Negative Indicator Lights

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Brainstatic
219 Posts
Posted Nov 16, 2011
This was never done in Valve's Portal 2 maps, so I'm wondering if there's any official rule for something like this. Let's say that, for example, I have a floor button that toggles a tractor beam. But rather than the OnPressed output activating the beam, the beam deactivates when the button is pressed. The beam reactivates when the button is released.

What would be the appropriate indicator light setup for a scenario such as this? Should the lights and indicator panel be orange to start off with, but turn blue when the button is pressed? Or is it best to use the standard button layout in which the lights remain blue until the button is pressed?

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Lpfreaky90
2,842 Posts
Posted Nov 16, 2011
Replied 5 minutes later
I think both options are good.

Personally I?d go for start orange, switch to blue on pressed :wink:

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Brainstatic
219 Posts
Posted Nov 16, 2011
Replied 12 minutes later
All right, thank you for the second opinion.
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MasterLagger
1,695 Posts
Posted Nov 16, 2011
Replied 11 minutes later
So would the tractor beam be blocking an exit? Or maybe be use to fling an object?
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Brainstatic
219 Posts
Posted Nov 16, 2011
Replied 12 minutes later

MasterLagger wrote:
So would the tractor beam be blocking an exit? Or maybe be use to fling an object?

The tractor beam scenario was just an arbitrary example. But in the context of the hypothetical situation, I suppose that's how it could be implemented. What I was actually doing was a test chamber section without a portal gun. A button, when pressed, opens one portal and closes the other. The primary reason why I chose to use an excursion funnel for the example was to make sure that an indicator panel's color would correspond to its indicator lights.

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Moth
225 Posts
Posted Nov 16, 2011
Replied 1 hour later
Players have been trained that blue = off and orange = on

I don't think you should seek to undo this training.

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Lpfreaky90
2,842 Posts
Posted Nov 16, 2011
Replied 11 minutes later

Moth wrote:
Players have been trained that blue = off and orange = on

I don't think you should seek to undo this training.

Unless it is a faithplate 'cause then it is blue = on, orange is off :notwant:

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Spam Nugget
492 Posts
Posted Nov 16, 2011
Replied 8 minutes later
haha yup that always annoyed me.
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josepezdj
2,386 Posts
Posted Nov 17, 2011
Replied 9 hours later

BOB74j wrote:
This was never done in Valve's Portal 2 maps, so I'm wondering if there's any official rule for something like this. Let's say that, for example, I have a floor button that toggles a tractor beam. But rather than the OnPressed output activating the beam, the beam deactivates when the button is pressed. The beam reactivates when the button is released.

What would be the appropriate indicator light setup for a scenario such as this? Should the lights and indicator panel be orange to start off with, but turn blue when the button is pressed? Or is it best to use the standard button layout in which the lights remain blue until the button is pressed?

Well, it's not so difficult, if I have understood you well. I guess it should be something like:

  1. Tractor beam must start enabled = YES
  2. Prop_button setup:

OnPressed / [Tractor target name] / Disable
OnButtonReset* / [
Tractor target name] / Enable
OnButtonReset / [
Tractor target name*] / SetLinearForce = 250 (it's just an example if you want the blue funnel)

  1. For the indicator lights, if you also want them to change the colour accordingly, you should only invert usual outputs on the prop_button for the Env_texturetoggle (if you normally use this entity for switching the indicator lights):

OnPressed / [Env_texturetoggle name] / SetTextureIndex = 0 (blue colour)
OnButton Reset* / [
Env_texturetoggle name*] / SetTextureIndex** = 1 (orange colour)

  1. AND you may also need a Logic_auto for setting the "defaut" colour of the indicator lights to orange, like so:

OnMapSpawn / [Env_texturetoggle name] / SetTextureIndex** = 1 (orange colour)

I'm not so sure that you'll need this 4th point as I haven't tried... maybe you'll have enough with the input of the prop_button that sets the colour to orange on UnPressed

I guess this should do... try and let me know

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Spam Nugget
492 Posts
Posted Nov 17, 2011
Replied 1 hour later
umm i dont think the OP was asking how to do it but rather wether or not they should.
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josepezdj
2,386 Posts
Posted Nov 17, 2011
Replied 41 minutes later
Hehehe... you may be right Spam Nugget.

If I posted a way of making it, it is just because I assume that the way of how would I do it may not be in OP's mind because he posted the question, right?

Alternative answer: yes, of course it can be done!

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Brainstatic
219 Posts
Posted Nov 17, 2011
Replied 1 hour later
I know how to set up the inputs for indicator lights, but thanks for checking anyway.
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josepezdj
2,386 Posts
Posted Nov 17, 2011
Replied 1 hour later

BOB74j wrote:
What would be the appropriate indicator light setup for a scenario such as this?

I answered that question, I thought I could help. I just didn't figure out if you already knew the how-to or not. In fact I thought you wanted to hear any possible setting for your scenario...