Invisibility With Visible Effects

[cleavinghammer]

Is there a way to have an effect added to a unit in such a way that if the unit is invisible, the effect remains visible but not "part" of the unit?

Specifically, a treant with Shadowmeld that looks like a regular destructible tree when not moving, but holding the mouse over the tree doodad doesn't reveal it as hostile and doesn't display a healthbar unless a detector is nearby.

I've tried using orb-abilities and triggered attachments, but in both cases they're visible and invisible at the same time as the unit.

If it can't be done in the map editor, can it be done by editing the model?

 

[Daffa]

Perhaps try not attach the effect to the unit, but rather make the effect repositioned to follow the unit?

 

[Gnuoy]

You mean kind of like in Starcraft how you can see a visual distortion where cloaked units are?

Maybe something like this... might need some more work...

• Untitled Trigger 001
  • Events
    • Unit - A unit Starts the effect of an ability
  • Conditions
    • (Ability being cast) Equal to Invisibility
  • Actions
    • Set VariableSet cloaked_unit_variable = (Casting unit)
    • Special Effect - Create a special effect attached to the origin of cloaked_unit_variable using Abilities\Spells\Undead\AbsorbMana\AbsorbManaBirthMissile.mdl
    • Special Effect - Destroy (Last created special effect)
    • Wait 2.00 seconds
    • Special Effect - Create a special effect attached to the origin of cloaked_unit_variable using Abilities\Spells\Undead\AbsorbMana\AbsorbManaBirthMissile.mdl
    • Special Effect - Destroy (Last created special effect)

probably a better way to do this. i'll post if i think of it.

edit: considering the post below you obviously will want to use a point variable, and loop trigger. my example above is just meant to get you started... probably don't use it exactly.

 

[doom_sheep]

attachments of a model only spawn when the model itself is being rendered. if you can't see the model, you won't see attachments either.

you want to detect when your unit starts/stops using the ability to display/destroy the effect at their location.

 

[cleavinghammer]

Darn, I was hoping for one that wouldn't involve looping triggers or otherwise take up too much memory, but I guess it'll have to be that way.

Thanks all.