Phoenix Spiral v1.2

[Moderator]

18:34GMT, 25th Jun 2011
Bribe:

Great work on this spell. It's now lag-free on the first cast and runs smoothly even on older computers like mine.

I suggest changing the demo map's name from "Just another wc3 map" so that it's easier to find when people are browsing their maps.

 

[Ketsuno Anson]

No leak at all,good enough

 

[mckill2009]

Good spell man, although 'Last Created Unit' and 'Picked Unit' is enough instead of "TempUnit"...

 

[Marsal]

It's a bit faster.

 

[Bribe]

Your indexing needs fixing:

• If (All Conditions are True) then do (Then Actions) else do (Else Actions)
  • If - Conditions
    • PSHas[PSLastRecycled] Equal to True
  • Then - Actions
    • Set PSMax = (PSMax + 1)
    • Set PSLastRecycled = PSMax
    • -------- These next two lines should be deleted, and instead of the
    • -------- above line set "PSIndex" = PSMax.
    • Set PSIndex = PSLastRecycled
    • Set PSLastRecycled = PSRecycledList[PSLastRecycled]
  • Else - Actions
    • Set PSIndex = PSLastRecycled
    • Set PSLastRecycled = PSRecycledList[PSLastRecycled]

I've been looking at the indexing you use for a long time and finally figured out what the problem was with it. You should apply this fix to your existing systems as well.

The JASS code for it actually looks like this:

function NewIndex takes nothing returns integer
    local integer this
    if lastRecycled == 0 then
        set indexCount = indexCount + 1
        set this = indexCount
    else
        set this = lastRecycled
        set lastRecycled = recycleList[this]
    endif
    set recycleList[this] = -1
    return this
endfunction

constant function HasIndex takes integer this returns boolean
    return recycleList[this] == -1
endfunction

function DelIndex takes integer this returns nothing
    if HasIndex(this) then
        set recycleList[this] = lastRecycled
        set lastRecycled = this
    endif
endfunction

You can keep iterating over instances the way you do from the timer-trigger, in most cases it will be efficient enough. Just loop from 1 to "indexCount" and check if the "recycleList" for that index is equal to "-1"

 

[mckill2009]

IMO locals read faster than globals...TriggeringUnit/PickedUnit/LastCreatedUnit works as locals...

 

[Marsal]

Your indexing needs fixing:

• If (All Conditions are True) then do (Then Actions) else do (Else Actions)
  • If - Conditions
    • PSHas[PSLastRecycled] Equal to True
  • Then - Actions
    • Set PSMax = (PSMax + 1)
    • Set PSLastRecycled = PSMax
    • -------- These next two lines should be deleted, and instead of the
    • -------- above line set "PSIndex" = PSMax.
    • Set PSIndex = PSLastRecycled
    • Set PSLastRecycled = PSRecycledList[PSLastRecycled]
  • Else - Actions
    • Set PSIndex = PSLastRecycled
    • Set PSLastRecycled = PSRecycledList[PSLastRecycled]

I've been looking at the indexing you use for a long time and finally figured out what the problem was with it. You should apply this fix to your existing systems as well.

Is that generates a problem? All my spells using this system is tested and soetimes when I create a spell I think quite awesome I just spawn it with 10-15 units ~.~ Never found any problem.

 

[Bribe]

Please check my post again, I edited it

Basically your indexing was not remembering the recycled instances. Of course by playing the game you won't usually come across this problem, but what you have set up will break the spell after you casted it 8190 times. This also affects performance - after 1000 or so casts, you'll be iterating over 1000 dead instances each time you cast the spell.

 

[Marsal]

Oh now I see. When it creates a new instance because maximum is reached it also sets the last recycleable instance on the new one, so when it got cast again it will create a max again and again ...
I fix this in my spells ~.~
Edit: I also try to add a func to reset the Max number of instances.

 

[Bribe]

Don't bother trying to create that function - the only way to do it is to loop over your dead instances or create a seperate array that handles looping. The latter is commonly done and is called a "linear stack".

I recommend just sticking with iterating over dead instances or use the stack method.

 

[Marsal]

Well I changed the part you mentioned a bit other way and checked with game messages it's work. Now it only increase the maximum if necesseary and can recycle all the instances.

 

[Bribe]

The code just needs one change - preload the unit in a map initializer function (or use a special effect attached to the dummy.mdx model and preload that). Just do:

• Preload
  • Events
    • Map Initialization
  • Conditions
  • Actions
    • Set TempLoc = (Center of (Playable map area))
    • Unit - Create 1 Dummy Unit for (Neutral passive) at TempLoc facing 0 degrees
    • Unit - Explode (Last created unit)
    • Custom script: call RemoveLocation(udg_TempLoc)

If you notice, the phoenix effects don't display correctly the first time. Making this change would fix said problem.

The effects look really great!

 

[Adiktuz]

IMO locals read faster than globals...TriggeringUnit/PickedUnit/LastCreatedUnit works as locals...

they actually call functions so they're slower than the variables... and that's why we set them to variables when we use them a lot on a trigger...
sample:
TriggeringUnit = GetTriggerUnit() //which is a function not a variable

On the spell - hmmm... looks cool... though not a fan of damage set on the OE as its not flexible... ^_^

 

[Black-kitty]

Cool spell, It does spiral, like it says in name, Even if it does look sortof OP Its a great level 6+ spell ( final or whatever. ) Good job.

