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Chris Burrows
Registered
14/09/2002
Points
2396
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11th March, 2012 at 11/03/2012 04:08:34 -
I posted this on the clickteam forums but nobody was interested.
Recently, I discovered that multiple instances of the same string object can be displayed at the same time showing different paragraphs?
http://www.whenthereisnoroominhellthedeadwalktheearth.com/MMF/strings.mfa
Did you know about this? You may wonder what the practical application of this, if any, could be.
Well, I am working on another array editor, similar to a spread sheet. Each X column needs a heading. Instead of having hundreds of different string objects displaying 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 etc, I can have 1 string object, with hundreds of paragraphs and display the appropriate paragraph with a loop.
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Sketchy
Cornwall UK
Registered
06/11/2004
Points
1970
 
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11th March, 2012 at 11/03/2012 10:49:27 -
Why's that surprising? You can have multiple instances of any object type - even things like arrays (although it's a little trickier with those because they don't have their own alterable values, and you can't directly compare their values - but it's still do-able). They're all handled in exactly the same way.
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Chris Burrows
Registered
14/09/2002
Points
2396
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11th March, 2012 at 11/03/2012 12:15:46 -
It is surprising because there are very few ways to achieve this. I would imagine it won't have occurred to most users before.
String objects don't have alterable values so you can not refer to through a unique ID. Although they do have a unique fixed value, but fixed values are much harder to utilise. The only way to set a string object to display different text to another instance of the same string object is by refereeing to only that one string object. There are very few ways to do this.
For example:
1. On a create string object event.
2. If string object overlaps whatever.
3. If string object x position = whatever
Also, I don't know why it didn't occur to me before, but this isn't just limited to paragraphs. You can also achieve this by change the alterable string directly.
http://www.whenthereisnoroominhellthedeadwalktheearth.com/MMF/strings2.mfa
Sketchy, you don't find this even remotely interesting?
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nim
Registered
17/05/2002
Points
7233
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11th March, 2012 at 11/03/2012 13:52:15 -
I guess it's a useful thing to discover. I used multiple "String 1" objects and set their Alterable Strings to the contents of an array via a fastloop for a flash card app I wrote for myself. It makes sense when you think about it, but with Clickteam products you never know what might happen!
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Sketchy
Cornwall UK
Registered
06/11/2004
Points
1970
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11th March, 2012 at 11/03/2012 14:37:52 -
Originally Posted by Chris Burrows
Sketchy, you don't find this even remotely interesting?
I just assumed it was something people took for granted anyway - what would give you the idea that active objects were anything special?
You often see duplicate strings being used for things like health counters. They behave exactly the same as anything else.
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UrbanMonk
BRING BACK MITCH
Registered
07/07/2008
Points
49567
       
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11th March, 2012 at 11/03/2012 19:09:07 -
I do this all the time.
I do this with almost every type of object like others have said.
It's very useful to be able to create multiple instances of the same object and have them all be in a different state.
Very useful for having usernames float above characters heads and such.
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Chris Burrows
Registered
14/09/2002
Points
2396
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12th March, 2012 at 12/03/2012 02:53:41 -
Originally Posted by Sketchy
I just assumed it was something people took for granted anyway
Hmmm maybe you're right. I'd never thought of it until a few days ago. Either way, it is definitely very useful.
I don't think that Active Objects are anything special, but I do think they are easier to handle multiple instances of than String Objects and that is what I find interesting. Even a List Object has alterable values, I wonder why Clickteam chose not to give them to string objects.
Sketchy, on a separate and mostly unrelated note, can you please explain to me how an objects fixed values are assigned?
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nivram
Registered
20/07/2006
Points
171
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12th March, 2012 at 12/03/2012 03:05:18 -
Chris. They are numbered by type and then by order created in the frame editor.
Marv
458 MMF2 & CTF 2.5 examples and games
http://www.castles-of-britain.com/mmf2examples.htm
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Chris Burrows
Registered
14/09/2002
Points
2396
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13th March, 2012 at 13/03/2012 00:02:25 -
Oh I see. Thanks Marv.
Does anybody know if a list or chart is available showing which fixed value will be assigned to which object type?
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Sketchy
Cornwall UK
Registered
06/11/2004
Points
1970
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14th March, 2012 at 14/03/2012 01:03:27 -
Nope. Fixed values are complicated and only partially understood:
http://www.create-games.com/article.asp?id=2139
Re: String objects not having alterable values - I believe many objects used not to have alterable values, but Clickteam gradually started adding them. They did post on the Clickteam forums that if you needed alterable values added to any object, you could contact them and they'd look at doing it for you.
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