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Simulating new functions (edit)

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I've tried creating a custom "function" that can be called by other scripts. The basic approach I took was to make the function a quest script, and have the calling script call the function via |StartQuest function_quest|. Ex:
{{Deprecated Article|This article is obsolete since [[OBSE]] has support for [[User Functions]].}}


I have a quest called testfunc that is initially disabled and contains the following script:
=== Introduction ===


<pre>scn testfuncscript
Writing complex scripts for oblivion can be very painful and frustrating. Not being able to write reusable functions that execute directly on call instead of the next frame is one of the major problems (at least for me).


float param1
But Kkuhlmann from Bethesda had a great idea to make a workaround: Quest Stages!
float param2
When you call setStage in a script, the related stage result script will be executed immediately BEFORE the current script continues! This is therefore a great way to write immediately executing function calls!
float result


begin GameMode
I've spent MANY hours to advance this idea to a fully reusable function framework that can easily be used in your scripts.
  Message "start func", 1
  set result to param1 + param2
  Message "end func: %.0f", result, 1
  StopQuest testfunc
end</pre>


In another script, I call this "function":
=== The easy way: Math Library ESM ===
The easiest way to use stage functions is by using [http://www.hazardx.com/details.php?file=68 this ESM Math Library]. It already contains all math functions listed in the [[stage_function_repository|Stage Function Repository]]. To use it copy the ESM file to your oblivion data folder and select it as an additional master file when loading your mod with the Construction Set. By doing this all the necessary setup steps are already done for you. All you need to do to use a function is to call it. You can also add new stages to the predefined function quest very easily in your mod without all the setup hassle.
Be aware that other users of your mod will need the Library too to run it.


<pre>scn testscript
Download: [http://www.hazardx.com/details.php?file=68 ESM Math Library v1.0].


float r
=== Do it yourself: Setup ===


begin OnActivate
* Open any Plugin you wish or create a new one with the Construction Set
  Message "before call", 1
* Create a new Quest called "f" (yes, just the letter "f", nothing more)
  set testfunc.param1 to 10
* Activate the Checkbox "Allow repeated stages". (This is VERY important!!)
  set testfunc.param2 to 20
* Create a new Quest Script and copy the whole FunctionQuestScript from this article into this script. Don't forget to attach it to your f-Quest!
  StartQuest testfunc
<pre>ScriptName FunctionQuestScript
  set r to testfunc.result
  Message "after call: %.0f", r, 1
end
</pre>


However, the above code doesn't work. The order of the output illustrates why:
; Internals
short doOnce
float fQuestDelayTime


<pre>before call
; Constants
after call: 0
float pi
start func
float rad
end func: 30</pre>


This is what it should be:


<pre>before call
; Function In- and Output
start func
float fin1
end func: 30
float fin2
after call: 30</pre>
float fin3
float fout
float fout2
float fout3


The problem is that the calling script doesn't wait for the function script to execute, and instead the function script is delayed until after the calling script finishes executing.


So is there any way that can bypass this problem without resorting to nasty "wait for the other script to finish" hacks? (I could make the calling script have a GameMode block that would repeatly check when the function finishes executing, but that would be a serious PITA.) I suspect this same problem would've arisen if I had tried creating a function script by attaching it to a persistent object instead of a quest (and calling it via the Activate function).
;S10 FUNCTION Arctan
float t3
float t5
float t7


--[[User:Maian|Maian]] 03:59, 18 April 2006 (EDT)
;S20 FUNCTION getAngle
float tan
float ang




I'm just kind of brainstorming here, but you might try making a quest, marked "Allow repeated stages" so you can call the stages repeatedly, and make (say) stage 10 be your "function". Quest stage results are executed immediately, while the current script is processing, so you wouldn't have to wait for the results.
; Set constants first
Begin Gamemode
  if doOnce == 0
    set pi to 3.1415927
    set rad to 180.0/pi


Keep your variables in your quest script. In stage 10 results, you'd have:
    set fQuestDelayTime to 30
 
    set doOnce to 1
<pre>
  endif
  Message "start func", 1
End</pre>
  set testfunc.result to testfunc.param1 + testfunc.param2
  Message "end func: %.0f", testfunc.result, 1
</pre>
 
To call this function, you'd do the following:
 
 
<pre>scn testscript
 
float r
 
begin OnActivate
  Message "before call", 1
  set testfunc.param1 to 10
  set testfunc.param2 to 20
  setstage testfunc 10    ; call the "function"
  set r to testfunc.result
  Message "after call: %.0f", r, 1
end
</pre>


I think this should work (I haven't tried it).
* Now create stage 10 for this quest with the following code:
<pre>;FUNCTION float Arctan(float tan)
;Approximation by Taylor Series - script by DragoonWraith


--[[User:Kkuhlmann|Kkuhlmann]] 14:02, 18 April 2006 (EDT)
set f.t3 to (f.fin1 * f.fin1 * f.fin1)
set f.t5 to (f.t3 * f.fin1 * f.fin1)
set f.t7 to (f.t5 * f.fin1 * f.fin1)


I've been doing this for awhile now with OnActivate functions placed on activators. The reference you use to activate it acts as a parameter to tell it how to act. Then when that function is done it activates the calling object to let it know that it is finished and it is time to process the results.
set f.fout to (f.fin1 - (f.t3/3) + (f.t5/5) - (f.t7/7))</pre>


