Dummies casting channeling spells

[Hegemuffin]

Hi guys, I've been working on a trigger for my boss map submission , and I'm having a little trouble with one of my custom abilities. The spell itself is fairly complicated, so I won't go into detail, but it involves various dummy units casting a modified Cloud. Basically, my problem is that the dummy units simply don't respond to the issued order, and I'm pretty sure it has to do with the order string itself. Is there some method I don't know about to get dummy units to cast channeling spells properly? (Please don't post something stupid pertaining to obvious mistakes I may have made such as not giving the dummy the spell; believe me, I've checked all of that).

Here's the code snippet, if anyone wants to look at it:

        Set PT_Spell = (Position of HERO_Zorastro)
        Unit - Create 1 Dummy Caster for Player 2 (Blue) at PT_Spell facing Default building facing degrees
        Unit - Hide (Last created unit)
        Unit - Order (Last created unit) to Human Dragonhawk Rider - Cloud PT_Spell
        Custom script:   call RemoveLocation (udg_PT_Spell)
        Unit - Add a 4.00 second Generic expiration timer to (Last created unit)

Any useful ideas would be much appreciated. Thanks.

The Hegemuffin

 

[HG-Bonfire]

when you hide a unit it cant cast spells anymore, just make the unit have locust and no model file and all that stuff for a dummy unit.

 

[Azylaminaz]

        Set PT_Spell = (Position of HERO_Zorastro)
        Unit - Create 1 Dummy Caster for Player 2 (Blue) at PT_Spell facing Default building facing degrees
        Unit - Hide (Last created unit)   [COLOR=DarkRed]<--- Dummy units are always invisible.[/COLOR]
        Unit - Order (Last created unit) to Human Dragonhawk Rider - Cloud PT_Spell
        Custom script:   call RemoveLocation (udg_PT_Spell)
        Unit - Add a 4.00 second Generic expiration timer to (Last created unit)

Are Dummy Units even counted as units?

 

[Hegemuffin]

Ah, well, see, I've triggered a lot of spells using dummies, and I think I must have always just put the hide action after the order action because in that case I know it works (and it's not like you see the unit for a split second; the actions are simultaneous).

But yea, I'll experiment with either putting the hide line after, and if that doesn't work because it's channeling, then I'll just use Locust and "all that stuff" since that's what I'm doing with the unit for another ability anyway.

Thanks a lot.

The Hegemuffin

Oh, and to Azylaminaz: Yea, dummies are just regular units except that you usually give them Locust and make them transparent with no shadow, though as I said, I like to hide them when possible.

 

[SFilip]

no point in hiding them...that might just be the problem here. besides locust+invalid model does just about the same thing.

 

[Monovertex]

And it's much easier since you make it just once, in the object editor... With hide, you must make it in everytime you use the dummy.

 

[Hegemuffin]

Okay, here's the problem:

When I don't hide the unit, nothing happens either.

I also checked over some of my other spells, and I found that I nearly always hide dummies before giving them orders, which means that hiding shouldn't be a problem in any case.

Any other ideas? Has anyone looked at the code specifically?

Thanks.

edit: And again, though, thanks to everyone for the tips on hiding because as smith_s9 said, it will save me time overall. I'll remember the invalid model as well, since I'll no longer have to make units transparent that way.

 

[SFilip]

lets see...
has the dummy got the ability? there is no action that adds it...
is 4 seconds enough? i guess it is, but you never know.

 

[Monovertex]

Does the ability costs mana? And if it is, the dummy has mana?

The trigger has no problem, except maybe, what SFilip said, the expiration timer.

 

[Hegemuffin]

Yea, the dummy has the ability.

Here's a thought (and why I thought it might be related to channeling spells):
I have an ability exactly like the Inquisitor's aura in Tides of Blood, if you're familiar with it. Basically, it's a Mana Flare aura, and operates pretty much the same way as in ladder, only that it's passive. How I'm triggering it is with a dummy unit to cast Mana Flare (also channeling) and a periodic trigger to move the dummy to the real unit's location every .1 second. (The real unit also has a useless ability that gives an aura buff). Anyway, what I found, though, was that Mana Flare only cast for 1 second or so before the dummy stopped (despite my making the duration 60 minutes), so I added another trigger that ordered the dummy to cast the ability whenever it "finished casting it" (as the event). That made it work perfectly, so I'm going to try a similar trigger with Cloud and see if it works.

That said, would you happen to know anything about Mana Flare, Cloud, or channeling in general (if it proves to be the same issue)?

Thanks.

edit: I thought I said no stupid questions . Yes to all of the above.

edit2: I am officially a hypocrite. smith_s9, I apologize for my reprimand because it was in fact something stupid. Cloud has a tech requirement that I forgot to change. Fuck. Someone shoot me now.