 

[Marsal]

Added preload.

 

[Bribe]

The test map does not preload the dummy unit. It still has quite a big lag on the first cast.

Edit: found the problem. You also need to preload the ability that you add to the dummy (your custom phoenix fire).

 

[Marsal]

So that's what causes the most lagg. In the Amazon pack the Impaling Arrow does not lagg at all despite it has almost the longest trigger.
Fixed that too.

 

[Ketsuno Anson]

Well I think I remember telling you about it in another spell...

 

[Marsal]

Nope. You mentioned the system but that one is not using it also the system is just perfect.

Btw the spells lag when I cast them for the first time,I don't know if its my comp or your spell,but if its your spell i think its the spell calling system

 

[Marcos DAB]

Look like Icarus spell from DotA. Very useful.

 

[Marsal]

Today I had a little fun with one of my non-uploaded spells that nulls the maximum too and just found a bug. After massive spell spawn it wont really work because of the recycling list.
Now finally I found how to fix it so here it is.

 

[Silverfish423]

Awesome! I will definitely use this

+rep

 

[Exavier00]

Aw... it buggs when I cast it the second time... especially when there is an instance running in the game... also the height of the bird sometimes buggs pls fix it.

 

[Marsal]

this can´t be.... I´ve tested it several times,sometimes got more than 40 instances running, and never bugged

 

[Exavier00]

Or.... does the size of the map affect the spell (for example the map is 9mb)?... some times when i cast it only 1 bird comes in, after when i cast it again the birds are high up from the ground... then after when i cast i again it runs better... then again the bug repeats t.t

 

[Bribe]

9MB map?? Seems like it's your laggy map that's the problem.

 

[Marsal]

the test map size is under 100kb, if you imported the spell to your map then re-check the triggers, sometimes copy can mess up everything

 

[Exavier00]

9MB map?? Seems like it's your laggy map that's the problem.

Yes I thought so... I'll reduce and remove unwanted triggers and junk... that could solve the problem...

the test map size is under 100kb, if you imported the spell to your map then re-check the triggers, sometimes copy can mess up everything

Sorry for that... I just didn't anticipate that, that could happen sorry...

 

[TheForsaken]

this spell is pure gold !!

 

[KaiZen7th]

Excuse me, How do I make the speed of descending animation slower?

 

[Pyrogasm]

In the periodic trigger, this 70.00 controls the rate of descent:

• Set PSHeight[PSInteger] = (PSHeight[PSInteger] - 70.00)

 

[KaiZen7th]

In the periodic trigger, this 70.00 controls the rate of descent:

• Set PSHeight[PSInteger] = (PSHeight[PSInteger] - 70.00)

Thank you spell reader !

 

[KaiZen7th]

@Pyrogasm But how could you know exactly what I need to look at? I mean I would love to learn reading triggers.

 

[Pyrogasm]

Okay, here's how I figured this out:

1. Look at the spell triggers in the description at the top, so I didn't have to open the WE. If they weren't visible or I wanted to make sure they were accurate to what's in the map I could download an open it or click the Preview Triggers button in the map info panel at the bottom of the description.
2. Look at the events for each trigger to determine when they run/guess about what they might be for:
   • First trigger is for initialization of variables and other map specific things
   • Second trigger runs when a unit casts the spell, so it probably sets things up for whatever happens periodically (I never ran the spell and there's no video so IDK what this spell actually does)
   • Third trigger runs periodically, so it must control the motion of things and therefore the height of things and therefore how fast that height changes
3. Take a moment to think about how a unit's height would be changed. WC3 is effectively a 2D game in the XY dimension, where the Z dimension is just used visually to differentiate flying units and add additional detail to the game. You're either flying or you're not, and at any height you can pass 'over' any destructable as long as it's not set to block air pathing or has pathing blockers. In this regard, motion in the Z direction must be controlled by the Animation - Change unit fly heightfunction, which has a couple little quirks:
   • Units don't actually have to be flying to use this function on them. They just have to have been given, at one point in their existence (it can be removed immediately), Medivh's Crow Form ability. This tricks them into being movable in the z direction like flying units without being flying units)!
   • You can set fly height over time using a number to control the rate of change, or you can set it instantly using 0 as the rate of change.
4. From 3. I conclude that I must be looking for an Animation - Change unit fly height line somewhere, and that it either occurs once when the phoenixes are created or periodically throughout the trigger.
5. Begin my search in the cast trigger, looking for Unit - Create lines. It creates phoenixes and sets their fly heights inside the loop! ...but it instantly sets it ("at 0.00") to the initial value of 1450. Conclude it must be in the periodic trigger.
6. In the periodic trigger, I get confused because I thought the phoenixes were never stored in variables. They aren't! They're stored in a group and I missed that.
7. Copy the name of the group, do a search in the page for the name of the variable to see where it's used in the periodic trigger. Another loop! I see an fly height setting line! It's instant! It sets it to... the fly height it already is? That doesn't make sense. Oh, the fly height variable must be changed somewhere up above, duh! So I look there.
8. I start looking upwards from the loop I'm in and eventually see the line I quoted to you, inferring that since it goes down by 70 each iteration that must control the descent rate.