You can follow my tutorial perfectly and still not get it "right" if you're using the specified values on a different unit as your description sounds like. Depending on the actor/model you might need different values for where the beam is going to fire from and to. So what unit are you using this beam weapon with?
Also, if your beam isn't showing up that's usually a sign that either your Effect - Damage isn't starting at the unit (Source Unit) and ending at the target (Target Unit), preventing the beam from connecting the dots. Possibly one of the actors doesn't have the beam creating when the Effect - Damage is firing. The other most common reason is that you took a beam model other than the one I was using and didn't specify the right animation in Animation Properties. So your beam could actually be successfully created, but if you're telling it to use the animation "Stand" and it only has the animation "Birth," it won't show up at all.
So double check all of these and if that doesn't fix it, let me know what unit and beam model you are using and we'll go from there :)
When selecting direct attachment points, there is the field where you select the name and then a 0 below it by the word "Index." Change this to 7 to set it to Target 07 :)
As part of the Creature Contest, I thought it would be a great idea to cover Hosting and Site Operations in extensive detail. I'll be demonstrating how you can use multiple Site Operations and the Host/Hosting Fields to attach units to each other, designate launch/impact locations and otherwise create your own patchwork units. For our example we'll be covering the Uberlisk despite there already being multiple tutorials out for it. The reason for this is my Uberlisk actually has the 6 spine crawlers it's supposed to in the locations they are supposed to be. I've also improved upon the concept and adjusted the spine crawlers further to show you just how realistic you can make attachments appear.
Take a look:
(I'm lazy and don't have video recording, but video tutorialist OneTwo was awesome enough to make this for me!)
Also, as a warning, this tutorial is quite lengthy and as such it is entirely likely that I made several typos or forgot a step. If you see such an instance let me know right away so I can fix it. Do not hesitate to ask questions either as I'll be available to help as best I can :)
The Basics
Hosting and Site Operations are nothing more than points of reference for alignment instructions. Either you're linking two objects together with references so that they can "speak" to each other, or you're telling an object that it needs to be here and/or moved to there. If actors are the puppeteers, units are the puppets and behaviors/effects are the puppets features then hosting/site operations are the strings. They tell everything where they need to be.
Before we begin, it's important to understand how Local Offset, Explicit Rotation and Variance Rotation Site Operations work as a large part of combined models involves them. To help visualize, open any unit in the previewer and move the camera until you are facing the front of your unit. Now overlay the the coordinate system in your mind and that's how these Site Operations will base their directional adjustments.
Local Offsets
This Site Operation moves objects in any direction while preserving its facing and rotational axis. Using the objects original point as the origin:
+X is right of the object, -X is left of the object
+Y is towards/into the object, -Y is away from/out of the object
+Z is above the object, -Z is below the object
One thing to note is that while it preserves its rotational axis, some anchor (attachment) points will actually tilt this axis to align it with the plane it's attached to. In other words, if you attach it to a surface that's at a 45 degree angle to ground, the attached model will also be at a 45 degree angle. Thus it's important to pick the right anchor point to move from before applying offsets.
Explicit (Static) Rotation
This Site Operation changes and locks an objects facing and/or rotational axis. The directions from offsets are the same, but instead of moving the object you are going to create new vectors. Forward is the facing vector and Up is the rotational axis vector. Some examples:
Face North
Forward - (X: 0.0,Y: 1.0, Z: 0.0)
Up - (X: 0.0,Y: 0.0, Z: 1.0)
Face Up
Forward - (X: 0.0, Y: 0.0, Z: 1.0)
Up - (X: 0.0, Y: 0.0, Z: 1.0)
Face South West
Forward - (X: -1.0, Y: -1.0, Z: 0.0)
Up - (X: 0.0,Y: 0.0, Z: 1.0)
Tilt West
Forward - (X: 0.0, Y: -1.0, Z: 0.0)
Up - (X: -1.0, Y: 0.0, Z: 0.0)
Tilt North East
Forward - (X: 0.0, Y: -1.0, Z: 0.0)
Up - (X: 1.0, Y: 1.0, Z: 0.0)
Flip Upside Down
Forward - (X: 0.0, Y: -1.0, Z: 0.0)
Up - (X: 0.0, Y: 0.0, Z: -1.0)
It's important to note that the actor won't rotate with its host if used on attachments. In order to function like an attachment should, you must enable Local. If you do not, the rotations will be use the map coordinates instead of the unit's facing as a reference.
Variance (Dynamic) Rotation
Unlike Explicit Rotation, this Site Operation does not change a units facing or rotational axis. Instead, it changes its relationship with its existing facing and axis. More specifically, it allows you to tilt a unit away from its facing/axis without being locked in that direction. This makes it ideal for attachments to mobile objects. While still facing your unit, the Up Angle tilts it to the left of its axis and the Forward Angle tilts it up from its facing. Given that both fields are only angles, it's pretty easy to tilt as desired once you understand what direction you are tilting.
