Post your modding questions here

[Glorfindel]

Is there a tutorial for creating textures for mods? What program is used usually, gimp?

[rubenwardy]

http://rubenwardy.com/minetest_modding_ ... tures.html

[Hybrid Dog]

The original furnace does not use a node timer, so why should Dragonop's claycrafter? I'd like to also point out that in minetest_game there are only two nodes which use node timers: Bones, and TNT. In my experience they are not always reliable.

the original furnace is bad, it doesn't work when the chunk isn't loaded, same for farming

[Dragonop]

Hybrid Dog: I will try but I don't think I want to do everything again.
Any suggestion when using timers? An example would help too, thanks btw.

[Hybrid Dog]

The conveyor_belt mod uses them: viewtopic.php?id=7350

[Dragonop]

Ah, I see, thanks Hybrid Dog. I'm in my way to rewrite my mod completely to make it "better", this will help.

[Byakuren]

Does hp_max in the object properties table have any effect on players?

[Merlin]

Hi,
I would like to add more animations to the animation table of PilzAdam's Simple Mobs (like the walk and stand animations).
I looked into the code of the API, but as it is not commented I have difficulties understanding what's going on.
Can anyone explain to me how I would go about adding new animations?

[Hybrid Dog]

as far as l know the animations are in the model file

[qwertymine3]

Hi,
I would like to add more animations to the animation table of PilzAdam's Simple Mobs (like the walk and stand animations).
I looked into the code of the API, but as it is not commented I have difficulties understanding what's going on.
Can anyone explain to me how I would go about adding new animations?

I'm not an expert on animation - but I've been playing around with the mob code for some time - so I think I can explain it:

+ User facing Def

When registering a mob, you fill in the animation table:

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mob.animation = {
    [animation_name]_start = [number],
    [animation_name]_end = [number],
    [animation_name]_speed = [number],
}


These are the {x=[start],y=[end]} frame_speed=[speed] from the Objectref method :set_animation()

+ Internal Def

Throughout the code Pilzadam uses a single function to set all of the animations. This is the set_animation() method which he adds to the mob def @ line 57.
This method is generally called in the code in this style (this is massively simplified though):

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if self.state == "walk" then
    --do walking stuff
    self:set_animation("walk")
elseif self.state == "running" then
    --do running stuff
    self:set_animation("running")
elseif self.state == "multiple_actions" then
    if [action 1 happening] then
        --do action 1 stuff
        self:set_animation("action1")
    elseif [action 2 happening] then
        --do action 2 stuff
        self:set_animation("action2")
    end
end


The method itself seems long - but this is just because it uses a set of hard-coded names for the possible animations. All it does is a check that the animation is not the currently playing one - and if this is a different animation, it finds the animation values defined by the user (it checks to see if the animation has been defined - to avoid errors).

Here is a generalised version

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self.set_animaition = function(self,type)
    --if no animations defined return
    if not self.animations then
        return
    end

    --if no current animation is set, this is probably an error - so set a place holder value
    if not self.animation.current then
      self.animation.current = ""
    end

    --set the animation
    --check the current animation is not the same
    if self.animation.current ~= type then
        --check that all values required to set animation exist
        if
            self.animation[ type .. "_start"]
            and self.animation[ type .. "_end"]
            and self.animation[ type .. "speed"]
        then
             --set the animation - this is the Minetest API Objectref method :set_animation
            self.object:set_animation(
                {x=self.animation[type .. "_start"] , y=self.animation[type .. "_end"]},
                self.animation[type .. "_speed"],
                0 --animation blend value is hard-coded to 0 - IDK why, ask pilzadam
            )
            --set current animation tracking variable to this animation name
            self.animation.current = type
        end
    end
end


+ To the point

This all assumes you know how animations work in Minetest - they are all stored in the model file as time sections of the long single animation the model can have (AFAIK - I can't model so can't help you with this).
You can't really add meaningful animations without adding some new ones to the model - unless you wish to use a pre-defined animation and change the animation speed. e.g. run v walk

Currently every state or action a mob can take has an animation - if you want to add more animations to the code, you will need to add checks to make sure only one animation can be set at any given state.e.g.

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if self.state = [state] then
    --some boring default stuff
    if my_condition then
        --do my awesome stuff
        self:set_animation("awesome_animation")
    else
        --do more boring default stuff
        self:set_animation("walk")
    end
end


To add the animation to mob.set_animation() you can copy the code from any of the elseif statements - changing every instance of the type name to your new animation.

