Custom blood Actors not Spawning

[Neccronixis]

Hi,

 

I'm trying to create a custom blood effect, but I have a problem. If I spawn "NewBlood" (in front of the player) using the console, everything works correctly, however when a monster takes damage, "Bloodimpact" does not spawn all of the time when the monster bleeds. Can someone explain to me why this is happening and offer a fix? Here's the code:

 

actor NewBlood replaces blood
{
    +FORCEXYBILLBOARD
    +ALLOWPARTICLES
    +PUFFGETSOWNER
    +NOBLOCKMAP
    +NOTELEPORT
    +NOTONAUTOMAP
    +THRUACTORS
    +DONTSPLASH
    States
    {
    Spawn:
        TNT1 A 0 Nodelay A_spawnitemEx("Bloodimpact", 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, SXF_TRANSFERTRANSLATION)
        TNT1 AAAAAAAA 0 A_spawnitemEx("Flyingbloodparticle", frandom(-5,5), frandom(-5,5), frandom(-5,5), frandom(2,4), frandom(0,0), frandom(-4,4), frandom(0,360), SXF_TRANSFERTRANSLATION)
        TNT1 A 0 A_spawnitemEx("FlyingBlood",0,0,0,frandom(-2,2),frandom(-4,4),frandom(8,10),frandom(0,360), SXF_TRANSFERTRANSLATION, 128)
        TNT1 A 0 A_spawnitemEx("Blooddrop",0,0,0,frandom(-4,4),frandom(-4,4),frandom(0,0),frandom(0,360), SXF_TRANSFERTRANSLATION, 192)
    Stop
    }
}

 

actor Bloodimpact : Newblood
{
    +NOINTERACTION
    States
    {
    Spawn:
        BLOD BCD 3    
        Stop
    }
}

Edited May 27, 2023 by Neccronixis

[Wo0p]

Erm... I have a hunch. Does it appear to spawn only on walls? Or does it spawn on floors, ceilings and walls but just not all the time?

[Neccronixis]

12 minutes ago, Wo0p said:

Erm... I have a hunch. Does it appear to spawn only on walls? Or does it spawn on floors, ceilings and walls but just not all the time?

 

Sorry, but I don't know what you mean when you say does it spawn on walls, ceilings or floors; it's just a replacement for the existing DOOM blood effect.

 

If I remove "Flyingbloodparticle", "FlyingBlood" and "Blooddrop" from the spawn code, then "Bloodimpact" will always spawn when monsters bleed.

[Wo0p]

Well cl_bloodspats is the console command that determines if bloodspatter decals show up on walls. And if that is on (As it is by default and you haven't messed with it) then there's "a chance" that a blood decal spawns. So it's not always. It also depends on the given amount of damage the actor receives. Beyond that, I don't know much else about how blood functions.

 

But if you want blood to spawn on floors and ceilings then you need an actual flat model for the texture to be attached to since ZDoom (Or is it GZDoom?) doesn't support decals on floors or ceilings by default.

Edited May 27, 2023 by Wo0p

[Neccronixis]

21 hours ago, Wo0p said:

Well cl_bloodspats is the console command that determines if bloodspatter decals show up on walls. And if that is on (As it is by default and you haven't messed with it) then there's "a chance" that a blood decal spawns. So it's not always. It also depends on the given amount of damage the actor receives. Beyond that, I don't know much else about how blood functions.

 

But if you want blood to spawn on floors and ceilings then you need an actual flat model for the texture to be attached to since ZDoom (Or is it GZDoom?) doesn't support decals on floors or ceilings by default.

 

My issue has has nothing to do with generating decals on the walls or spawning flat model textures on the floor. I am trying to create a custom actor that spawns four independent actors simultaneously from the same position without delay. The problem is the first actor in the series (and some instances of the second actor) randomly fail to spawn for some reason I'm not aware of. It may have something to do with the way A_spawnitemEx works.

 

[Wo0p]

Ah.. you haven't used a function. I think that's the problem.

 

Try putting this:

 

A_spawnitemEx("Bloodimpact", 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, SXF_TRANSFERTRANSLATION)
        TNT1 AAAAAAAA 0 A_spawnitemEx("Flyingbloodparticle", frandom(-5,5), frandom(-5,5), frandom(-5,5), frandom(2,4), frandom(0,0), frandom(-4,4), frandom(0,360), SXF_TRANSFERTRANSLATION)
        TNT1 A 0 A_spawnitemEx("FlyingBlood",0,0,0,frandom(-2,2),frandom(-4,4),frandom(8,10),frandom(0,360), SXF_TRANSFERTRANSLATION, 128)
        TNT1 A 0 A_spawnitemEx("Blooddrop",0,0,0,frandom(-4,4),frandom(-4,4),frandom(0,0),frandom(0,360), SXF_TRANSFERTRANSLATION, 192)

 

into a function like this:

 

TNT1 A 0 Nodelay

{

A_spawnitemEx("Bloodimpact", 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, SXF_TRANSFERTRANSLATION)
        TNT1 AAAAAAAA 0 A_spawnitemEx("Flyingbloodparticle", frandom(-5,5), frandom(-5,5), frandom(-5,5), frandom(2,4), frandom(0,0), frandom(-4,4), frandom(0,360), SXF_TRANSFERTRANSLATION);
        TNT1 A 0 A_spawnitemEx("FlyingBlood",0,0,0,frandom(-2,2),frandom(-4,4),frandom(8,10),frandom(0,360), SXF_TRANSFERTRANSLATION, 128);
        TNT1 A 0 A_spawnitemEx("Blooddrop",0,0,0,frandom(-4,4),frandom(-4,4),frandom(0,0),frandom(0,360), SXF_TRANSFERTRANSLATION, 192);

}

 

"Nodelay" forces the first state to execute its "action functions". But "action functions" don't run in the first sequence of spawn when an actor is first spawned (That's why you need NoDelay to force the runtime). "Action functions" and "functions" aren't the same, but you probably know that. Just stating for clarification.