One very important disclaimer is that this Site Operation is currently very buggy. Sometimes the angle will tilt the object in the opposite direction which is bad for Forward Angles as it puts their face in the ground. If used with other Site Operations, especially if you attach to an anchor, the model will slowly "fall" into the ground as the object moves about. This can be especially frustrating if you have the perfect setup and suddenly the attachment droops. That being said, be sure to test repeatedly to make sure you achieve the desired effect. As of now, I don't know any way to ensure 100% success and I suspect it's just another area of the editor Blizzard isn't finished fleshing out.
The Uberlisk
First and foremost, I have not included the Uberlisk's abilities because they are not related to the tutorial and would just be extra work. I am willing to update the tutorial by attaching a 2nd map that has the abilities incorporated if this is the popular demand, but I won't be adding them to this tutorial. In a future tutorial I might pull that map off this thread and create an Actor/Ability tutorial that walks through making those abilities for the Uberlisk you've already created with this tutorial. I won't make any promises at this point in time, however. For now, focus on the Hosting and Site Operations as those are what allow the Uberlisk to function.
Effects Tab
Create a new effect named Impaler Tentacle L1 (Damage) with Effect Type: Damage
set Combat - Amount to 15
set Effect - Kind to Ranged
set Impact Location + to Target Unit
Duplicate the above effect 5 times and change L1 to L2, L3, R1, R2 and R3
(Because we have a lot to make I'll be having you duplicate frequently.)
Create a new effect named Impaler Tentacle L1 (Missile) with Effect Type: Launch Missile
add Return to Flags
set Impact Effect to Impaler Tentacle L1 (Damage)
set Return Delay to 0.1750
set Movers + to (SpineCrawlerTentacleExtendShort (Unknown) at <or= to 3; SpineCrawlerTentacleExtendLong (Unknown) at <or= to 7)
set Return Movers + to (SpineCrawlerTentacleRetractShort (Unknown) at <or= to 3; SpineCrawlerTentacleRetractLong (Unknown) at <or= to 7)
Duplicate the above effect 5 times and change both L1s to L2s, L3s, R1s, R2s and R3s
Simply match the Damage to its Missile. We'll come back and pick our ammo unit later on.
Models Tab
Create a new model named Uberlisk Spine with Model Type: Generic
set Model to SpineCrawler.m3
Weapons Tab
Create a new weapon named Impaler Tentacle L1
set Effect to Imapler Tentacle L1 (Missile)
set Arc to 360
set Backswing to 0.0
set Damage Point to 0.1
set Period to 1.5
set both Random Delay Maximum and Minimum to 0
set Range to 7
set Damage Display Effect to Impaler Tentacle L1 (Damage)
set Icon to btn-upgrade-zerg-seismicspines.dds
set Allowed Movement to Moving
set Legacy Options to No Deceleration
open Options and check (Hidden and Continuous Scan) while unchecking everything else.
set Target Filters to exclude [Dead/Hidden/Invulnerable/Missile/Stasis] and require [Ground/Visible]
Duplicate the above weapon 5 times and change all L1s to L2s, L3s, R1s, R2s and R3s, matching the weapon to its missile and damage effects.
also change the Damage Point to 0.2 (R1), 0.3 (L2), 0.4 (R2), 0.5 (L3), 0.6 (R3)
Damage Point determines when during the period a weapon attacks. By layering them like this the attacks will attack consecutively rather than in one volley
Units Tab
Create a new unit named Impaler Tentacle L1 with Unit Type: Generic,Based On: Missile_Invulnerable (Unknown) and Object Type: Projectile
set Editor Prefix* to "Missile -"
Duplicate the above unit 5 times and change L1 to L2, L3, R1, R2 and R3
Duplicate Ultralisk and check the following boxes:
Start by renaming the Ultralisk model Uberlisk. Go on to rename the actor Uberlisk and the weapons Kaiser Blades ("Uberlisk -" in the Editor Prefix field) and Head Attack ("Uberlisk -" in the Editor Prefix field). Now delete any abilities, command card buttons or behaviors you don't want and decide on your stats (HP, armor etc). Finish by renaming the unit Uberlisk and the effects Cleave (Damage) ("Uberlisk -" in the Editor Prefix field) and Head Attack (Damage) ("Uberlisk -" in the Editor Prefix field).
open Weapons + and add all 6 Tentacle weapons using Spine Crawler as the turret for each one
Go to the Kaiser Blades weapon
set Editor Prefix* to "Uberlisk -"
set Effect to Uberlisk - Cleave (Damage)
set Backswing to 0.0
set Period to 1.0
set both Random Delay Maximum and Minimum to 0
set Range to 1
set Damage Display Effect Uberlisk - Cleave (Damage)
open Options and check (Can Initiate Attack, Melee, Only Fire At Attack Target and Only Fire While Attacking) while unchecking everything else
It's important that Backswing is 0.0 because this number determines how the unit can fire any of its weapons after using this weapon. If it's anything but 0.0, other weapons used after it will be delayed. It's also important to uncheck Linked Cooldown so that multiple weapons can fire at once.
