In this pack you will find the following:
-materials, models and sounds for the normal energy_ball.
-materials and models for the clean energy ball launcher and catcher
-Instances for dirty and clean launchers and catchers
-a VPK file for adding it to your map release

How to install:
Put the materials, sounds and models folder to Steam\steamapps\common\portal 2\portal2\
Put the Instances folder to Steam\steamapps\common\portal 2\sdk_content\maps\instances\
Put the VPK file to Steam\steamapps\common\portal 2\portal2\addons\

To add the VPK to your map release make sure that the VPK always have to be in the addons folder!!

For energy ball signage like in Portal 1, use the following link:

Unused Signage, fixed paint_speed sign

File Name: Energy_Ball.7z
File Size: 1.64 MiB

Click here to download Working Energy Balls + Clean models + Instances

&&

Dear Scotty!
May I use your content (energy ball) in my mod?
Your name will be written in the credits.

Do this, thats why it's downloadable here

thanks!

How can I tell the energyball-cathcher what to do when he gets the Ball? I can't set outputs...

A bit late I suppose, but Flo, you need to name the ball catcher in order to give it outputs.

It might be better to edit the instance and add in an output proxy, instead of the named-relay thing.

You can edit it if you need to. But both is working fine.

Do you mind if I add these to the PTI editor? They'd be interesting with the angled panels.

I don't get it...
Skotty, your location is Germany, so i think you can german.
Can I ask you some support-question in german with an PN? I think it would be easyer to understand for me^^

Sicher.

Gebe bei $relay den Namen des logic_relays an, dem der Ballf?nger den Input "Trigger" gibt.
Setze ein @ vor den Namen des Relays, z.B. $relay w?re: @Catcher-Relay
Dann das logic_relay genau so nennen!

Wenn du der Instanz einen FixUp Namen gibst, dann will die Instanz das logic_relay mit dem Namen "fixup-$relay" haben, durch das @ wird der Name jedoch Global genommen, soll hei?en der mischt da keinen FixUp Namen rein. Das ist Teil der Grundlagen von Instanzen.

Danke, jetzt hab ichs gecheckt
Wenn ich noch fragen hab, melde ich mich per Pn, danke^^

Hi Skotty,

Could you please explain for a Newbie like me how to trigger something via your ball_catcher e.g. turn on a light?

Having spend a weekend trying to trigger a tbeam in hammer via your ball_catcher (using it as central element in a map designed around this nice feature), i have to admit, that i have proven to be far to incompetent to get it run myself. I tried triggering an external logic_relay as mentioned above, tried it directly to launch the tbeam and turn on a light, tried a trigger_once between, tried it with @ and without and tried it in the instance itself - did not got done anything, sniff.

Btw: I just noticed that in test runs the ball's sound is not been played. The test run displays the sound as missing. I tried the installation as suggested by you above and additional had tested to store it all in platform - where i used custom content before successfully.

Error message sound:

Installation according to guideline above:

in your console, type
snd_updateaudiocache
or something like that to get the sounds to play
and you shouldn't be using brush triggers (trigger once)
create a point entity, choose the relay class
name that relay something that begins with an @ symbol
now open the catcher's properties, and there should be a property called $relay
put the name of your relay in the value box

now, open that relay you made, and in there you can put all the output you want to happen when the energy ball is caught, include disabling the launcher

Note to Skotty, you should update this instance, ever since the PTI was released the updated vbsp.exe has fixed instance I/O, so you can include output on this instance and bypass the need for parameter relays. I've done this to my copy, but I think you should update it for everyone else

Thanks, Ben. But sadly i feel now really stupid.

I checked Valve for 'Point Entity':
https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/List_of_entities#Point_entities
... and checked accordingly all Entities in Portal starting with 'point_'.
I found non that would enable me to define a 'relay class'.

Sorry for that Newbie question. Which Entity exactly should i create to forward a trigger from the ball_launcher? I failed as mentioned above with 'logic_relay'.

I was abbreviating
you were supposed to use the logic_relay class
add me on steam BenVlodgi
I can help you more if what I said before didn't work

I've never seen that list before, and it is a bit misleading
when we talk about point entities we mean the ones you create with the entity tool (looks like a lightbulb)
then there are brush entities, where you tie a brush to brush entity class by pressing [ctrl]+t
this is used to make things like triggers, and fizzlers

Thanks, Ben. Steam request had been send.

Here the settings of my ball_catcher:
http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/2329/skotty001.jpg
http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/2854/skotty002.jpg

And here the settings of my logic_relay:
http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/7293/skotty003.jpg
http://img811.imageshack.us/img811/747/skotty004.jpg
http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/2525/skotty005.jpg

I guess somewhere around there i must have made some stupid mistake ...

BierPizzaChips wrote:
Thanks, Ben. Steam request had been send.

Here the settings of my ball_catcher:
http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/2329/skotty001.jpg
http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/2854/skotty002.jpg

And here the settings of my logic_relay:
http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/7293/skotty003.jpg
http://img811.imageshack.us/img811/747/skotty004.jpg
http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/2525/skotty005.jpg

I guess somewhere around there i must have made some stupid mistake ...

in http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/2329/skotty001.jpg you named your relay with the @ sign
but in http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/7293/skotty003.jpg you see you didn't include the @ sign in the name
in http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/2854/skotty002.jpg you have an unnessesary output, this output will never be triggered because this instance doesn't have any outputs
you dont need to change the flags, but it probably didn't hurt, your outputs look solid too

Hi Ben,

you are brillant!!! That fixed it. Oviously the missing '@' in the logic_relay had been the root cause of my problems.

Thanks, mate!!!

---

Edit:
The map using Skotty's Energy Balls had been posted, see:
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=89166062