Second (and third) build menus

[Nano]

Hi guys,

I'm trying to make what you may have seen referred to as an 'Advanced Build Menu' in some maps but i can't quite figure out how.

I've got Spellbooks for what i need, but i can't figure out how to make abilities that will mimic the regular build menu. I tried using the 'Build Tiny X' abilities but apparently they're all based off of eachother already and you can't have more than one in the same spellbook or it just won't work.

So what i need is an ability that when you click it, instead of a targeting crosshair, instead you get the semi-transparent version of the building as your mouse cursor and it can only be placed in placable positions.

After that i'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to use a trigger to create a 'begun construction' building and then order the builder unit to repair it.

So can anyone help with this stuff? Or does anyone know how it has been done in other maps?

Would really appreciate it, thanks.

 

[PurplePoot]

You could always make it so that when you click the button, it replaces the unit with another unit with a new build menu, and everything else the same, then automatically opens that build menu.

 

[Just_Spectating]

this for that sc map you workin on? did the irridiate work ok? anyway. for the build. the spell book, make the abillities, build tiny Castle, build tiny Barracks, etc.

 

[PurplePoot]

He just said that they have the same base orderid and thus interfere, Spectating.

 

[Just_Spectating]

change the order ID's

 

[PurplePoot]

You can't change the base orderid on spells except Channel and Spell Book...

(Did I miss anything? Don't think so)

 

[Nano]

PurplePoot is correct.

As for having it switch to a dummy unit, once the spell is cast or the build menu closed, can/will it switch back auto-matically? i.e Will the user ever be aware of the difference?

Because the problem with that is that the way my map works is that the player can pick 1 of 4 different upgrade paths, for two different sections. i.e Option b from Path 1 and option d from Path 2.

So in all i wanted to have three different Build menus once they'd chosen for both paths.

So if each dummy unit has one build menu and it opens and closes it then it'd be fine, but if each one needs to have the same buttons on it, it wouldn't work for the 16 different combinations of abilities/build menus they could possibly have.

Thanks

Oh and Just_Spectating i think you have me confused with someone else. This is for a TD map i'm working on.

 

[PurplePoot]

As for having it switch to a dummy unit, once the spell is cast or the build menu closed, can/will it switch back auto-matically? i.e Will the user ever be aware of the difference?

It wouldn't matter if the new unit had its first build menu as a dummy ability that went back to that unit

I'm not sure if it would be instant or if there'd be a slight noticeable pause, but either way, it's the best way I can think of at the moment.

 

[Nano]

Alright, that sounds great then. Is it just a 'replace [unit] with' type trigger or is it something more advanced?

Any quick tutorials or posts you know of that can get me started?

 

[PurplePoot]

Replace Unit, then Force UI Key

 

[Nano]

Alright, i've got it working like this at the moment:

• Siege Build
  • Events
    • Unit - A unit Finishes casting an ability
  • Conditions
    • (Ability being cast) Equal to Build Siege Towers
  • Actions
    • Unit - Replace (Casting unit) with a Tower Builder (Siege) using The new unit's default life and mana
    • Selection - Select (Last replaced unit) for (Owner of (Last replaced unit))
    • Wait 0.05 seconds
    • Game - Force (Owner of (Last replaced unit)) to press the key B

And it opens up the build menu just fine (after a little delay, which i assume is inevitable) but i can't figure out how to revert to the original unit after the build menu is closed.

This was the closest i could get working:

• Siege Revert
  • Events
    • Unit - A unit Finishes casting an ability
  • Conditions
    • (Unit-type of (Casting unit)) Equal to Tower Builder (Siege)
  • Actions
    • Unit - Replace (Casting unit) with a Tower Builder using The new unit's default life and mana
    • Wait 0.05 seconds
    • Selection - Select (Last replaced unit) for (Owner of (Last replaced unit))

But if they just close the Siege Build menu it wont switch back to the regular builder. Any ideas?

 

[PurplePoot]

You don't need to revert to the original unit when the build menu is closed.

The two units look the same, remember?

For the spells, All you have to do is have 3 units;

X = dummy spell, leads to another unit
Y = real build menu

Unit 1:

YXX

Unit 2:

XYX

Unit 3:

XXY

understand?

That way, whenever you need to use a certain build menu, it goes to that certain unit.

 

[Nano]

For that to work, i'd need to be able to rename the build menu for particular guys and change its hotkey.

The setup i'd want is like this:

 (0,2)        (1,2)              (2,2)
[[U]B[/U]uild] [Build T[u]e[/u]chnology] [Build E[u]l[/u]emental]

If i go to the [Build Technology] unit then the 'real' Build menu would have to be moved to (1,2), renamed as [Build Technology] and have its hotkey changed to E.

The way you described would be much better in that the unit wouldn't have to be changing all the time, but i'm not sure if it's even possible to do what i just described.

 

[PurplePoot]

That's basically what my way does, but no, you can't do that in exactly the way you described.