Auron's Cinematic Blocks & Invisible Objects GuideIntroduction: In this guide I'll teach you how to use invisible targets, non-visible in game play. I'll also go over how to use them, and what each object does. This includes; cinematic blocks, revealers, death revealers, vision revealers, revealer to player, attack revealer, camera start, invisible targets, invisible ram, yardsticks, and Victory Marker.1). Cinematic Blocks Cinematic Blocks are invisible targets, and they can be used in different ways besides in cinematics. They can only be seen in the editor, and can't be interacted with, unless using effects/conditions such as change unit type, army change unit type, convert, distance to unit, ETC. They are simmilar to ghost armies, except cinematic blocks exist, where as ghost armies needs effects such as army deploy to define the type of unit, heading, amount of units that will spawn, place, and time. The army editor does not work with cinematic blocks. Therefore, you cannot create an army of cinematic blocks, though you can change an entire army into cinematic blocksA). Types Of Cinematic Blocks: There are two different types of cinematic blocks. The Yellow-green block defines a front and back of an object. It is highly recommendable to use it when changing to units, since you are able to know which way this cinematic block will be heading when is changed into a unit. This cinematic block can also be used for effects where its required to define in which way the object will be heading, when it changes to an effect.The Red-blue block is used for effects. Unlike the yellow-green block, it doesnt define a front and back of a unit. However, you can still use it to change into a unit, thats if you dont have any problems with which way your cinematic block will be heading when changed into a unit. Keep in mind that this object is selectable in the editor, unlike the yellow-green block.
B). Scaling Units/Objects: Scaling cinematic blocks, revealers, and other invisible targets with the K and Shift + K method is useless since when they are changed into units, their size will not change and remain the same, Example:
C). Sound Gaia SFX: This object has the same uses as a normal cinematic block does, and looks the same as a cinematic block. However, It generates a sound which can be heard depending how close you are to it. Like a normal cinematic block, it has two different kinds of blocks, and can't be visible during game play. Keep in mind that this object is found under the "misc objects" on reyks latest editor.
2). Revealers: Revealers are objects non visible during game play. They reveal certain portion of the map to the person who owns it. There are four different revealers; revealer, revealer to player, death revealer, and vision revealer. Each revealer reveals different lines of sight. They can be interacted with triggers as well, such as convert, and pretty much acts like a cinematic block except they have a bigger LOS. Revealer: Gives a line of sight to all players, which can be seen through fog of war.
Revelaer to Player: Reveals the same line of sight that a normal revealer, but is only visible to the player who owns it.
death revealer: Gives a short line of sight for less than 10-15 seconds to whomever owns it. After that, the area will be seen as "non explored." This object cannot be visible in the editor, nor in game play
Attack Revealer: Provides as twice as much line of sight than a death revealer. It lasts between 10-15 seconds. This object is not visible in the editor, nor in game play.
Vision Revealer: Provides the same Line Of Sight of Set's God power Vision, to the player who owns it.
3). Invisible Ram, yardstick & Targets: Invisible targets are visible in the editor, and look like ordinary red-blue cinematic blocks. Invisible targets provide as much LOS as a normal cinematic block. Keep in mind that this object causes obstruction, meaning it cant be placed close to another object and other units cant get near it, unless moving it manually. These are basically invisible units and can be moved through just as a Cinematic Block would. However, if the "target" is from an enemy player, units will attack it. Invisible targets are used as "targets" for effects and/or godpowers such as restoration, thunderstorm, ETC, where it is required to have an object in sight in order for the effect to fire. For instance:
Invisible target however is able to work with the army editor. Unlike cinematic blocks you can create an army of invisible objects to later change into units. They are also selectable. Invisible Ram is an useless object. It has as much line of sight as an attack revealer, and cannot be seen in the editor, nor in game play. Seconds after you put this object in the editor, it will desappear. Yardstick is yet another useless objects, which were meant to be markers. Like the invisible ram, it desappears seconds later after you have placed this object. However, you can use it to change an entire army/unit into yardsticks, that is, if you want the army to desappear and get deleted.
4). Invisible Gate & Walls: Invisible gate provides as much line of sight as a normal age 1 gate to whomever owns it. It has a rock medium shape, and it doesn't define a front, back, and/or sides. This object is as large as a large trojan wall, since it occupies the same radious/area of a large trojan wall. It is complex to know which way the gate is facing, unless you have a visible gate get changed into an invisible gate.
Invisible Walls are just about the same as invisible gates. It is visible in the editor(as an age 1 wall), but not in game play. However, it is mostly used with the effect change unit type, from a visible wall into a invisible wall. When the wall is invisible it cannot be damaged, just like an invisible gate.
5). Camera Start & Victory Markers: Victory markers have the same apparence as a cinematic block, or an invisible target. They provide the same LOS as a cinematic block. Victory markers are pretty much the same as cinematic blocks, only that they only have one type of block which is the red-blue block, and can be selectable. Like the invisible target, you can create an army with the army editor, or change an entire army into victory markers.
Camera Start are objects non visible in game play. They act as a camera start-cut to the player who owns it. They are mostly used in multiplayer scenarios and random maps to provide an inmmediately camera cut into each player's towncenter. The starting point of a camera depends on who owns it and where you place it.
Final Notes: After reading through this guide, you should now be able to understand how to use them in cinematics, triggers, or without triggers. You can download this guide here. If you have any suggestions/questions, email me at: nick_nbm@hotmail.com, or post here.
[This message has been edited by Auron_ (edited 01-29-2005 @ 11:59 PM).]