Go to the Head Attack weapon
set Editor Prefix* to "Uberlisk -"
set Effect to Uberlisk - Head Attack (Damage)
set Backswing to 0.0
set Period to 1.5
set both Random Delay Maximum and Minimum to 0
set Range to 1
set Damage Display Effect Uberlisk - Head Attack (Damage)
open Options and check (Can Initiate Attack, Melee, Only Fire At Attack Target and Only Fire While Attacking) while unchecking everything else
Actors Tab
Because we have a lot of actors and each one has an important role, we're going to divide this tab into multiple sections so that we can better understand what is happening.
Site Operation Actors
Create a new actor named SOpAttachSpineL with Actor Type: Site Operation (Attachment)
set Attachment Query + to (Direct) Target 07 (Index)
Create a new actor named SOpAttachSpineR with Actor Type: Site Operation (Attachment)
set Attachment Query + to (Direct) Target 08 (Index)
These two actors are going to "anchor" our Spine Crawlers to the Uberlisk's attachment points so that they move with its animations. Without these, the attached actors will just float in the air where you put them while following the Uberlisk around. We won't need to make one for each Spine Crawler because these simply pick the starting point and the angle relative to the Uberlisk.
Create a new actor named SOpAdjustSpineL1 with Actor Type: Site Operation (Offset)
set Local Offset to (0.7, -0.2, -0.35)
Create a new actor named SOpAdjustSpineL2 with Actor Type: Site Operation (Offset)
set Local Offset to (0.45, -0.9, -0.15)
Create a new actor named SOpAdjustSpineL3 with Actor Type: Site Operation (Offset)
set Local Offset to (0.1, -1.8, -0.1)
Create a new actor named SOpAdjustSpineR1 with Actor Type: Site Operation (Offset)
set Local Offset to (-0.75, -0.15, -0.4)
Create a new actor named SOpAdjustSpineR2 with Actor Type: Site Operation (Offset)
set Local Offset to (-0.6, -0.85, -0.2)
Create a new actor named SOpAdjustSpineR3 with Actor Type: Site Operation (Offset)
set Local Offset to (-0.25, -1.75, -0.1)
These actors are what move the Spine Crawlers from their anchor point. I've already done the tweaking part, but normally you would guess where you want them and then slowly nudge them until you've got the model where you want it. By combining these actors you can move a model anywhere along the Uberlisk's head. If you want another part of the body, simply change the anchor point and adjust the offsets.
Model Actors
Go to the Uberlisk's actor
set Scale to (2.0)
open Events + and remove EVERYTHING, then add the following events:
Create a new actor named SpineL1 with Actor Type: Model and Based On: ModelAddition
set Model to Uberlisk Spine
set Scale to (0.3, 0.3, 0.4)
set Host + to _Unit (Subject > Alias)
set Host Site Operations + to SOpAttachSpineL and SOpAdjustSpineL1
open Hosted Attachments + and add a new value with (Attachment Query > Methods: AMFilterWeapon (Methods); Name: SpineL1Tentacle (Custom))
open Events + and create the following events:
UnitBirth.Uberlisk
Create
ActorCreation
Animation Play (Name: Attach; Animation Properties: Stand, Burrow; Flags: Play Forever)
Effect.ImpalerTentacleL1Missile.Start
Animation Play (Name: Attack; Animation Properties: Attack)
WeaponStop.ImpalerTentacleL1.AttackStop
Animation Clear (Name: Attack)
Signal
Animation Play (Name: Return; Animation Properties: Attack, End)
Signal
Reference Clear (Name: SpineL1Tentacle (Custom))
UnitDeath.Uberlisk
Destroy
Now there is currently a bug that prevents you from adding a SubName to Signal events. So we're going to have to manually edit them with Raw Data View. Press Ctrl + D and double click on Events +. This will now allow you to type anything you want into this field. Find both instances of "Signal" and change them to "Signal.*.Returned" so that the event will work properly. Once finished, press Ctrl + D again to clear Raw Data View. DOUBLE CHECK THAT YOU MADE THE CORRECT CHANGES. Now it's time to explain what all the Hosting fields and Signals are for.
Host + determines what the actor will attach itself to. By adding the alias _Unit, this actor will find an actor with this alias (in our case the Uberlisk) and attach itself when it is created. You DO have the option of picking a specific actor and sometimes this is better than using aliases. A good example would be when you are attaching multiple objects together that share aliases. If your main model has _Unit and the first attachment has _Unit, the next attached model might be confused on which to attach to and end up attached to the wrong model. Specifying the actor helps avoid this.
Host Site Operations + determines where on the "Host" actor this actor will attach itself. The Site Operations we have tell the unit to anchor itself at the given location and then adjust itself by the given values. This puts our Spine Crawler where it needs to be. It is VERY important that you include a space between each operation otherwise it won't stick when you click ok. Furthermore, the ONLY way to use multiple Site Ops is by using a space between them. Many mappers have made the false conclusion that you can't use more than one Site Op because they didn't figure out that you have to use a space instead of a comma or semi-colon. Don't let this be you!
