Chapter 2: Understanding Volume Trigger Window

This next chapter of the tutorial will focus on the Volume trigger window which is used for node editor (but also for Lua function scripts)

The general layout of the volume trigger window looks like this (open the image on a new browser if you want to zoom in):

There are a lot of buttons so let’s break down the window bit by bit and explain what they mean.

Event Sets 

The “Event Set” column is where all of your grouped events (or if you would like to call them: Trigger groups from TRNG) will reside, different sets will do something different depending on what you put.

1. Add a new event set.
2. Copy the event set.
3. Delete the event set.
4. Search for an event set if you have many event sets already added
5. This button will unassign the event set so you can have the volume trigger be inactive

Trigger Volume Window

1. Textbox to allow you to name your event set.
2. Tabs to trigger volume trigger in different situations:
   • When entering = when Lara/moveable or any volume activator enters the volume trigger.
   • When inside = when Lara/moveable or any volume activator is inside the volume trigger (this will trigger every game frame and stop when the Volume activator is not in the volume anymore).
   • When Leaving = when Lara/moveable or any volume activator is leaving.
3. Switch between Node Editor or Level Script functions. In this tutorial, we will use node editor as this is the point of the tutorial. Level Script Functions are for functions written in Lua in a file (LevelFuncs.YourFuncName = function() ).
4. Un-assign Lua functions.
5. Searches for nodes in your window.

The Bottom Bar:

1. Adds an action node to the scene.
2. Adds a conditional node to the scene.
3. Connects the nodes if they haven’t already been.
4. Renames the node.
5. Change the colour of the node.
6. Deletes the selected node.
7. Deletes all of the nodes.
8. Copy the Lua function to the clipboard to be pasted to the file (more on that later).
9. Activators, which can edit what will activate the volume trigger:
   
   • Lara.
   • NPC – Enemies or other intelligent entities.
   • Other objects – moveables such as animatings, pushables, traps etc
     (but not enemies). You can specify which moveable can trigger
     the volume trigger only – more on that later
   • Statics – static objects if shattered.
   • Flyby cameras – Flybys (must have “Activate heavy” turned on in flyby
     properties!)
10. Call count – how many times should the event set be called (triggered) since it is a property of the event set. If the call count is 0 then it will called (triggered) infinitely.

Main Window

This is where all of your nodes will reside.

Controls

Control	Function
Left Click:	Select nodes.
Right Click:	Pan around window.
CTRL+Left Click	Select multiple nodes.
CTRL+C	Copy node (if selected).
CTRL+V	Paste node (if selected).

The next tutorial will focus on nodes and creating a simple event.