I hope this helps

[Merlin]

That sounds good, I'll try playing around with it and come back if any more questions occur.
I can model and already adapted my own chicken model to the code which is already there, I just wish for more diversity.

[Byakuren]

When attaching an entity to another, how is the rotation argument formatted? Is it something like roll/pitch/yaw, or is it a direction vector?

[Merlin]

Hey, I tried out what qwertymine3 had suggested, and it worked (thanks a bunch!), I just have one last bug:

The animation (pick) I added plays two times in a row instead of just one, the bug does not exist in the model and therefor must be caused by the code.
Here are the snippets I changed:

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elseif type == "pick" and self.animation.current ~= "pick"  then
            if
               self.animation.pick_start
               and self.animation.pick_end
               and self.animation.speed_normal
            then
               self.object:set_animation(
                  {x=self.animation.pick_start,y=self.animation.pick_end},
                  self.animation.speed_normal, 0
               )
               self.animation.current = "pick"
            end


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         if self.state == "stand" then
            if math.random(1, 4) == 1 then
               self.object:setyaw(self.object:getyaw()+((math.random(0,360)-180)/180*math.pi))
            end
            self.set_velocity(self, 0)
            self.set_animation(self, "stand")
            if math.random(1, 100) <= 50 then
               self.set_velocity(self, self.walk_velocity)
               self.state = "walk"
               self.set_animation(self, "walk")
            elseif math.random(1, 100) >= 60 then
               self.set_velocity(self, 0)
               self.state = "pick"
               self.set_animation(self, "pick")
            end


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   elseif self.state == "pick" then
            if math.random(1, 100) <= 30 then
               self.object:setyaw(self.object:getyaw()+((math.random(0,360)-180)/180*math.pi))
            end
            self:set_animation("pick")
            self.set_velocity(self, 0)
            if math.random(1, 100) >= 10 then
               self.set_velocity(self, 0)
               self.state = "stand"
               self:set_animation("stand")
            end


I know that it can happen that, due to the math.random in the code above, the animation is executed two times (or more), which is fine by me, problem is, even when I set it to math.random(1, 100) >= 0 (which is always true), the animation plays two times.

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animation = {
      speed_normal = 15,
      stand_start = 0,
      stand_end = 33,
      walk_start = 50,
      walk_end = 62,
      pick_start = 34,
      pick_end = 42,
   }


[BrunoMine]

About method:

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minetest.setting_set("name", "value")

He did not keep the values set after a server shutdown.

What the correct way to remove an element HUD?

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waypoint = {
    hud_elem_type = "waypoint",
    name = "My pos",
    number = "0x000000",
    world_pos = {x=0,y=0,z=0}
}
player:hud_add(waypoint)
...
player:hud_remove(waypoint)


The above example does not remove the HUD of the waypoint.
Another question: how to know the id of an element of HUD?

[Byakuren]

About method:

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minetest.setting_set("name", "value")

He did not keep the values set after a server shutdown.

What the correct way to remove an element HUD?

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Code: Select all

waypoint = {
    hud_elem_type = "waypoint",
    name = "My pos",
    number = "0x000000",
    world_pos = {x=0,y=0,z=0}
}
player:hud_add(waypoint)
...
player:hud_remove(waypoint)


The above example does not remove the HUD of the waypoint.
Another question: how to know the id of an element of HUD?

The hud_add method returns an HUD id. So you can do

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local id = player:hud_add(hud_def)
...
player:hud_remove(id)


[Merlin]

How do I make a mob randomly drop something (while the mob is still alive), or rather, how do I make a chicken lay an egg?

[TenPlus1]

Merlin: check out Mobs Redo mod, especially the chicken.lua code.

https://github.com/tenplus1/mobs

[Merlin]

I don't quite get what this chunk of code does:

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hit_node = function(self, pos, node)

      local num = math.random(1, 10)
      if num == 1 then
         pos.y = pos.y + 1
         local nod = minetest.get_node_or_nil(pos)
         if not nod
         or not minetest.registered_nodes[nod.name]
         or minetest.registered_nodes[nod.name].walkable == true then
            return
         end
         local mob = minetest.add_entity(pos, "mobs:chicken")
         local ent2 = mob:get_luaentity()
         mob:set_properties({
            textures = ent2.child_texture[1],
            visual_size = {
               x = ent2.base_size.x / 2,
               y = ent2.base_size.y / 2
            },
            collisionbox = {
               ent2.base_colbox[1] / 2,
               ent2.base_colbox[2] / 2,
               ent2.base_colbox[3] / 2,
               ent2.base_colbox[4] / 2,
               ent2.base_colbox[5] / 2,
               ent2.base_colbox[6] / 2
            },
         })
         ent2.child = true
         ent2.tamed = true
         ent2.owner = self.playername
      end