Hosted Attachments + is somewhat complicated, but the basic idea is that it allows the actor to be a reference point for other actors. In our case, it will allow the Tentacle's attack actor to animate the "stretch" attack. Without this hosted attachment, the tentacle won't stretch to the target at all. It will just "wiggle" a little each attack. Additionally you can use this field to create multiple reference points for complex multi-attachment units.
Lastly, Signal's are how the Tentacle Missile and the Spine Crawler will communicate. One event will tell the Spine Crawler to play an animation every time it receives the signal named "Returned" and the other will clear the reference point (the Hosted Attachment) after each attack. If you don't clear the reference point after each attack, all animations will work as intended, but after attacking the tentacle will be pinned to the air above where the Spine Crawler is until it attacks again. If there is nothing to attack, it will stay there while you walk away to another target, stretching the entire way until it has an opportunity to attack something. (If your missile doesn't return, you don't need signals!)
Duplicate above actor 5 times and change all L1s to L2s, L3s, R1s, R2s and R3s, being careful to link each Actor to the correct parts.
This duplication process is the most common source of errors for this actor and all following actors. Be sure to double check that you have associated all L1s with L1s, L2s with L2s and so forth at each step so that your tentacles will attack properly.
Site Actors
Create a new actor named Spine L1 Site with Actor Type: Site
set Host + to SpineL1 (Subject > Actor)
set Host Site Operations + to SOpAttachHardPoint
open Events + and create the following events:
ActorCreation.SpineL1
Create
ActorDestruction.SpineL1
Destroy
Duplicate the above actor 5 times and change all L1s to L2s, L3s, R1s, R2s and R3s, being careful to link each actor to the correct parts.
This particular actor is what will allow your tentacle to fire from location we want. It attaches itself to the Spine Crawler actor at the given anchor point. This anchor point is where an actual Spine Crawler's tentacle originates from so naturally we want our tentacles to originate from this point as well.
Missile Actors
Create a new actor named Spine L1 Missile with Actor Type: Missile and Based On: GenericTentacleMissile (Uknown)
set Unit Name (Token) to Missile - Impaler Tentacle L1
set Model to Invisible
set Host Return + to SpineL1 (Subject > Actor)
set Host Return Site Operations + to SOpAttachHardPoint
These events aren't your typical events, but they are very important. Motion Phase Start is how your missile will reference the Spine Crawler it shoots from, allowing it to stretch from the hosted attachment (SpineL1Tentacle) to the target. Once it reaches the target, Missile Tentacle Return is what allows the tentacle to retract back to the Spine Crawler. Without this it will simply stretch out and "pin" itself to the target, twitching periodically to signal attacks. Knowing this, you can actually use this to purposely pin targets with this animation so long as you ensure that the missile only fires once. Then you can have Missile Tentacle Return action occur when the effect that immobilizes the target ends. Thus the missile fires, sticks the target which is immobilized by an effect and then retracts when the effect ends or the target dies. Think "Neural Parasite" but without that annoying infestor.
Host Return + is simple. This is the actor the tentacle returns to. Without this the tentacle might drag along the ground, shoot off screen or any number of things depending on what you have and haven't setup correctly. (If your missile doesn't return, skip this!)
Host Return Site Operations + is how you specifically pick what part of the actor the tentacle returns to. If you've specified the host return but not the Site Op then your tentacle will, again, drag along the ground awkwardly. Limp tentacle is a serious problem >:( (If your missile doesn't return, skip this!)
Host Supporter + there isn't really a great way to explain what this does exactly as it has a lot of uses, but with our Uberlisk, this is how you let the events that target "::Supporter" know what actor you're talking about. Even if you pick the actors attachment, you still need this to complete the "reference." If the hosted attachment is one board and the missile actor is the board you want to attach to it, the host supporter is the nails/screws that hold them together. Event if you put them side by side and they know what to do, they won't stick together without it. (If your missile doesn't return, skip this!)
Duplicate the above actor 5 times and change all L1s to L2s, L3s, R1s, R2s and R3s, being careful to link each actor to the correct parts.
Attack Actors
Create a new actor named Spine Attack L1 with Actor Type: Attack and Based On: GenericAttack
set Impact Effect (Token) to Impaler Tentacle L1 (Damage)
set Launch Effect (Token) to Impaler Tentacle L1 (Missile)
set Missile to Spine L1 Missile
open Launch Assets + and set sound to SpineCrawler_AttackLaunch
open Impact Map + select the 1st row and set sound to SpineCrawler_AttackImpact
in Impact Map + set Flesh Model Reaction to Spine Crawler Attack Impact Reaction Flesh
in Impact Map + set Light Armor Model Reaction to Light Armor Target Impact
in Impact Map + set Metal Model Reaction to Metal Target Impact
set Launch Site to Spine L1 Site
open Events + and create the following events:
Effect.ImpalerTentacleL1Missile.Start
At Caster (Term)
Create
Effect.ImpalerTentacleL1Dmg.Start
At Caster (Term)
From Effect tree Descendant (Term)
Action Impact
Duplicate the above actor 5 times and change all L1s to L2s, L3s, R1s, R2s and R3s, being careful to link each actor to the correct parts.
