Actor shadow copies main actor movements

Zombiebrains

Hi guys

I have a main actor and a shadow actor and I need the shadow actor to copy what the main actor does.

The shadow actor sits underneath the actor.

I need it so whatever movement the main one does the shadow copies...this includes moving up and down and also rotating.

The actors are two tank shapes actors and the game is a top down view.

Braydon_SFX

Hey Zombiebrains,

Could you constrain the actor to your main player? Or would it be easier to just add a shadow in Ohotoshop? Then you know it'll work.

Zombiebrains

Hi Braydon

Yeah I could add a shadow in Photoshop but really wanted a separate actor as I wanted if possible a series of them, say up to 4 do it looks like a snake effect.

poopdecksweeper

you should make two attributes. actorX & actorY. Then constrain the shadow's position X & Y to those, but using a negative value only on the Y axis. so itll look like this:

REAL Attributes:
ActorX = 0
ActorY = 0

actor: constrain self.position.X = actorX
constrain self.position.Y = actorY

Shadow: constrain self.position.X = actorX
constrain self.position.Y = -actorY-(height of actor)

Make sure to set your shadow's alpha to around .3 that should make a nice shadow.

good luck

Zombiebrains

Hey poopdecksweeper

Thanks a million for that workout....will try that later.

Will report back if it works!!!

Zombiebrains

Hi guys

I found an easier way....

I now spawn my shadow actor underneath my main actor every1 second then destroy it. It is also locked to my main actors x, y and rotate attributes so. Now it copies every move my main actor does.

Thanks again for the ideas.

Clouds

you should make two attributes. actorX & actorY. Then constrain the shadow's position X & Y to those, but using a negative value only on the Y axis. so itll look like this:

REAL Attributes:
ActorX = 0
ActorY = 0

actor: constrain self.position.X = actorX
constrain self.position.Y = actorY

Shadow: constrain self.position.X = actorX
constrain self.position.Y = -actorY-(height of actor)

You have the first set of constraints backwards ! As it stands everything is constrained to zero.

It should be:

actor:
constrain actor X to self.position X
constrain actor Y to self.position Y

Clouds

Hi guys

I found an easier way....

I now spawn my shadow actor underneath my main actor every1 second then destroy it. It is also locked to my main actors x, y and rotate attributes so. Now it copies every move my main actor does.

Thanks again for the ideas.

You might want to 'recylce' the shadow actor rather than go down the spawn and destroy route if it's happening every 1 second.

mynameisace

You might want to 'recylce' the shadow actor rather than go down the spawn and destroy route if it's happening every 1 second.

Here's goes Mr. Environmentally Friendly again :P

In all seriousness, with global warming aside, Mr Environmentally Friendly is correct, recycling will by far be the best option for smooth performance.

Ace

Clouds

Here's goes Mr. Environmentally Friendly again :P

Don't get me wrong, I love a bit of 'spawing' (you should have seen me last weekend).

Braydon_SFX

Hey Zombiebrains,

Ohotoshop? )

Ohotoshop? Hmmm...

Clouds

Ohotoshop? Hmmm...

I thought it was only me who knew about Ohotoshop™

Zombiebrains

Hi guys

I use spawn and destroy quite a bit...how does this 'Recycle actor' thing work?

Not heard of that...any examples would be great and any trick to speed up performance is a bonus

tatiang

@Zombiebrains Please don't revive old threads (this one is two years old).

Plus, this information is not valid any more. It's fine to spawn and destroy. If you did want to recycle actors, you just move them back to their original starting point after you are done with them.

/closed.