Shapes>Items vs. Static Shapes

#1 Hello,

Static shapes are just plain old .DTS objects that have been found by the engine and can be added in to a world without any baggage. They have no special properties of their own, except whatever was built into the mesh hierachy. They can include collision meshes and multiple levels of detail. While the .DTS file itself may include embedded animations, those would not be available to you as a static shape. For that, and so much more you would need another kind of object . . .

Non-static shapes are created in data block sections of various script files (sumthin.cs for example). Those data blocks dictate the mesh associated with each shape and the behavior of the shape within the game world. The existance of non-static shapes is so closely tied to .CS files that if the scripted datablock of a shape is invalid, then the shape won't even show up in the world-editor creation tree. As a scripted object, such shapes can be given a handle/name and be manipulated easily by scripted functions, triggered events, keybinds, and console commands.

I hope that helps.

#2 Also by adding category in your datablock puts the item into a simset

datablock StaticShapeData( TeamOneFlag )
{
	[b]category = "Flags";[/b]
	shapeFile = "~/data/shapes/flag/flag1.dts";
};

This would put TeamOneFlag in a category called Flags in the world editor.


Be sure the path to your gold nugget is correct.
"~/data/shapes/gold/goldNugget.dts";

#3 So SHAPES>ITEMS need Datablocks with categories in .cs files.

THANK YOU to both Aaron and mb! This has been very helpful!!!

Tony

#4 All GameBase derived classes need datablocks. That's Item, Vehicle, Player, AIPlayer, StaticShape, Projectile, Camera - to name a few.

Good luck.

#5 This TDN article might help some.

#6 Thanks all!

I created a new file called goldNugget.cs

and using this datablock

//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Torque Game Engine
// Copyright (C) GarageGames.com, Inc.
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

datablock StaticShapeData(goldNugget)
{
category = "Items";
shapeFile = "~/data/shapes/goldNugget/goldNugget.dts";
};


It works!

Thanks again!!!

Tony