Func instance parms

Template:Point ent When placed inside an instance, it handles conversion between $parameters and the properties of other entities in the instance.

Note: As of recent updates, this entity is now available in Team Fortress 2.

KeyValues

parm1 ([todo internal name (i)]) to parm10 <instance_parm>

This is a parameter. It goes in the form of $variable type [default value].

$variable: The $name can be anything and then used as a KeyValue for an entity within the instance. For example, it can be $beamcolor. In turn, $beamcolor is used as the value for the color property (instead of the standard "255 255 255" value) of a prop_static entity, appropriately a metal crossbeam model.

type: It is a value type that is selected from a list. The value type for $beamcolor is color1.

Note:It is currently assumed that the type matches the keyvalue that it represents. This will require more testing in order to confirm that.

• angle
• angle_negative_pitch
• axis
• boolean
• choices
• color1
• color255
• decal
• filterclass
• flags
• float
• instance_file
• instance_parm
• instance_variable
• integer
• material
• node_dest
• node_id
• npcclass
• origin
• particlesystem
• pointentityclass
• scene
• script
• scriptlist
• side
• sidelist
• sound
• sprite
• string
• string_instanced
• studio
• target_destination
• target_name_or_class
• target_source
• vecline
• vector

[default value]: The default value of the value type. In the case of value type color1, the default value is 255 255 255.

Warning: If using a targetname variable, Hammer will add the fix-up name to the variable wherever it's used, i.e. myinstance-$variable

Usage

Alien Swarm SDK has great examples of the use of func_instance_parms in instances. Some instances containing func_instance_parms are used in mapsrc/ASI-Jac1-LandingBay_01.vmf:

• mapsrc/instances/railings_80square.vmf
• mapsrc/instances/landingbay_door_unlocked_01.vmf
• mapsrc/instances/spawners/floor_spawn_holdout01.vmf

One such case is railings_80square.vmf. It is a complex set of models that are placed repeatedly throughout the map with varying colors. func_instance_parms is added to the actual VMF/map file that contains the prefab (i.e. treated as an instance) and can "pass along" parameters to any func_instance that refers to it. In other words, each func_instance that refers to that VMF/map file containing the model set can have a different color set up.

See also

• func_instance
• func_instance_io_proxy - Entity that is used as a proxy for entity I/O within instances.
• func_instance_origin - Helper entity that defines the center point of an instance.