Hey how would you go about doing a charged shot? Like hold… build up to… max charge hum… then release to fire?
Lightning Block would be the easiest effect to set it up currently (because it’s a button controlled lockup state), you’d just set the Begin and Main effect to be the “charging” and the End to be the fire, both in the sound and the effect.
In OS7, there will be multiple ways to accomplish using the new transition and sound capabilities 
I would like to flush out the blaster prop file too. Its lacking a few fett-ures. like charged shot , brust fire mode and auto detect audio. So if there isnt an audio file it would skip the mode maybe I dont know. two button off/on. It would be nice to have edit mode with gestures.
but for sure charge and burst modes, 2 button on off… So you can have a power on/off with out the 3rd button. And per style or preset shoots til empty. As different blasters have different limits. An over heat feature would also be good to have. but that could be for auto fire.
Gotcha, yeah Blasters aren’t my “thing” but feel free to adapt features from my prop if you’re so inclined.
Technically, the flexibility coming in OS7 with the new features and my prop, would probably let my saber prop handle blasters or other things via the styles and customization capabilities but seeing as I haven’t ever really looked at the actual blaster prop I’d leave it to someone else to sort out. In theory, since the actual sounds in any given wav file can be whatever you want the new features would allow for a lot of unique set ups and then it’d just be a matter of naming sounds accordingly to adapt to anything while still using the same prop, might end up being simpler than trying to migrate the features out of my prop but no harm in trying if you’re willing to put the time in.
Looks like I have to sort it out then… at least get it working all the way.
@NoSloppy has been working on some blaster improvements for a while, maybe see if he’s interested in working on the charged shot idea?
I will message him on the discord. will post here.
So I came to the conclusion that the functions/flow and buttons are bit too crowded(IE I got my blaster out an tested them by just physically doing the actions.) I would like to make some suggestions and help work on the blaster prop I understand most of it. I know its a revamp of how it works. I read through the file, I understand most of it. I know a lot of the flow was inherited. So maybe a shake up is in order. I hope this is all understandable, as I put a lot of thought into this. It just makes more sense to me.
So Here is a number of Proposed changes and additions with the blaster prop file. First is using the on and off state, like a saber. It simplifies the buttons and the flow. I feel they are more intuitive. Its slightly more effort to change fonts/ presets but it feels more of the flow of the sabers. Which people already are familiar with. Second is the addition of new modes: a CHARGED Blast, Burst fire, and, recharge blast. And I have future ideas for features: Gestures and edit menu.
—Buttons and functional flow—
–ON state: Always start in on state…
Fire - Click FIRE. (Hold to Auto / Burst Charged Fire)
Reload - Click MODE.
Cycle Modes - Double click MODE.
- Cycles through KILL, AUTOFIRE, CHARAGED, Burst and STUN modes.
Power On / Off - Press and Hold MODE or Click POWER (Default is auto-power ON)
Unjam - Bang the blaster or Reload.
Self-Destruct - Press and hold MODE and FIRE or Hold POWER until overload starts …then run!
- Self-Destructed blaster needs to be Powered on again by Press and Hold MODE or Press and Hold POWER Until it “reboots”. The completely dead prop might be excessive. if you are cosplaying. or have a hard to get to on and off switch.
Clip In - Clip Detect pad Latched On.
Clip out - Clip Detect pad Latched Off.
Quote Player - Hold MODE and click FIRE. (requires quote.wavs in font)
Start/Stop Track - Hold MODE and Double click FIRE
On-Demand Batt Level - Double click and hold MODE until battery level shows and sound plays.
- Spoken Battery Level - Includes automatic On-Demand Batt Level
- Set to in volts - Triple click MODE.
- Set to in percentage - Triple click and hold MODE.
- “Should this be a toggle?”
–OFF state:
Next Preset/Font - Click FIRE
Previous Preset/Font - Click MODE or (Hold Fire?)
Power On / Off - Hold MODE or Click POWER (Default is auto-power ON)
Start/Stop Track - Hold MODE and Double click FIRE (Same On or OFF State)
Clip In - Clip Detect pad Latched On.
Clip out - Clip Detect pad Latched Off.
