Title says it all! So, if you duplicate a unit, the editor gives you the option of duplicating the actor, effects, model, etc. If you copy paste, what happens internally in the data?
You could just... try it and see. But in short it copies and pastes the one element you selected, while all the effects / actors and what not stay the same. It actually also keeps the old links rather then linking the new copy pasted unit to the duplicated actors / effects. For units I much prefer copy paste since the actor events get all messed up sometimes on duplicate. You'll also learn a bit more going back through and creating new weapons and crap that you want different for your new unit.
Duplicate, I find, is extremely convenient if your goal is to create another instance of a weapon, such as the marauder's, or if you are creating another instance of a straightforward unit like the marine. This is because when you duplicate something like a weapon, you can choose to additionally duplicate the associated effects (launch missile, damage, persistent, etc) and it will automatically make the links. Similarly for duplicating a unit, the actor events will be automatically linked to the new unit.
On the other hand, copy paste is of course similar, but will not make any automatic links. There's also many things the copy function is convenient for.
So case in point, duplicate makes automatic links between created copies, copy paste is just copy paste.
Actually, I feel it's gotten worse at some point. I don't remember when it happened, but at some point they prevented certain links from appearing in the bottom-left link viewer panel. And since Duplicate only lists those links, you tend to miss certain objects now. Mainly happens with Actors linked to gameplay data types (units, effects, weapons etc.)
Duplicate also fails on certain actor Tokens. Basically, it's superior in every way whenever it does work, but it doesn't work for everything and you'll spend ages cleaning up if you rely on it.
Copy-paste always copies exactly one object, so you know exactly what happens. It never changes any data fields besides name and ID, though actors in particular tend to lose a lot of explicit links.
One example where Duplicate has always failed actually is the Marauder weapon. It fires perfectly fine, but you lose the Attach Method which is explicitly linked to the weapon effect and won't work on the duplicate. As a result you lose the visual effect where the Marauder alternates between both arms when firing successive shots. Not even the fancy Data Navigator lists the AMPatterns.
You're completely right. I'd like to add to your example with the void ray weapon. If I remember correctly, it doesn't allow you to duplicate the validators that are required for the increasing damage stages, and it becomes frustratingly arduous trying to assemble all of it, especially with respect to the actors.
Spine crawler Action actor is the worst in that it gets corrupted in two fields if duped.
I advise copying and editing one thing at a time since that way you have full control over what you have in your map. Duping often leaves unnecessary replicates and oversights.
Title says it all! So, if you duplicate a unit, the editor gives you the option of duplicating the actor, effects, model, etc. If you copy paste, what happens internally in the data?
You could just... try it and see. But in short it copies and pastes the one element you selected, while all the effects / actors and what not stay the same. It actually also keeps the old links rather then linking the new copy pasted unit to the duplicated actors / effects. For units I much prefer copy paste since the actor events get all messed up sometimes on duplicate. You'll also learn a bit more going back through and creating new weapons and crap that you want different for your new unit.
@GreyHunter4: Go
Perhaps I did already tried and still haven't figured it out on my own and I'm asking it here now. Thank you, anyways.
Duplicate, I find, is extremely convenient if your goal is to create another instance of a weapon, such as the marauder's, or if you are creating another instance of a straightforward unit like the marine. This is because when you duplicate something like a weapon, you can choose to additionally duplicate the associated effects (launch missile, damage, persistent, etc) and it will automatically make the links. Similarly for duplicating a unit, the actor events will be automatically linked to the new unit.
On the other hand, copy paste is of course similar, but will not make any automatic links. There's also many things the copy function is convenient for.
So case in point, duplicate makes automatic links between created copies, copy paste is just copy paste.
@GreyHunter4: Go
and after 3 years of work duplicate doesn't mess up everything anymore. it really works well now
@FunkyUserName: Go
Actually, I feel it's gotten worse at some point. I don't remember when it happened, but at some point they prevented certain links from appearing in the bottom-left link viewer panel. And since Duplicate only lists those links, you tend to miss certain objects now. Mainly happens with Actors linked to gameplay data types (units, effects, weapons etc.)
Duplicate also fails on certain actor Tokens. Basically, it's superior in every way whenever it does work, but it doesn't work for everything and you'll spend ages cleaning up if you rely on it.
Copy-paste always copies exactly one object, so you know exactly what happens. It never changes any data fields besides name and ID, though actors in particular tend to lose a lot of explicit links.
One example where Duplicate has always failed actually is the Marauder weapon. It fires perfectly fine, but you lose the Attach Method which is explicitly linked to the weapon effect and won't work on the duplicate. As a result you lose the visual effect where the Marauder alternates between both arms when firing successive shots. Not even the fancy Data Navigator lists the AMPatterns.
@Photoloss: Go
You're completely right. I'd like to add to your example with the void ray weapon. If I remember correctly, it doesn't allow you to duplicate the validators that are required for the increasing damage stages, and it becomes frustratingly arduous trying to assemble all of it, especially with respect to the actors.
Spine crawler Action actor is the worst in that it gets corrupted in two fields if duped.
I advise copying and editing one thing at a time since that way you have full control over what you have in your map. Duping often leaves unnecessary replicates and oversights.
Contribute to the wiki (Wiki button at top of page) Considered easy altering of the unit textures?
https://www.sc2mapster.com/forums/resources/tutorials/179654-data-actor-events-message-texture-select-by-id
https://media.forgecdn.net/attachments/187/40/Screenshot2011-04-17_09_16_21.jpg