Cycler

GoldSrc

Source Engine

cycler is a model entity available in Half-Life: Source, Half-Life 2 series, Portal series, and Counter-Strike series.

Class hierarchy
CGenericCycler ↳CCycler ↳CAI_BaseNPC ↳CBaseCombatCharacter ↳CBaseFlex ↳CBaseAnimatingOverlay ↳CBaseAnimating ↳CBaseEntity
h_cycler.cpp

It is used to display a model for testing purposes. Shooting it will cycle through the model's animations.

Important:This is a debug entity. For mapping purposes use prop_dynamic or prop_dynamic_override instead.

AltNames: This entity is also tied to model_studio.

Keyvalues

Name (targetname) <string>

The name that other entities refer to this entity by, via Inputs/Outputs or other keyvalues (e.g. parentname or target).
Also displayed in Hammer's 2D views and Entity Report.

See also: Generic Keyvalues, Inputs and Outputs available to all entities

World Model (model) <model path>

In-game 3D representation of the entity to display. This is the path to a MDL relative to the game's root directory. (128 character limit)

See also: Generic Keyvalues, Inputs and Outputs that all model entities have available

Flags

Not Solid : [1]

Inputs

SetSequence <stringRedirectInput/string>

Sets the cycler's sequence.

Trivia

Despite being intended for testing, the entity was used in Half-Life 2 for Noriko on the crane, then often used in Half-Life 2: Episode One (and once for Half-Life 2 (on Dark Energy) and Half-Life 2: Episode Two) for a Combine Advisor that appears on a screen (using point_camera entity).^[1]

See also

• cycler_actor - Special cycler entity for NPCs.
• cycler_blender
• cycler_flex
• cycler_weapon
• cycler_wreckage

References

References

1. Pinsplash, Explaining Half-Life 2 Facts (Part 2) - 4:13. YouTube.  1a. If you hit Noriko with an explosive, she'll start playing various animations. Every time she is hit, a new one starts. Noriko is a entity called a cycler, an entity which are used in Half-Life (Alpha) demo map. Despite prop entities like prop_dynamic are now present in Source engine, cyclers are continued to be used in Half-Life 2 twice (Noriko in Highway 17 and Combine Advisor in Dark Energy) and later in Half-Life 2: Episode One for several times and once in Half-Life 2: Episode Two for a Combine Advisor that appears on the screen. .