How to use custom units/doodads as SFX?

[neckface]

I have wanted to do this a few times in triggering abilities, but always gave up and worked around it or without it....

For the purpose of illustrating my problem, heres a hypothetical situation.
Lets say I have a spell called Shadow, and for the visual effects I want to attach to the chest of the target a Shade unit that has been tinted completely black and scaled down.

The GUI trigger I would use: create special effect on unit using X model.

But how do I access my customized shade? There is no dropdown menu to select custom units, only things like, ability, buff, missile, unit, etc...

Is there any way to do this?

 

[Vestras]

Yes. Have a dummy unit with locust and pimp it as you wish.

 

[neckface]

Yes, but the problem is I can't seem to access it via the create special effect trigger............

there is no create UNIT ON CHEST action, only Create SPECIAL EFFECT using X model on chest, you see?

in other words, how do i get this dummy unit on another unit's attachment point?

 

[Larcenist]

just make it a unit and use CreateUnit()?

 

[neckface]

but you can't attach a created unit to another unit like a special effect...

you can't create a unit attached to the (overhead) of (target unit)

I'll try another example. Custom spell "Phoenix Hammer" -- imbue paladins hammer with "phoenix fire or whatever." for the special effect, we created a custom dummy unit--a scaled down "hammer sized" phoenix, to temporarily attach to the paladins hammer.

How would you get the phoenix on the hammer?

 

[Vestras]

Then it's impossible, unless you'll set the fly height.

 

[neckface]

Bah...

there must be some way.... i still believe!

 

[Vestras]

The easiest way would be to adjust fly height.

 

[wellwish3r]

dunno, bt just copy the path, and manually insert it into the field?

like

wc3imported/goblin warrior

 

[neckface]

dunno, bt just copy the path, and manually insert it into the field?

like

wc3imported/goblin warrior

but the model path of a unit adjusted and customized in WE is still the same as that of the original unit........

@ MCR-ELSKER: but how do i attach it to another model's attachment point?

 

[wellwish3r]

but the model path of a unit adjusted and customized in WE is still the same as that of the original unit........

@ MCR-ELSKER: but how do i attach it to another model's attachment point?

you dont use the units path, you use the models path, the one that is also used in your import manager