Wrapping Up
Return to Impaler Tentacle L1 (Missile)
set Ammo Unit to Missile - Impaler Tentacle L1
Repeat for L2, L3, R1, R2 and R3
At this point it's a good idea to double check everything. All your data objects should be created so quickly flipping through and making sure they only reference other data objects with the same L# or R# is easy to do. Save your map, throw some victims on the map and unleash your Uberlisk! :D
If you encounter problems that you can't fix, let me know about it here and we'll figure out what happened.
You should actually be able to use search filters instead of creating a validator if you're using Search Area to achieve this effect. Just uncheck ally, player and neutral leaving only enemy. Thus it will only search for and apply to enemies.
I'm not interested in dedicating myself to any one team, but I've got time and skills to help teams in need of a data editor. If I haven't already posted in your thread, shoot me a PM or post here if you have something you want me to look at.
If you are wanting to gauge my abilities, look at the tutorials that I have written and will continue to write or look for me on the site's IRC. Most folks there will vouch for my being the "got to guy" for Data Editor related content.
While my items department isn't as developed, I'm quite good with Spells and characters when it comes to the Data Editor. Keep in mind that I might be working on several projects at once so I'm not interested in full commitment to a program, but I work quickly and can do most things that you'll ask for in the data editor. Definitely a stargate fan though ;)
If by object you mean "Data Editor" stuff, I'm quite proficient with Weapons, Abilities, Behaviors, Effects and all things associated with them. Provided you don't need triggers, I'll probably be able to do anything you ask for. Send me a PM if you want more details or need examples.
I'm not so much looking to join a "team" as much as I'm willing to help out and have free time.
Then you don't need a set. The idea is the persistent will fire them in order and by time, so if you only set one duration the other 2 effects wont fire.
If you're willing to wait, I have an in depth tutorial on Attachments/Site Operations coming out in a day or two. It's something EVERYONE has been wanting insight into and will feature how to create the Uberlisk (the right way) without triggers or XML.
First off, all of the replies thus far are over complicating the problem. If your tower is simply a Weapon Fire > Graviton Beam Ability sequence then all your problems are easily solved provided I understand them correctly.
I'm going to assume the following with my response:
Your tower is akin to a "slow" tower in that it lifts a unit up for a set period of time (or permanently until killed) so that other towers can shoot it longer.
You have changed the setup your weapon as follows: Weapon Acquire > Attack > [Graviton Effect Series]
Perpetual Targeting:
You want the tower to have a delay between attacks:
Go to the Weapon firing the effect and give it a Period of N
Go to the Behavior and give it a Duration to (N - [Delay time])
If you are wanting the unit to have a chance of running away between lifts, this will cause the tower to use Graviton Beam for and then wait to use it again until the weapons attack period finishes. Example: Period of 6, Duration of 4; Graviton beam will last for 4 seconds and will not fire again for 2 seconds.
OR
You want the tower to target different units to prevent focus fire:
Go to the Weapon and add TSRandom to Acquire Target Sorts +
This will cause each attack to be a randomly selected unit within range.
Upgradable Attack:
Create a Validator for each upgrade
Create a new Effect with Effect Type: Search Area
Set Area + to (Arc: 360; Effect: [First Effect of Graviton Beam Series]; Maximum Count: [Desired Targets]; Radius: [Desired Radius]
Change other fields as needed
Duplicate above effect for each upgrade and change each effect as needed
Create a new Effect with Effect Type: Switch
Set Default to [First Effect of Graviton Beam Series]
Add all Search Area effects to Cases + with each upgrade Validator paired its Search Area
Now every time your tower attacks it will use the default until a Validator is met. When you research the upgrade that matches the Validator, the attach will "switch" to that effect. Thus if Level 1 is one target and Level 2 is 2 targets, your weapon will switch from using the Graviton Beam directly to searching for a Maximum of 2 targets to use Graviton Beam on.
This "should" fix both problems if implemented correctly unless I misunderstood your problem. If this doesn't, send me a PM and we'll work it out. I'm also on the sites IRC channel quite frequently to provide help with Data Editor questions ;)
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You can follow my tutorial perfectly and still not get it "right" if you're using the specified values on a different unit as your description sounds like. Depending on the actor/model you might need different values for where the beam is going to fire from and to. So what unit are you using this beam weapon with?
Also, if your beam isn't showing up that's usually a sign that either your Effect - Damage isn't starting at the unit (Source Unit) and ending at the target (Target Unit), preventing the beam from connecting the dots. Possibly one of the actors doesn't have the beam creating when the Effect - Damage is firing. The other most common reason is that you took a beam model other than the one I was using and didn't specify the right animation in Animation Properties. So your beam could actually be successfully created, but if you're telling it to use the animation "Stand" and it only has the animation "Birth," it won't show up at all.
So double check all of these and if that doesn't fix it, let me know what unit and beam model you are using and we'll go from there :)
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When selecting direct attachment points, there is the field where you select the name and then a 0 below it by the word "Index." Change this to 7 to set it to Target 07 :)
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I practice in front of the mirror each night before I go to bed. . .
