Converting string to variable

[sizraide 4]

Hello people, I'm making a COOP mission and I have a trigger that spawns in AI in waves.

 

Quote

_spawnMarkers = ['enemySpawn_4', 'enemySpawn_5', 'enemySpawn_6'];
        attackingGroup_3 = createGroup [east, false];
        while{true} do {
            _groupIndex = 0; //index
            _enemyGroup = 'septemberGroup' + (str _groupIndex);  //add index to string
            _enemyGroup = createGroup [east, true];
        
            _enemyGroup = [getMarkerPos (selectRandom _spawnMarkers), east, (configFile >> 'CfgGroups' >> 'East' >> 'CUP_O_RU' >> 'Infantry_Ratnik_Summer' >> 'InfAssault')] call BIS_fnc_spawnGroup; //spawn group using new variable group name
            
            _SADwp = _enemyGroup addWaypoint [getPos waveTrg3, 0];
            _SADwp setWaypointType 'SAD';

            { if(_x inArea waveTrg3 && alive _x) then {_enemyGroup reveal _x} } forEach allUnits;
            {attackingGroup_3 reveal _x} forEach allPlayers;

            {defend3 reveal _x; apc4 reveal _x;} forEach units _enemyGroup;
            
            {_x forcespeed 10; _x setSkill 0.8; _x allowFleeing 0;} forEach units _enemyGroup;
            _enemyGroup setBehaviour 'COMBAT'; _enemyGroup setSpeedMode 'FULL';
            
            waitUntil { {alive _x} count units _enemyGroup < 5 }; //waits for previous group to have less than 5 units alive
            _groupIndex = _groupIndex + 1; //add +1 to index number for new group to be created
            sleep 1;
        };

The string is _enemyGroup where it holds septemberGroup0, septemberGroup1, septemberGroup2, etc... It creates a group every time the previous group has less than 5 units alive. So, the new group would be septemberGroup + new index at the end of the while loop.

My question is if this is the correct way of converting strings to variables for group names?

I could just use the same group name and spawn the same group every time the group has less than 5 units but from spectating the AI behavior they act really weird and stray away from their waypoint for some reason when the group respawns.


 

[R3vo 2654]

If it works then it's good. I see no issue here for a mission that will not run 24/7.

[sizraide 4]

30 minutes ago, R3vo said:

If it works then it's good. I see no issue here for a mission that will not run 24/7.

 

is the variable _enemyGroup a string or a variable is my concern?

[R3vo 2654]

2 minutes ago, sizraide said:

 

is the variable _enemyGroup a string or a variable is my concern?

It's group. You make it a string first but then you assign a group to it. The string is kinda redundant.

 

What I noticed is, you are potentially creating a new group every second so you need to keep track of the number of groups and either delete them if needed or make sure you are not exeeding a certain threshold.

[beno_83au 1369]

A variable is a container or a reference for some kind of information.

 

_enemyGroup is a variable that contains some kind of data. The data that is held within _enemyGroup is what would be a string, or number, or object, or array, etc......

 

That's a pretty basic way of looking at it. But Revo is right. You're defining _enemyGroup as 'septemberGroup0' then just creating a group over the top of _enemyGroup so that _enemyGroup now just references that group.

 

 

[sizraide 4]

2 hours ago, beno_83au said:

A variable is a container or a reference for some kind of information.

 

_enemyGroup is a variable that contains some kind of data. The data that is held within _enemyGroup is what would be a string, or number, or object, or array, etc......

 

That's a pretty basic way of looking at it. But Revo is right. You're defining _enemyGroup as 'septemberGroup0' then just creating a group over the top of _enemyGroup so that _enemyGroup now just references that group.

 

 

 

How can I create a new group to spawn after the previous group has less than 5 units living? By using new variables?

[R3vo 2654]

1 hour ago, sizraide said:

 

How can I create a new group to spawn after the previous group has less than 5 units living? By using new variables?

You are already doing that.