So for instance
* And stage 20:
<pre>;FUNCTION float getAngle(float x, float y)


<pre>scn ActivateFunction
set f.tan to (f.fin1/f.fin2)
ref incoming


begin OnActivate
if f.tan >1 || f.tan < -1
   set incoming to GetActionRef
   set f.tan to (f.fin2/ -f.fin1)
   if (incoming == CallingScriptRef.Me)
   if f.fin1 >= 0
    set CallingScriptRef.Value to CallingScriptRef.Value + 3
    set f.ang to 90
    CallingScriptRef.Activate CallingScriptRef.ActivateFunctionRef 1
  else
    return
    set f.ang to -90
   endif
   endif
end</pre>
else
 
  if f.fin2 >= 0
<pre>scn CallingScript
    set f.ang to 0
ref Me
   else
ref ActivateFunctionRef
    set f.ang to 180
long Value
ref incoming
 
begin OnLoad
  set Me to GetSelf
  set Value to 0
   Message "I am storing a value of %.0f", Value, 1
end
 
begin OnActivate
  set incoming to GetActionRef
  if (incoming == ActivateFunctionRef)
    Message "Now I am storing a value of %.0f", Value, 1
    return
   endif
   endif
  ActivateFunctionRef.Activate Me 1
endif
end
</pre>
 
This removes the need for a game mode block and allows function passing (or setting in a persistent reference).  I've used this quite successfully for some cool stuff I'm finishing the testing on.
--[[User:Tegid|Tegid]] 14:44, 18 April 2006 (EDT)
 
After some experimentation, I've verified that making the function script an object script and attaching it to a dummy object (in activator called testfunc in my case), it works. That is, it satisfies the following conditions:
#It can be called (via |testfunc.Activate player, 1|).
#The function is executed immediately rather than after the script that called it.
#It can be called even in places where the dummy object isn't at, e.g. I placed the dummy object inside an interior cell and called it in an exterior cell. This was what I was most worried about with this approach - that the function would only work if the dummy object is in the same area. I haven't tested this extensively, so it may be the case that it works only because the dummy object is still in memory, but I suspect that's not the case.
 
Tegid, in your example, the called function apparently needs a reference to the script calling it, which defeats the purpose of making the function generic (after all, the main reason for creating a new function is to share code between 2+ functions). Maybe if your script just checked if incoming.Me was set and just used incoming rather than CallingScriptRef, it could work generically.
 
Kkuhlmann, I haven't tried your method yet, but I'm post an update once I do so.


Thanks for all the help! --[[User:Maian|Maian]] 21:49, 18 April 2006 (EDT)
;CALL float Arctan(float tan)
set f.fin1 to f.tan
setStage f 10


Kkuhlmann's solution also worked.
if f.fout > (f.pi/2)
  set f.fout to (f.pi/2)
elseif f.fout < (f.pi/ -2)
  set f.fout to (f.pi/ -2)
endif


For reference, here's my dummy object + activate script solution:
set f.fout to ((f.fout*f.rad) + f.ang)</pre>
* Okay, the function setup is complete.


On a dummy object:
=== Usage ===


<pre>scn testfuncobjscript
Now you've already got 2 functions: One to calculate the arctan and another one that uses arctan to calculate the angle of a vector. To get the angle between two objects in a script just type:
<pre>;CALL float getAngle(float x, float y)
set f.fin1 to ( Object2.getPos x - Object1.getPos x )
set f.fin2 to ( Object2.getPos y - Object1.getPos y )
setStage f 20
set ResultingAngleZ to f.fout</pre>
Et voilà, here is your Z-Angle between Object 1 and 2!


float param1
=== Conclusion ===
float param2
float result


begin OnActivate
You can reuse the function wherever you like, how often you wish to and you can even call functions from inside another stage of "f" (aka. another function)!
  Message "start func", 1
  set result to param1 + param2
  Message "end func: %.0f", result, 1
end</pre>


Calling script:
It is also very easy to share the functions with others since you only need to share the code of the stage result script for your function.


<pre>scn testobj2script
The only downsides are that you have to define all vars in the quest script (it compiles when you define them in the stage result script, but they'll always be 0) and the limited maximum length of each quest result script (which isn't a big problem since you are able to split a single function into multiple stages).


float r
Many thanks go tu Kkuhlmann for his great idea, to DragoonWraith for the Arctan function and to Maian for telling me that my old functions were completely wrong. :)
The new version of the getAngle Function seems to be very accurate, but if anyone has an idea on how to improve these scripts for accuracy and performance then please contribute!


begin OnActivate
=== Function Repository ===
  Message "before call", 1
  set testfuncref.param1 to 10
  set testfuncref.param2 to 20
  testfuncref.Activate Player, 1 ; <-- function call
  set r to testfuncref.result
  Message "after call: %.0f", r, 1
end</pre>


--[[User:Maian|Maian]] 01:47, 19 April 2006 (EDT)
If you are looking for a complete setup with many math functions included then take a look at the [[stage_function_repository|Stage Function Repository]]!


[[Category:Solutions]]
[[Category:Solutions]]
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