The Channel Ability

[Jay the Editor]

As I rarely use create spells based on this ability, I'm not very sure of this spell and that's why I got quite a questions to ask in this thread as I want to fully understand the spell of Channel.

What's "Art Duration"?
I totally don't understand what's the function of this...

What's "Follow Through Time"?
Is it how long the caster channel the spell? What amount of value should be put if I used it for an instant cast spell?

For the options, I usually use "Visible" but I would like to know about the others which are "Targeting Image", "Physical Spell", "Universal Spell" and "Unique Cast". What's the difference between them?

 

[Maker]

Art - Duration
How often the specified special effects are played. For example if you set Art - Caster to some effect, then the effect is played every Art Duration seconds.

Follow through time
For how long the unit keeps the channel order, for how long it plays the animation and for how long the special effect are on. I usually try to set it so that after casting the spell, the caster finishes the cast animation but does not start another loop of the animation. The unit doesn't auto-attack for example during this time.

Targeting image
AoE image

Physical spell
Allows to be targeted on magic immune for example

Universal
Allows to be targeted on pretty much anything. Not invulnerable though.

Unique cast
Not sure. I thought it had something to do with having multiple units selected with all having the channel ability and ordering them to cast the ability. Only one will cast it.

 

[Bannar]

Few additional informations:

Channel.

Channel is comfortable spell for many issues, At first it has various differend options, it can be invisible, visible(ect), it gives opportunity to show effect for given amount of time, ables user to set animation time (anything you wish) and last, the most important:

Enables user to create all types of abilities:
Passive/Active No target/Active Target unit/Active Target Point.

It also gives chance to add variations like Tiny's Toss in dota.
Its ability based on channel with choosen option: Target and added AoE.
Look at this:

Data - Art duration speaks for itself.
Data - Base order id. Here we stop for a while.

In warcraft3 each spell has differend ID (indentification number) and thats they unit can cast many spells without bugging. If we put many spells with same ID on same unit, when it casts spells there will be a lot of strange events going on.
You can make as many abilities based on channel without having bugs - but remember that you have to set different ID for each of them. To do this just click on the field and from list chosse ability whatever you wish except, the unit you wish to give this ability to, do not have spell with same id already.

Data - disable other abilities - set to False when you want your unit to cast many spells (so usually go False immidiately)

Data - Fallow through time - Animation time - dont use default 180 sec, it means unit will stay for 3mins doing nothing but channeling..
Set to 0 if you want 0 cast animation, but for good effect keep about 1-1,5sec here.

Data - Options - here you choose options about your ability (like: if you want it to be visible check on 'Visible')

Data - Target type - important field, choose how your Channel-based spell should act, depending of Target type (no target/point/unit or even unit&point)

If you wish to give AoE component, fill field Stats - Area of Effect.

Channel's options:

1) Visible - enables image to be shown in unit's interface
2) Targeting image - as said by Maker - enables AoE art if field 'Stats - Area of Effect' has been customized
3) Physical spell - Allows target all units (even magic immune ones) except for ethernal units - invurnable units can't be targeted still
4) Universal spell - enables to canst spell on all units, including the ethernal ones - invurnable units can't be targeted still
5) Unique cast - I'll ensure you Maker Yes, if this option is check, it prevents from multiple ability-casting while more than one unit with given ability is selected

 

[Maker]

Data - Art duration speaks for itself.

I don't think it does. It is more like the loop time and not duration.

Data - disable other abilities - set to False when you want your unit to cast many spells (so usually go False immidiately)

This is a bit inaccurate explanation, since setting the boolean to false disables the whole command card.

Data - Fallow through time - Animation time - dont use default 180 sec, it means unit will stay for 3mins doing nothing but channeling..
Set to 0 if you want 0 cast animation, but for good effect keep about 1-1,5sec here.

It is not just animation duration. And cast animation starts when a unit begins casting, follow through time begins to run when the spell effect starts. The casting animation will still play for the unit's Art - Animation - Cast point time even if follow through time is 0.

 

[redscores]

Art - Duration
The Duration where the special effects specified are shown.

Follow through time
Kinda like the duration of the "channeling"

Targeting image
AoE image

Physical spell
Allows to be targeted on magic immune for example

Universal
Allows to be targeted on pretty much anything. Not invulnerable though.

Unique cast
Ability can only be cast once, the ability disappears afterwards.

 

[Maker]

Show

Art - Duration
The Duration where the special effects specified are shown.

Follow through time
Kinda like the duration of the "channeling"

Targeting image
AoE image

Physical spell
Allows to be targeted on magic immune for example

Universal
Allows to be targeted on pretty much anything. Not invulnerable though.

Unique cast
Ability can only be cast once, the ability disappears afterwards.

Not sure if trolling.

 

[redscores]

What? why trolling? I have no reason to troll.

 

[Maker]

Three of the explanations you posted are exactly what I wrote in post #2. Two of them are incorrect and one is vague.

 

[Jay the Editor]

I already got quite a lot of it but still got questions about it, ..
If I set the "Follow Through Time" to 0, the caster will play the casting animation and then will immediately stop or continue to attack nearby enemies after the animation? Spell like "Cluster Rockets" causes the caster to stop after casting when I used it as a dummy spell.

Are ethernal units are the units with the effect of "Banish"?

For the unique cast, I'm not very sure what you mean. Is it means that only 1 out of a group who possesses the ability will cast the ability when are ordered?

If physical spell and universal spell can cast on units with magic immune, how about the "Visible" option? Cannot be cast on magic immune nor ethernal ones?

 

[Bannar]

If I set the "Follow Through Time" to 0, the caster will play the casting animation and then will immediately stop or continue to attack nearby enemies after the animation? Spell like "Cluster Rockets" causes the caster to stop after casting when I used it as a dummy spell. #1

Are ethernal units are the units with the effect of "Banish"? #2

For the unique cast, I'm not very sure what you mean. Is it means that only 1 out of a group who possesses the ability will cast the ability when are ordered? #3

If physical spell and universal spell can cast on units with magic immune, how about the "Visible" option? Cannot be cast on magic immune nor ethernal ones? #4

1. Will cause unit to stop.
2. Banish included, but also Ethernal Form cause 'ethernal' effect.
3. Let's say you select 12 units at a time with given ability and order them to cast it. In normal situation, all of the units would go and cast that spell. With Unique cast set to True, only the first unit selected will be ordered to do so (if selection was instant, one unit from selected will be chosen).
4. Visible option is here only for enabling spell's icon to be shown. To disable spell from targeting both magic immune and ethernal targets just tick none of them (neither Physical, nor Universal).

 

[Jay the Editor]

Ohh thanks Spinnaker! And also Maker! Really appreciate the help of both of you