[pierremgi 4875]

in other words, you can delete all lines about index and strings (for group).

add :  _enemyGroup deleteGroupWhenEmpty TRUE;

[opusfmspol 280]

Assuming you want each group to have a global variable so you can work with them outside this particular code block or outside the script, first you would declare the index before the while-do, then you would use call compile format :  (not tested)

_spawnMarkers = ['enemySpawn_4', 'enemySpawn_5', 'enemySpawn_6'];
_groupIndex = 0; //initial index

while {true} do 
{
	_enemyGroup = [getMarkerPos (selectRandom _spawnMarkers), east, (configFile >> 'CfgGroups' >> 'East' >> 'CUP_O_RU' >> 'Infantry_Ratnik_Summer' >> 'InfAssault')] call BIS_fnc_spawnGroup;

	// Define the group by the index# (septemberGroup0, septemberGroup1, septemberGroup2, etc.),
	Call Compile Format ['septemberGroup%1 = _enemyGroup',_groupIndex];

	_SADwp = _enemyGroup addWaypoint [getPos waveTrg3, 0];
	_SADwp setWaypointType 'SAD'; 

	{ if(_x inArea waveTrg3 && alive _x) then {_enemyGroup reveal _x} } forEach allUnits;

	{
		defend3 reveal _x;
		apc4 reveal _x;
		_x forcespeed 10;
		_x setSkill 0.8;
		_x allowFleeing 0;
	} forEach units _enemyGroup;

	_enemyGroup setBehaviour 'COMBAT';
	_enemyGroup setSpeedMode 'FULL';

	waitUntil {{alive _x} count units _enemyGroup < 5 }; //waits for previous group to have less than 5 units alive
	_groupIndex = _groupIndex + 1; //add +1 to index number for new group to be created
	sleep 1;
};

- Format creates the string: "septemberGroup0 = _enemyGroup"

- Compile converts the string to code: {septemberGroup0 = _enemyGroup}

- Call runs the code; you then have the variable defined so you can work with it.

- And as index increases, the strings contain "septemberGroup1", "septemberGroup2",  etc.

 

Assuming the server is running this: if clients also needed to work with those group variables, then you would use publicVariable to broadcast to all; but first format the variable to include its index.  After the call compile format line, you would insert:

	publicVariable Format ['septemberGroup%1',_groupIndex];

 

[pierremgi 4875]

If you absolutely want to name a group this way, make it simple:

 

_groupIndex = 2; //example

missionNameSpace setVariable ["septemberGroup"+str _groupIndex, [getMarkerPos (selectRandom _spawnMarkers), east, (configFile >> 'CfgGroups' >> 'East' >> 'CUP_O_RU' >> 'Infantry_Ratnik_Summer' >> 'InfAssault')] call BIS_fnc_spawnGroup, TRUE];   // group is created and named septemberGroup2
private _enemyGroup = missionNameSpace getVariable ("septemberGroup"+str _groupIndex);  // same as septemberGroup2....

 

[sizraide 4]

15 hours ago, pierremgi said:

If you absolutely want to name a group this way, make it simple:

 

_groupIndex = 2; //example

missionNameSpace setVariable ["septemberGroup"+str _groupIndex, [getMarkerPos (selectRandom _spawnMarkers), east, (configFile >> 'CfgGroups' >> 'East' >> 'CUP_O_RU' >> 'Infantry_Ratnik_Summer' >> 'InfAssault')] call BIS_fnc_spawnGroup, TRUE];   // group is created and named septemberGroup2
private _enemyGroup = missionNameSpace getVariable ("septemberGroup"+str _groupIndex);  // same as septemberGroup2....



 

 

If I want to refer to that group, I can type _enemyGroup?
For example if I type _enemyGroup setSpeedMode "FULL" it will refer to septemberGroup2?

[pierremgi 4875]

Yes, another way to call the group, if you follow the example.

The 1st line set the variable in mission namespace, so your variable:   missionNameSpace getVariable "septemberGroup2" (example above) is same as  septemberGroup2 (global variable, even public as 3rd parameter is set to true).

The second line is not mandatory:

private _enemyGroup = missionNameSpace getVariable ("septemberGroup"+str _groupIndex);

allows you to refer to _enemyGroup as another (local) variable. The only interest is this local reference is slightly faster for multiple commands, compared to global variables.

Time for you to read this page.