Free Laser Weapon for Your Game

Simple Steps to get the laser weapon in the default starter.fps example provided with the Torque Game Engine.

1. double click the Starter.FPS.bat and load the strong hold mission to get a feel for the crossbow weapon.
2. Download the free source files from Amped Labs
3. Extract the laser.dts and laser.jpg to starter.fps\data\shapes\crossbow
4. edit the starter.fps\server\scripts\crossbow.cs file to match the code snippets below:

*** we replace the weapon.dts reference with the laser.dts, and set the image attributes so that the laser is positioned properly and plays the correct animation sequences ***

Here are the basic changes we insert into the code below:

shapeFile = "~/data/shapes/crossbow/laser.dts";
eyeOffset = "0.20 0.05 -0.2";
stateSequence[2] = "bob";

//--------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Weapon Item.  This is the item that exists in the world, i.e. when it's
// been dropped, thrown or is acting as re-spawnable item.  When the weapon
// is mounted onto a shape, the CrossbowImage is used.

datablock ItemData(Crossbow)
{
   // Mission editor category
   category = "Weapon";

   // Hook into Item Weapon class hierarchy. The weapon namespace
   // provides common weapon handling functions in addition to hooks
   // into the inventory system.
   className = "Weapon";

   // Basic Item properties
   shapeFile = "~/data/shapes/crossbow/[b]laser.dts[/b]";
   mass = 1;
   elasticity = 0.2;
   friction = 0.6;
   emap = true;

	// Dynamic properties defined by the scripts
	pickUpName = "a crossbow";
	image = CrossbowImage;
};

//--------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Crossbow image which does all the work.  Images do not normally exist in
// the world, they can only be mounted on ShapeBase objects.

datablock ShapeBaseImageData(CrossbowImage)
{
   // Basic Item properties
   shapeFile = "~/data/shapes/crossbow/[b]laser.dts[/b]";
   emap = true;

   // Specify mount point & offset for 3rd person, and eye offset
   // for first person rendering.
   mountPoint = 0;
   eyeOffset = "[b]0.20 0.05 -0.2[/b]";

   // When firing from a point offset from the eye, muzzle correction
   // will adjust the muzzle vector to point to the eye LOS point.
   // Since this weapon doesn't actually fire from the muzzle point,
   // we need to turn this off.  
   correctMuzzleVector = false;

   // Add the WeaponImage namespace as a parent, WeaponImage namespace
   // provides some hooks into the inventory system.
   className = "WeaponImage";

   // Projectile && Ammo.
   item = Crossbow;
   ammo = CrossbowAmmo;
   projectile = CrossbowProjectile;
   projectileType = Projectile;

   // Images have a state system which controls how the animations
   // are run, which sounds are played, script callbacks, etc. This
   // state system is downloaded to the client so that clients can
   // predict state changes and animate accordingly.  The following
   // system supports basic ready->fire->reload transitions as
   // well as a no-ammo->dryfire idle state.

   // Initial start up state
   stateName[0]                     = "Preactivate";
   stateTransitionOnLoaded[0]       = "Activate";
   stateTransitionOnNoAmmo[0]       = "NoAmmo";

   // Activating the gun.  Called when the weapon is first
   // mounted and there is ammo.
   stateName[1]                     = "Activate";
   stateTransitionOnTimeout[1]      = "Ready";
   stateTimeoutValue[1]             = 0.6;
   stateSequence[1]                 = "Activate";

   // Ready to fire, just waiting for the trigger
   stateName[2]                     = "Ready";
   stateTransitionOnNoAmmo[2]       = "NoAmmo";
   stateTransitionOnTriggerDown[2]  = "Fire";
   [b]stateSequence[2]                 = "bob";[/b]

   // Fire the weapon. Calls the fire script which does 
   // the actual work.
   stateName[3]                     = "Fire";
   stateTransitionOnTimeout[3]      = "Reload";
   stateTimeoutValue[3]             = 0.2;
   stateFire[3]                     = true;
   stateRecoil[3]                   = LightRecoil;
   stateAllowImageChange[3]         = false;
   stateSequence[3]                 = "Fire";
   stateScript[3]                   = "onFire";
   stateSound[3]                    = CrossbowFireSound;

   // Play the relead animation, and transition into
   stateName[4]                     = "Reload";
   stateTransitionOnNoAmmo[4]       = "NoAmmo";
   stateTransitionOnTimeout[4]      = "Ready";
   stateTimeoutValue[4]             = 0.8;
   stateAllowImageChange[4]         = false;
   stateSequence[4]                 = "Reload";
   stateEjectShell[4]               = true;
   stateSound[4]                    = CrossbowReloadSound;

   // No ammo in the weapon, just idle until something
   // shows up. Play the dry fire sound if the trigger is
   // pulled.
   stateName[5]                     = "NoAmmo";
   stateTransitionOnAmmo[5]         = "Reload";
   stateSequence[5]                 = "NoAmmo";
   stateTransitionOnTriggerDown[5]  = "DryFire";

   // No ammo dry fire
   stateName[6]                     = "DryFire";
   stateTimeoutValue[6]             = 1.0;
   stateTransitionOnTimeout[6]      = "NoAmmo";
   stateSound[6]                    = CrossbowFireEmptySound;
};

5. save the crossbow.cs file
6. double click the Starter.FPS.bat and load the strong hold mission to get a feel for the laser weapon.
7. play with the parameters we changed to get a feel for what they do.

In this short tutorial you should get a basic sense of how to make your own weapon customizations, and a feeling that you have just stepped into a much larger world.