[TenPlus1]

That piece of code is for throwing eggs, it picks a number from 1 to 10, if it's 1 then it checks the node above to see if it's free (air, grass etc) and spawns a chicken, then sets it's texture to that of a baby chick and halves it's size, sets it to child, sets tamed and owner name.

Congratulations: you have a the proud owner of a baby chicken :)

[Merlin]

Looking through what mobs redo already offers, I think I'm going to base my mod on mobs redo rather than on simple mobs.

[BrunoMine]

About method:

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minetest.setting_set("name", "value")

He did not keep the values set after a server shutdown.
We can save permanently?

[TenPlus1]

using /set -n <name> <value> does the same sadly, would be handy to have a -f in there to FORCE the setting and save to minetest.conf

[Hybrid Dog]

using /set -n <name> <value> does the same sadly, would be handy to have a -f in there to FORCE the setting and save to minetest.conf

l'd prefer a minetest.save_settings().
lt shouldn't be called forcing because force is too vague…
A -sd (save directly) option could mean saving it directly after the setting was set.
If you use lubuntu (or similar) and want to disable access to your disk, hit alt+print(+s)+u. l don't know if minetest crashes then, l only know that it doesn't start.

[Azmarok]

Topic: How do I make decorations appear underground (ex. in caves)
Why: I'm making a mod that tries to encourage exploration. There is one item, called a rock, which is very important for making some items.
More info:
My current code for spawning the rock is:

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minetest.register_decoration({
    deco_type = "simple",
    decoration = "huntandgather:rock",
    place_on = {
        "default:stone",
    },
    y_min = -32000,
    y_max = 32000
})


My other section of code for spawning sticks on the ground works just fine, however:

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minetest.register_decoration({
    deco_type = "simple",
    decoration = "default:stick",
    place_on = {
        "default:dirt",
        "default:dirt_with_grass",
        "default:dirt_with_grass_footsteps",
        "default:dirt_with_dry_grass",
        "default:dirt_with_snow",
    },
    biomes = {
        "coniferous_forest",
        "deciduous_forest",
        "rainforest",
        "rainforest_swamp",
        "savanna",
        "taiga"
    }
})


(i overrote the default stick to make it a node)

Basically, when I go into a cave, there are no rocks to be seen, and I dont know why.

[TenPlus1]

Cave generation doesn't work like biome generation with decorations like grass, flowers and trees... you have to use on_generate to place decoration underground, like this:

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minetest.register_on_generated(function(minp, maxp)

   -- place stones between -30 and -3000
   if minp.y > -30 or maxp.y < -3000 then
      return
   end

   -- place them on top of coal blocks
   local coal = minetest.find_nodes_in_area_under_air(minp, maxp, "default:stone_with_coal")
   local bpos

   for n = 1, #coal do

      bpos = {x = coal[n].x, y = coal[n].y + 1, z = coal[n].z }

      -- not on all coal blocks, only 1 in every 8
      if math.random(1, 8) == 1 then
         minetest.set_node(bpos, {name = "yourmod:stone"})
      end
   end
end)

[amadin]

In multiplayer, if the player is attached to an object (for example a horse) with using set_attach function, and the object is out of sight of another player (as well as the second player logged later than the first was attached), then the second player lost the first player model. It's look like a horse without player but player is on the horse.
How to fix this?

[Byakuren]

Is the position for players always the bottom of the collisionbox, or is it just hardcoded 1 below the collisionbox origin?

[Hybrid Dog]

The eye position ()mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm,,,,,m ,mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm (ignoring bobbing) is 1.625 m higher than the position got with player:getpos(), so l assume if pos is player:getpos() then the collision box is {pos.x-0.5, pos.y, pos.z-0.5, pos.x+0.5, pos.y+2, pos.z+0.5}. Sorry for the ms, something issmm,m, sorry, was, on my keyboard.

[drkwv]

How to know if ALT is pressed by the player?

[kaeza]

How to know if ALT is pressed by the player?

You can't detect hardware keys, but you can detect game keys by using get_player_control.