<.<
.>
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@.@
(double take)
@.@
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Exactly! That's why I work teh street corners ;)
But thou hast been stricken with a PM ;P
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(By Popular Demand: Beginner Attachments Tutorial)
As part of the Creature Contest, I thought it would be a great idea to cover Hosting and Site Operations in extensive detail. I'll be demonstrating how you can use multiple Site Operations and the Host/Hosting Fields to attach units to each other, designate launch/impact locations and otherwise create your own patchwork units. For our example we'll be covering the Uberlisk despite there already being multiple tutorials out for it. The reason for this is my Uberlisk actually has the 6 spine crawlers it's supposed to in the locations they are supposed to be. I've also improved upon the concept and adjusted the spine crawlers further to show you just how realistic you can make attachments appear.
Take a look:
(I'm lazy and don't have video recording, but video tutorialist OneTwo was awesome enough to make this for me!)
Also, as a warning, this tutorial is quite lengthy and as such it is entirely likely that I made several typos or forgot a step. If you see such an instance let me know right away so I can fix it. Do not hesitate to ask questions either as I'll be available to help as best I can :)
The Basics
Hosting and Site Operations are nothing more than points of reference for alignment instructions. Either you're linking two objects together with references so that they can "speak" to each other, or you're telling an object that it needs to be here and/or moved to there. If actors are the puppeteers, units are the puppets and behaviors/effects are the puppets features then hosting/site operations are the strings. They tell everything where they need to be.
Before we begin, it's important to understand how Local Offset, Explicit Rotation and Variance Rotation Site Operations work as a large part of combined models involves them. To help visualize, open any unit in the previewer and move the camera until you are facing the front of your unit. Now overlay the the coordinate system in your mind and that's how these Site Operations will base their directional adjustments.
Local Offsets
This Site Operation moves objects in any direction while preserving its facing and rotational axis. Using the objects original point as the origin:
+X is right of the object, -X is left of the object
+Y is towards/into the object, -Y is away from/out of the object
+Z is above the object, -Z is below the object
One thing to note is that while it preserves its rotational axis, some anchor (attachment) points will actually tilt this axis to align it with the plane it's attached to. In other words, if you attach it to a surface that's at a 45 degree angle to ground, the attached model will also be at a 45 degree angle. Thus it's important to pick the right anchor point to move from before applying offsets.
Explicit (Static) Rotation
This Site Operation changes and locks an objects facing and/or rotational axis. The directions from offsets are the same, but instead of moving the object you are going to create new vectors. Forward is the facing vector and Up is the rotational axis vector. Some examples:
Face North
Forward - (X: 0.0,Y: 1.0, Z: 0.0)
Up - (X: 0.0,Y: 0.0, Z: 1.0)
Face Up
Forward - (X: 0.0, Y: 0.0, Z: 1.0)
Up - (X: 0.0, Y: 0.0, Z: 1.0)
Face South West
Forward - (X: -1.0, Y: -1.0, Z: 0.0)
Up - (X: 0.0,Y: 0.0, Z: 1.0)
Tilt West
Forward - (X: 0.0, Y: -1.0, Z: 0.0)
Up - (X: -1.0, Y: 0.0, Z: 0.0)
Tilt North East
Forward - (X: 0.0, Y: -1.0, Z: 0.0)
Up - (X: 1.0, Y: 1.0, Z: 0.0)
Flip Upside Down
Forward - (X: 0.0, Y: -1.0, Z: 0.0)
Up - (X: 0.0, Y: 0.0, Z: -1.0)
It's important to note that the actor won't rotate with its host if used on attachments. In order to function like an attachment should, you must enable Local. If you do not, the rotations will be use the map coordinates instead of the unit's facing as a reference.
Variance (Dynamic) Rotation
Unlike Explicit Rotation, this Site Operation does not change a units facing or rotational axis. Instead, it changes its relationship with its existing facing and axis. More specifically, it allows you to tilt a unit away from its facing/axis without being locked in that direction. This makes it ideal for attachments to mobile objects. While still facing your unit, the Up Angle tilts it to the left of its axis and the Forward Angle tilts it up from its facing. Given that both fields are only angles, it's pretty easy to tilt as desired once you understand what direction you are tilting.
One very important disclaimer is that this Site Operation is currently very buggy. Sometimes the angle will tilt the object in the opposite direction which is bad for Forward Angles as it puts their face in the ground. If used with other Site Operations, especially if you attach to an anchor, the model will slowly "fall" into the ground as the object moves about. This can be especially frustrating if you have the perfect setup and suddenly the attachment droops. That being said, be sure to test repeatedly to make sure you achieve the desired effect. As of now, I don't know any way to ensure 100% success and I suspect it's just another area of the editor Blizzard isn't finished fleshing out.