Edited May 28, 2023 by Wo0p

[Neccronixis]

17 hours ago, Wo0p said:

Ah.. you haven't used a function. I think that's the problem.

 

Try putting this:

 

A_spawnitemEx("Bloodimpact", 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, SXF_TRANSFERTRANSLATION)
        TNT1 AAAAAAAA 0 A_spawnitemEx("Flyingbloodparticle", frandom(-5,5), frandom(-5,5), frandom(-5,5), frandom(2,4), frandom(0,0), frandom(-4,4), frandom(0,360), SXF_TRANSFERTRANSLATION)
        TNT1 A 0 A_spawnitemEx("FlyingBlood",0,0,0,frandom(-2,2),frandom(-4,4),frandom(8,10),frandom(0,360), SXF_TRANSFERTRANSLATION, 128)
        TNT1 A 0 A_spawnitemEx("Blooddrop",0,0,0,frandom(-4,4),frandom(-4,4),frandom(0,0),frandom(0,360), SXF_TRANSFERTRANSLATION, 192)

 

into a function like this:

 

TNT1 A 0 Nodelay

{

A_spawnitemEx("Bloodimpact", 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, SXF_TRANSFERTRANSLATION)
        TNT1 AAAAAAAA 0 A_spawnitemEx("Flyingbloodparticle", frandom(-5,5), frandom(-5,5), frandom(-5,5), frandom(2,4), frandom(0,0), frandom(-4,4), frandom(0,360), SXF_TRANSFERTRANSLATION);
        TNT1 A 0 A_spawnitemEx("FlyingBlood",0,0,0,frandom(-2,2),frandom(-4,4),frandom(8,10),frandom(0,360), SXF_TRANSFERTRANSLATION, 128);
        TNT1 A 0 A_spawnitemEx("Blooddrop",0,0,0,frandom(-4,4),frandom(-4,4),frandom(0,0),frandom(0,360), SXF_TRANSFERTRANSLATION, 192);

}

 

"Nodelay" forces the first state to execute its "action functions". But "action functions" don't run in the first sequence of spawn when an actor is first spawned (That's why you need NoDelay to force the runtime). "Action functions" and "functions" aren't the same, but you probably know that. Just stating for clarification.

 

Do you have a solution in DECORATE? I'm not too familiar with Zscript (and coding in general, for that matter).

[Wo0p]

Try adding a duration of 1 to your last TNT1 A entry.

 

 

[Neccronixis]

On 5/30/2023 at 2:16 AM, Wo0p said:

Try adding a duration of 1 to your last TNT1 A entry.

 

 

actor NewBlood replaces blood
{
    +FORCEXYBILLBOARD
    +ALLOWPARTICLES
    +PUFFGETSOWNER
    +NOBLOCKMAP
    +NOTELEPORT
    +NOTONAUTOMAP
    +THRUACTORS
    +DONTSPLASH
    States
    {
    Spawn:
        TNT1 A 0 NoDelay A_spawnitemEx("Bloodimpact", 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, SXF_TRANSFERTRANSLATION)
        TNT1 AAAAAAAA 0 A_spawnitemEx("Flyingbloodparticle", frandom(-5,5), frandom(-5,5), frandom(-5,5), frandom(2,4), frandom(0,0), frandom(-4,4), frandom(0,360), SXF_TRANSFERTRANSLATION)
        TNT1 A 0 A_spawnitemEx("FlyingBlood",0,0,0,frandom(-2,2),frandom(-4,4),frandom(8,10),frandom(0,360), SXF_TRANSFERTRANSLATION, 128)
        TNT1 A 1 A_spawnitemEx("Blooddrop",0,0,0,frandom(-4,4),frandom(-4,4),frandom(0,0),frandom(0,360), SXF_TRANSFERTRANSLATION, 192)
    Stop
    }
}

 

I tried that and it doesn't work?

[Wo0p]

Hm have you tried using the A_CustomMissile instead of A_SpawnItemEx? That's how the mod "Brutal Bolognese Gore" by Sgt Mark does it and it works cos I've used it in my project "Exousiastes." 

 

And if you try it, remember to add the +Missile flag to your blood actors.

Edited May 31, 2023 by Wo0p

[Neccronixis]

I don't know why, but what seems to work well is placing a couple of TNT1 A 0 before spawning the actors:
    

Spawn:
        TNT1 A 0
        TNT1 A 0
        TNT1 A 0 A_spawnitemEx("Bloodimpact", 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, SXF_TRANSFERTRANSLATION)
        TNT1 AAAAAAAA 0 A_spawnitemEx("Flyingbloodparticle", frandom(-5,5), frandom(-5,5), frandom(-5,5), frandom(2,4), frandom(0,0), frandom(-4,4), frandom(0,360), SXF_TRANSFERTRANSLATION)
        TNT1 A 0 A_spawnitemEx("FlyingBlood",0,0,0,frandom(-2,2), frandom(-4,4), frandom(8,10), frandom(0,360), SXF_TRANSFERTRANSLATION, 128)
        TNT1 A 0 A_spawnitemEx("Blooddrop",0,0,0, frandom(-4,4), frandom(-4,4), frandom(0,0), frandom(0,360), SXF_TRANSFERTRANSLATION, 192)
    Stop
    }
}

[Wo0p]

Hm alright. Well that's great! :)

 

I think it must be some quirk of how the engine goes through animation states. For some reason it skips some states the first time Spawn is run so I'm guessing that's why your method now works? Oh well! All that matters is that it works.