Object Skins and the Altermap Framework v1.2

The mapping utilities have been updated to resolve a long self compatibility issue with the Altermap Framework along with some other odds and ends.

General:

• Some Object skin and Altermap parameters now accept concatenation with no number or 1 at the end of them.
• Added LUA_BARR, a script which can place evenly spaced things along a set of connected lines. The output of which can be added to your things lump via hex editor. Do not include this script in your final release instead, use the output to insert the things into your map!

Spoiler: LUA_BARR Usage

• Call Lua Function "ROADMK" to start spawning objects. It is recommended to have a simplified version of the path you want to use or properly terminate the path to prevent wrap around. You may also need to do this process multiple times with paths in different places with different terminators to get your desired effect.
  • The back texture is a string for the object type to spawn.
  • The linedef tag is the start tag for the the path. Things will start spawning along this path in the direction of the linedef.
  • The linedef's x distance is the distance between spawned objects.
  • The front x offset is the termination tag if it is not 0. The path will end and things will stop spawning at this linedef and any connected to it afterward. The path will naturally terminate in the case of a closed loop.
  • The front y offset is the tag of the lines considered the path if not 0. This will terminate the path if no more connected lines with the correct tag are found.
  • Block Monsters will increment the thing angle by 1 for every thing in the path.
  • Slope Skew will make the spawned thing's angle perpendicular to the linedef instead.
  • Things spawned by this function will have their info output to BorderThingOut_[gamemap].txt. Export the things lump from your map and paste the output to the end of it using a hex editor. Reimport the modified things lump to your map wad.
• Lua function "BRCRT" snaps the object type defined by the linedef's back side texture to what the thing considers its floor. It will create new thing info with corrected heights to BorderHeightThingOut_[gamemap].txt. Replace any instance of your old path objects in your things lump with the new information in the order that is given.

Altermap Framework

• Moved the script check to the top of the script and made the altermap command table global. This will insure proper compatibility with other maps which use the altermap framework.

THE UPDATED VERSION OF ALTERMAPS WILL BREAK WITH ANY PACKS RUNNING THE OLD VERSION!

Object Skins

• Fixed some silly typos which caused some warnings.
• If you run egg reverence and other maps which use a more modern version of object skins please do the following for proper operation.
  -Load the other maps which use the newer version object skins first, then run Jam Jar.
  -Add this to your server soc or make this block of text a .soc file to be loaded last:

Spoiler: Egg Reverence Soc

Level MP
LevelName = Egg Reverence
Music = EGGREV
SubTitle = Grape Jam R6
TypeOfLevel = Race
NumLaps = 3
SkyNum = 3669
NextLevel = 545
lua.spawnskin = MT_BUSH,SPR_EGRV,D,MT_BERRYBUSH,SPR_EGRV,C,MT_GFZFLOWER3,SPR_EGRV,G,MT_PLANT2,SPR_EGRV,B
lua.objectskin = MT_RANDOMITEM,spawnstate,S_EGGMANITEM1,MT_GFZFLOWER2,spawnstate,S_EGGFLOWER,MT_BSZFISH,spawnstate,S_EGGSIGN

This is a minor, but very important update that was sitting around on my hard drive for no particular reason.
The object skin script should now be more stable in a netgame enviroment. Desyncs when overriding the spawn states of complex things and skins staying on the map immediatly after one has been applied should be fixed now.

The object skin script and what it aims to do is fragile and unconventional. Special thanks to the early adopters who used it and allowed me to see it break.