The Uberlisk
First and foremost, I have not included the Uberlisk's abilities because they are not related to the tutorial and would just be extra work. I am willing to update the tutorial by attaching a 2nd map that has the abilities incorporated if this is the popular demand, but I won't be adding them to this tutorial. In a future tutorial I might pull that map off this thread and create an Actor/Ability tutorial that walks through making those abilities for the Uberlisk you've already created with this tutorial. I won't make any promises at this point in time, however. For now, focus on the Hosting and Site Operations as those are what allow the Uberlisk to function.
Effects Tab
(Because we have a lot to make I'll be having you duplicate frequently.)
Simply match the Damage to its Missile. We'll come back and pick our ammo unit later on.
Models Tab
Weapons Tab
Damage Point determines when during the period a weapon attacks. By layering them like this the attacks will attack consecutively rather than in one volley
Units Tab
Duplicate Ultralisk and check the following boxes:
Start by renaming the Ultralisk model Uberlisk. Go on to rename the actor Uberlisk and the weapons Kaiser Blades ("Uberlisk -" in the Editor Prefix field) and Head Attack ("Uberlisk -" in the Editor Prefix field). Now delete any abilities, command card buttons or behaviors you don't want and decide on your stats (HP, armor etc). Finish by renaming the unit Uberlisk and the effects Cleave (Damage) ("Uberlisk -" in the Editor Prefix field) and Head Attack (Damage) ("Uberlisk -" in the Editor Prefix field).
Go to the Kaiser Blades weapon
It's important that Backswing is 0.0 because this number determines how the unit can fire any of its weapons after using this weapon. If it's anything but 0.0, other weapons used after it will be delayed. It's also important to uncheck Linked Cooldown so that multiple weapons can fire at once.
Go to the Head Attack weapon
Actors Tab
Because we have a lot of actors and each one has an important role, we're going to divide this tab into multiple sections so that we can better understand what is happening.
Site Operation Actors
These two actors are going to "anchor" our Spine Crawlers to the Uberlisk's attachment points so that they move with its animations. Without these, the attached actors will just float in the air where you put them while following the Uberlisk around. We won't need to make one for each Spine Crawler because these simply pick the starting point and the angle relative to the Uberlisk.
These actors are what move the Spine Crawlers from their anchor point. I've already done the tweaking part, but normally you would guess where you want them and then slowly nudge them until you've got the model where you want it. By combining these actors you can move a model anywhere along the Uberlisk's head. If you want another part of the body, simply change the anchor point and adjust the offsets.
Model Actors
Now there is currently a bug that prevents you from adding a SubName to Signal events. So we're going to have to manually edit them with Raw Data View. Press Ctrl + D and double click on Events +. This will now allow you to type anything you want into this field. Find both instances of "Signal" and change them to "Signal.*.Returned" so that the event will work properly. Once finished, press Ctrl + D again to clear Raw Data View. DOUBLE CHECK THAT YOU MADE THE CORRECT CHANGES. Now it's time to explain what all the Hosting fields and Signals are for.
Host + determines what the actor will attach itself to. By adding the alias _Unit, this actor will find an actor with this alias (in our case the Uberlisk) and attach itself when it is created. You DO have the option of picking a specific actor and sometimes this is better than using aliases. A good example would be when you are attaching multiple objects together that share aliases. If your main model has _Unit and the first attachment has _Unit, the next attached model might be confused on which to attach to and end up attached to the wrong model. Specifying the actor helps avoid this.
Host Site Operations + determines where on the "Host" actor this actor will attach itself. The Site Operations we have tell the unit to anchor itself at the given location and then adjust itself by the given values. This puts our Spine Crawler where it needs to be. It is VERY important that you include a space between each operation otherwise it won't stick when you click ok. Furthermore, the ONLY way to use multiple Site Ops is by using a space between them. Many mappers have made the false conclusion that you can't use more than one Site Op because they didn't figure out that you have to use a space instead of a comma or semi-colon. Don't let this be you!
Hosted Attachments + is somewhat complicated, but the basic idea is that it allows the actor to be a reference point for other actors. In our case, it will allow the Tentacle's attack actor to animate the "stretch" attack. Without this hosted attachment, the tentacle won't stretch to the target at all. It will just "wiggle" a little each attack. Additionally you can use this field to create multiple reference points for complex multi-attachment units.
Lastly, Signal's are how the Tentacle Missile and the Spine Crawler will communicate. One event will tell the Spine Crawler to play an animation every time it receives the signal named "Returned" and the other will clear the reference point (the Hosted Attachment) after each attack. If you don't clear the reference point after each attack, all animations will work as intended, but after attacking the tentacle will be pinned to the air above where the Spine Crawler is until it attacks again. If there is nothing to attack, it will stay there while you walk away to another target, stretching the entire way until it has an opportunity to attack something. (If your missile doesn't return, you don't need signals!)
This duplication process is the most common source of errors for this actor and all following actors. Be sure to double check that you have associated all L1s with L1s, L2s with L2s and so forth at each step so that your tentacles will attack properly.
Site Actors
This particular actor is what will allow your tentacle to fire from location we want. It attaches itself to the Spine Crawler actor at the given anchor point. This anchor point is where an actual Spine Crawler's tentacle originates from so naturally we want our tentacles to originate from this point as well.
