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Instantiating prefabs, when there is nothing

Hey guys. I'm at the end of my powers...I can't make one simple script :/. Simply what I need it to do, is to check, if there is no other block next it it, and if isn't instantiate. I'll post mine, it's really messy, because of trying to add dozens of vars, but it keeps instantiating even when there is one other. The algorithm should look like. If there is no block below instantiate a block below. If there is a block below that doesn't have tag "waterBlock" and if there aren't blocks on sides, instantiate blocks on sides. And repeat repeat repeat. I'm using InvokeRepeat because I wan't it to run like twice a second. And I'm using WaitForSeconds before the instantiating, so it isn't too fast. Yesterday it was working, but it was really fast, so I have put there a yield, and bam 5k cubes made in few secs :(.

CLOSED

-- David

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asked Jul 10 '11 at 03:12 PM

Dávid Debnár gravatar image

Dávid Debnár
730 42 47 54

have you considered using an array to handle all the logic instead of doing it through physics/raycasting? check out the questions on puzzle and match-3 games for examples of what I'm talking about.

Jul 10 '11 at 03:56 PM Chris D
  1. I suck at arrays, 2. I can't use arrays... This thing, as you may already know will be water, and I need raycasting, to get variables from other water blocks around.. Maybe it would work with arrays, but I would need deeper explanation.
Jul 10 '11 at 04:08 PM Dávid Debnár
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2 answers: sort voted first

var delay: float = 0.1;
var distance: float = 1.0; // distance between centers
private var pos : Vector3;
var prefab : Transform;
static var numBlock = 1;

var creator : Transform;

// this var is unique for all scripts
//static var busy = false;  // this var is unique for all scripts

InvokeRepeating("CreateBlocks", .2, .5);

function Start(){
    pos = transform.position;
}

//function Update(){

    //if (replicated) return;  // only replicates once
    //if (!busy){ // if nobody is replicating now
    //    CreateBlocks(); // do the replication
    //}
//}

function CreateBlocks()
{
	if(creator == null)
	{
		Destroy(gameObject);
	}
	else
	{
    var hit:RaycastHit;

    if(Physics.Raycast(transform.position, -transform.forward, hit, distance))
	{
		if(hit.collider.tag != "waterBlock")
		{
			if(!Physics.Raycast(transform.position, -transform.right, hit, 1))
			{
				DoBlock(-transform.right);
			}
			if(!Physics.Raycast(transform.position, transform.right, hit, 1))
			{
				DoBlock(transform.right);
			}
			if(!Physics.Raycast(transform.position, transform.up, hit, 1))
			{
				DoBlock(transform.up);
			}
			if(!Physics.Raycast(transform.position, -transform.up, hit, 1))
			{
				DoBlock(-transform.up);
			}
		}
	}
	else
	{
		DoBlock(-transform.forward);
	}
	}
}

function DoBlock(offset : Vector3)
{
	var inst = Instantiate(prefab, pos + offset, transform.rotation);
    inst.name = "Block"+numBlock;
	inst.gameObject.GetComponent(testRewrited).creator = transform;
    numBlock++;
}

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answered Jul 11 '11 at 04:10 PM

Dávid Debnár gravatar image

Dávid Debnár
730 42 47 54

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This script creates first a clone of itself in the forward direction; in the next step, it creates four clones at left, right, up and down. But each clone instantiated generates its own 5 clones (of less if blocked at any side), and these clones will generate others, and so on. If a few frames, your world will be full of replicating clones - and your frame rate will drop to zero. Another thing: you should check for neighbours and create the new blocks in the same frame, or other clones will not "see" these newcomers and instantiate others at the same positions.

EDITED: This script will replicate the original block with delay interval between each block replication. The replications will be restricted by external colliders. They replicate in all directions, but you can eliminate the unwanted ones.
This is a very tricky script: it uses the static variable busy to ensure that only one block will replicate at a time. At Update, when a block notices busy is false, it sets it to true and starts its own replication. A replication takes several frames, since a delay is started each time a side clone is created. Since busy is set, no other block will replicate until this one finishes - at the end of the replication, it clears busy . Once replicated, the block sets the replicated var, signalling to itself that it was already replicated. You can check the static var busy to know when all blocks replicated: if it's false for two consecutive Updates, there are no more blocks to replicate.

var delay: float = 0.1;
var distance: float = 1.1; // distance between centers
private var pos : Vector3;
private var replicated = false; // replicates only once
static var numBlock = 1;  // this var is unique for all scripts
static var busy = false;  // this var is unique for all scripts

function Start(){
    pos = transform.position;
}

function Update(){

    if (replicated) return;  // only replicates once
    if (!busy){ // if nobody is replicating now
       CreateBlocks(); // do the replication
    }
}

function CreateBlocks(){

    var hit:RaycastHit;

    if(!Physics.Raycast(transform.position, transform.forward, hit, distance)){
       DoBlock(transform.forward);
    }
    if(!Physics.Raycast(transform.position, -transform.right, hit, 1)){
       DoBlock(-transform.right);
       yield WaitForSeconds(delay);
    }
    if(!Physics.Raycast(transform.position, transform.right, hit, 1)){
       DoBlock(transform.right);
       yield WaitForSeconds(delay);
    }
    if(!Physics.Raycast(transform.position, -transform.forward, hit, 1)){
       DoBlock(-transform.forward);
       yield WaitForSeconds(delay);
    }
    if(!Physics.Raycast(transform.position, transform.up, hit, 1)){
       DoBlock(transform.up);
       yield WaitForSeconds(delay);
    }
    if(!Physics.Raycast(transform.position, -transform.up, hit, 1)){
       DoBlock(-transform.up);
       yield WaitForSeconds(delay);
    }
    replicated = true;  // this block's replication is done
    busy = false;  // enable others to replicate
}

function DoBlock(offset : Vector3){
    var inst = Instantiate(gameObject, pos + offset, transform.rotation);
    inst.name = "Block"+numBlock;
    numBlock++;
    busy = true;
}
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answered Jul 10 '11 at 04:42 PM

aldonaletto gravatar image

aldonaletto
41.5k 16 42 197

Exactly that is my problem, that when I wanna slow down the creating or the blocks, so it not just like BAM and 125 object created, and than i run into this problem, that it sends command to instantiate, just before the another one...And nope, the framerate is pretty stable, because it creates the side blocks, just when there is a non water block below, and i have a energy system prepared, that will stops it from spreading to infinite at the sides..Any ideas, how should I make the code, so it will instantiate in a row, not instantly?

PS: sorry for grammar, but I am rly tired.

Jul 10 '11 at 04:51 PM Dávid Debnár

Ok, let me analyze this idea - I'll be back soon.

Jul 10 '11 at 05:18 PM aldonaletto
  • bump *
Jul 10 '11 at 06:56 PM Dávid Debnár

I edited my answer to include a replicating script. You must add this script to a single cube, and it will replicate itself one at a time while there's space available.

Jul 10 '11 at 07:35 PM aldonaletto

thanks, ill try it

Jul 10 '11 at 07:43 PM Dávid Debnár
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asked: Jul 10 '11 at 03:12 PM

Seen: 1009 times

Last Updated: Jul 11 '11 at 04:21 PM