Getting player direction (in degrees)

#1 Try this:

function getAngleofVector(%vec)
{
	%vector = VectorNormalize(%vec);
	%vecx = getWord(%vector,0);
	%vecy = getWord(%vector,1);
	if(%vecx >= 0 && %vecy >= 0)
		%quad = 1;
	else
		if(%vecx >= 0 && %vecy < 0)
	  	%quad = 2;
	  else
	  	if(%vecx < 0 && %vecy < 0)
	    	%quad = 3;
	    else 
	    	%quad = 4;
	%angle = mATan(%vecy/%vecx, -1);
	%degangle = mRadToDeg(%angle);
	switch(%quad)
	{
		case 1:
	  	%angle = %degangle-90;
	  case 2:
	  	%angle = %degangle+270;
	  case 3:
	  	%angle = %degangle+90;
	  case 4:
	  	%angle = %degangle+450;
	}
  if (%angle < 0)  %angle = %angle + 360;
  return %angle;
}

echo(getAngleofVector(%player.getForwardVector());

#2 Thanks Peter!!!

To save me getting in wrong several times, and so I can test it out (and then work on it!), where would you recommend putting this for starters?

#3 There are several ways you could go about it. The most simple answer would be to create a looping schedule to update a gui like so:

function Player::onAdd(%this)
{
     %this.schedule(100, "updateHeading");
}

function Player::updateHeading(%this)
{
     %heading = getAngleofVector(%this.getForwardVector());
     myGui.setText("Facing angle:" @ %heading);
     %this.schedule(100, "updateHeading");
}

This code may require some modifications though, as I don't believe stock torque calls onAdd() for ghosted players... but it should work fine single player.

#4 No, that's really helpful - I'm still learning and this is the first time trying to do something "real" !

I can understand how the function calculates the heading, and also how the schedule updates regularly calling the updateHeading fucntion.

My last problem (and I really have tried rather than just ask every time!!!) is how to call such functions.

I tried putting

heading.setText("TESTING"); <<< My GUI text control is called "heading"

inside

function PlayerBody::onAdd(%this,%obj) -- in server/player.cs --

just to see if I could change the text on the GUI! And thought if that worked, I could put in the schedule command instead. (presumably the other functions would also be put in here, or would I put them in a separate .cs file and include them with exec)?

Sorry to be so basic - hopefully this will be the only time of asking such newbie questions!!!

Appreciate your help alot, thank you.

#5 I felt this was is a bit of a "Getting Started" issue now, so carried it on here (in Getting Started!)