, Bx, By)
function eventMove(Event)
	percent = (currentTime - Event) / scriptArray[currentScript][Event][2];
	Ax = scriptArray[currentScript][Event][4];
	Ay = scriptArray[currentScript][Event][5];
	Bx = scriptArray[currentScript][Event][6];
	By = scriptArray[currentScript][Event][7];
	Px = (Bx - Ax) * percent + Ax;
	Py = (By - Ay) * percent + Ax;
	Name = scriptArray[currentScript][Event][3];
	tagName = tagArray[Name];
	mmf.Object.SetPosition(tagName, Px, Py);
	if Name == "Player" then
		mmf.Object.SetValue(tagName, 1, Px * 1000);
		mmf.Object.SetValue(tagName, 2, Py * 1000);
	end
end


--	Deactivates camera control
--		(Number) -> @MMF@
--		()
function eventLockCamera(Event)
end


--	Activates camera control
--		(Number) -> @MMF@
--		()
function eventUnlockCamera(Event)
end


--	Deactivates player control
--		(Number) -> @MMF@
--		()
function eventLockPlayer(Event)
end


--	Activates player control
--		(Number) -> @MMF@
--		()
function eventUnlockPlayer(Event)
end


--	Moves camera from point A to B by percent		
--		(Number) -> @MMF@
--		(Ax, Ay, Bx, By)
function eventCameraMove(Event)
end


--	Makes an object play a given animation sequence
--		(Number) -> @MMF@
--		(Name, Anim)
function eventAnim(Event)
end


--	Make an object play a given animation frame
--		(Number) -> @MMF@
--		(Name, Frame)
function eventAnimFrame(Event)
end


--	Set a value of an object
--	0-based index
--		(Number) -> @MMF@
--		(Name, Index, Value)
function eventSetValue(Event)
end


--	Set a flag of an object
--		(Number) -> @MMF@
--		(Name, Index, Flag)
function eventSetFlag(Event)
end


--	Destroy an object
--		(Number) -> @MMF@
--		(Name)
function eventDestroy(Event)
end


--	Set quest flag on or off
--		(Number) -> @MMF@
--		(Flag)
function eventQuest(Event)
end

note: alot of that is obviously unfinished skeleton code

[uprize]

Wow...
Can you post an MMF example of this working?