Missile Actors
These events aren't your typical events, but they are very important. Motion Phase Start is how your missile will reference the Spine Crawler it shoots from, allowing it to stretch from the hosted attachment (SpineL1Tentacle) to the target. Once it reaches the target, Missile Tentacle Return is what allows the tentacle to retract back to the Spine Crawler. Without this it will simply stretch out and "pin" itself to the target, twitching periodically to signal attacks. Knowing this, you can actually use this to purposely pin targets with this animation so long as you ensure that the missile only fires once. Then you can have Missile Tentacle Return action occur when the effect that immobilizes the target ends. Thus the missile fires, sticks the target which is immobilized by an effect and then retracts when the effect ends or the target dies. Think "Neural Parasite" but without that annoying infestor.
Host Return + is simple. This is the actor the tentacle returns to. Without this the tentacle might drag along the ground, shoot off screen or any number of things depending on what you have and haven't setup correctly. (If your missile doesn't return, skip this!)
Host Return Site Operations + is how you specifically pick what part of the actor the tentacle returns to. If you've specified the host return but not the Site Op then your tentacle will, again, drag along the ground awkwardly. Limp tentacle is a serious problem >:( (If your missile doesn't return, skip this!)
Host Supporter + there isn't really a great way to explain what this does exactly as it has a lot of uses, but with our Uberlisk, this is how you let the events that target "::Supporter" know what actor you're talking about. Even if you pick the actors attachment, you still need this to complete the "reference." If the hosted attachment is one board and the missile actor is the board you want to attach to it, the host supporter is the nails/screws that hold them together. Event if you put them side by side and they know what to do, they won't stick together without it. (If your missile doesn't return, skip this!)
Attack Actors
Wrapping Up
At this point it's a good idea to double check everything. All your data objects should be created so quickly flipping through and making sure they only reference other data objects with the same L# or R# is easy to do. Save your map, throw some victims on the map and unleash your Uberlisk! :D
If you encounter problems that you can't fix, let me know about it here and we'll figure out what happened.
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I make a mean ramen noodle bowl ;)
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You should actually be able to use search filters instead of creating a validator if you're using Search Area to achieve this effect. Just uncheck ally, player and neutral leaving only enemy. Thus it will only search for and apply to enemies.
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I'm not interested in dedicating myself to any one team, but I've got time and skills to help teams in need of a data editor. If I haven't already posted in your thread, shoot me a PM or post here if you have something you want me to look at.
If you are wanting to gauge my abilities, look at the tutorials that I have written and will continue to write or look for me on the site's IRC. Most folks there will vouch for my being the "got to guy" for Data Editor related content.
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While my items department isn't as developed, I'm quite good with Spells and characters when it comes to the Data Editor. Keep in mind that I might be working on several projects at once so I'm not interested in full commitment to a program, but I work quickly and can do most things that you'll ask for in the data editor. Definitely a stargate fan though ;)
Send me a PM if you want to talk details.
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I'm quite proficient with the Data Editor and would be willing to help out. Shoot me a PM if you want more details about myself.
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If by object you mean "Data Editor" stuff, I'm quite proficient with Weapons, Abilities, Behaviors, Effects and all things associated with them. Provided you don't need triggers, I'll probably be able to do anything you ask for. Send me a PM if you want more details or need examples.
I'm not so much looking to join a "team" as much as I'm willing to help out and have free time.
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You can actually make it trigger all of the desired effects, you just have to add multiple durations.
You would set it up as follows:
Period: 5 Duration: (1.0|0.0|0.0) Effects: (Missile 1|Missile 2|Damage)
Then you don't need a set. The idea is the persistent will fire them in order and by time, so if you only set one duration the other 2 effects wont fire.
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If you're willing to wait, I have an in depth tutorial on Attachments/Site Operations coming out in a day or two. It's something EVERYONE has been wanting insight into and will feature how to create the Uberlisk (the right way) without triggers or XML.
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First off, all of the replies thus far are over complicating the problem. If your tower is simply a Weapon Fire > Graviton Beam Ability sequence then all your problems are easily solved provided I understand them correctly.
I'm going to assume the following with my response:
Perpetual Targeting:
If you are wanting the unit to have a chance of running away between lifts, this will cause the tower to use Graviton Beam for and then wait to use it again until the weapons attack period finishes. Example: Period of 6, Duration of 4; Graviton beam will last for 4 seconds and will not fire again for 2 seconds.
OR
This will cause each attack to be a randomly selected unit within range.
Upgradable Attack:
Now every time your tower attacks it will use the default until a Validator is met. When you research the upgrade that matches the Validator, the attach will "switch" to that effect. Thus if Level 1 is one target and Level 2 is 2 targets, your weapon will switch from using the Graviton Beam directly to searching for a Maximum of 2 targets to use Graviton Beam on.
This "should" fix both problems if implemented correctly unless I misunderstood your problem. If this doesn't, send me a PM and we'll work it out. I'm also on the sites IRC channel quite frequently to provide help with Data Editor questions ;)