How to limit the amount of a certain object can be in the play area?

[killiun]

Basically, I have a sword that when you press Z, it is set to create the object where the character is and it plays it's swinging animation. It destroys the sword when the animation is over so they don't build up. It is also set to follow the character, but if you spam Z, the swords overlap each other. How would I make it so there can only be 1 of that object in the world at a time?

[casleziro]

only create a sword if a sword doesn't already exist, by checking for it with "compare to the number of "sword" objects".

-number of swords = 0
+user presses Z
---> create sword object

[killiun]

Thanks, I never even thought about doing something like that.