On-Demand Batt Level - Double click and hold MODE until battery level shows and sound plays.
- Spoken Battery Level - Includes automatic On-Demand Batt Level
- in volts - Triple click MODE.
- in percentage - Triple click and hold MODE.
- “Should this be a toggle?”
Volume Menu: Enter/Exit - Double click and hold Fire
- Volume UP - Click Mode while in Volume Menu. (just like next preset)
- Volume DOWN - Click fire while in Volume Menu.
—Possible New MODES— Specify which modes are in a style or preset… Can this be done?
Charged Blast MODE -(maybe make part this normal firing mode?)
- CLICK FIRE to fire normally
- Click and Hold fire to charge then release to fire a more powerful Charaged Blast?
Burst Fire mode - Click FIRE or click and hold fire
- Like AUTOFIRE MODE Fires multiple blasts
- Unlike AUTOFIRE MODE always fires set number of Blast 3 or 5 depending on setting in the config
Recharge mode - Play a recharge sound before you can fire again like its has to build up enough power.
Per-style settings- settings like reload count and jam and which modes are turned on in the style setting maybe a edit mode in the future…
—Extras section— long term additions and nice to haves
Edit Mode: - A menu that replaces the volume menu, Like that is found in the sabers prop (ie change colors, volume, turn off and on modes, change font, turn off and on gestures)
Gestures: - motions that you would use as a kid with a toy gun or finger guns…“Is this possible?”
- Reload - a stab motion forward or back
- Fire - swing down then stop like you do with finger guns and reverse of this, swing up
- motion menus - menus that you swing right or left to change to the next item in the menu.
Blaster suggestions.txt (4.4 KB)
Any ways this is my 2 cents.
I’m on a train and can read through all of that more closely later. It’s seems like we should ultimately end up where there’s a default prop, and we each make our own blaster_BC and blaster_LT prop files, just like the saber props.
We could collab over DM, see what basics would be good for the default file, and then work on the features you have in mind for additional files. Yes?
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Its mostly the same buttons but utilizes the on/off state. it moves the font/preset selection and volume menu to the off state. So that scrolling through the fonts is way easier. Just fire /next or mode previous. It allows you to utilize both buttons more. reduces a lot the " was that a double click or triple" or " do I need to hold?'.
So nothing over a double click, except volts or percentage for the spoken battery level. You can access the battery level and you can play a track in either state. Quote player is only in the on state with my suggestions but it can be in both states.
So what is the same buttons: Fire, reload, cycle mode, unjam, self destruct, clip in/out, quote player, batt level volts/%.
I think these are solid and make sense.
What’s changed: on/off, font/preset cycle, track player, battery level, volume menu, vol up/ down
Well anyway you slice the buttons, default prop should have more modes at least charged and burst. with recharge should be last in mind.
I really would like to control the which modes and variables(number of shots in the mag, jam%, infinite shot) in the style sections of each font. This allows each style to have these settings.
Do you mean in the font’s config.ini file? Or the blade style itself?
Each blade(blaster) style should define what modes and the variables. maybe that style blaster an old rusty one that jams often or a new one that never jams. Maybe its a six shooter or a ray gun with infant ammo or a single shot rifle.
I know all of this is a lot. but this is what we should strive for. Each font having a personality.
In 7.x, blade styles will have the abilty to trigger events.
So it wouldn’t be out of the question (or even very difficult) for the blade style to trigger a jam in some circumstances.
Well how do you call up certain numbers or events in the styles? Wouldn’t it just be an extension of that? I haven’t gotten through all of the how tos of style preset.
WavNum<> is your friend
Maybe the config.ini file would be a better place to put the variables. As I dont know how much effort it would to to change preset.h to Bpreset.h. Which would be a copy of preset with the additional settings. I am still barely scratching the surface to all of this. I am digging and digging. starting to get a feel for all of it.
Should reloading unjam a jammed blaster?
Based of my experience of firearms. I would say that hearing the jam is a requirement for reloading. So I would say yes reloading equals clearing Jam also it would allow you to have a PCB without a motion chip.
Also do you know if we can search for particular files and if the file doesn’t exist it won’t use that mode at least that’s my idea.
Or we can code it into a blaster.ini