func_combine_ball_spawner

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An energy ball pulled from a spawner (to the left). The ball spawners behind the soldiers use the same entity, with different settings.

func_combine_ball_spawner is a brush entity available in the following Source Source games or engine branches:
Half-Life 2 Half-Life 2Portal Portal and Portal 2 Portal 2. It's a brush that creates and contains prop_combine_balls. See the combine_ball_generator and combine_ballspawner prefabs for examples of uses.


In code, it is represented by theCFuncCombineBallSpawnerclass, defined in theprop_combine_ball.cppfile.

Flags

  • 4096: Start Inactive
  • 8192: Combine Power Supply
If set, balls will bounce as if in a power generator, like in d3_c17_10bHalf-Life 2 (Overwatch Nexus). If not set, they will behave like balls inside the pillars of light seen frequently in the Citadel.

Keyvalues

Ball count (ballcount) <integer>
How many balls will be bouncing around.
Min ball speed (minspeed) <float>
The minimum speed of balls.
Max ball speed (maxspeed) <float>
The maximum speed of balls.
Ball radius (ballradius) <float>
Controls the size of balls. Seems to only make smaller balls.
Note.pngNote:The balls appear normal size when grabbed with the super phys gun.
Ball Type (balltype) <choices>
Non-functional for this entity. All balls will spawn as the first type.
Ball Respawn Time (ballrespawntime) <float>
When balls explode (from being outside the field for too long) for an amount of time, wait this long until spawning new balls.
Note.pngNote:When set to -1 balls won't respawn if the combine power supply flag is checked.

Base:
Collisions (solid) <choices>
Method of collision for this entity.

Values:

  • 0: None
  • 1: BSP (QPhysics) !FGD
    Icon-Bug.pngBug:In Portal 2, if an entity using QPhysics collisions is hit by Gel, the game will crash!
  • 2: Bounding Box
  • 3: Oriented Bounding Box (Use for runtime spawned brush entities meant to be rotated) !FGD
  • 4: Oriented Bounding Box but constrained to Yaw only !FGD
  • 5: Custom/Test (Usually no collision with anything) !FGD
  • 6: VPhysics


Name (targetname) <string>
The name that other entities use to refer to this entity.
Parent (parentname) <targetname>
Maintain the same initial offset to this entity. An attachment point can also be used if separated by a comma at the end. (parentname [targetname],[attachment])
Tip.pngTip:Entities transition to the next map with their parents
Tip.pngTip:phys_constraint can be used as a workaround if parenting fails.
Origin (X Y Z) (origin) <coordinates>
The position of this entity's center in the world. Rotating entities typically rotate around their origin.
Note.pngNote:Hammer does not move the entities accordingly only in the editor.
Pitch Yaw Roll (X Y Z) (angles) <angle>
This entity's orientation in the world. Pitch is rotation around the Y axis, yaw is the rotation around the Z axis, roll is the rotation around the X axis.
Note.pngNote:This works on brush entities, although Hammer doesn't show the new angles.
Classname (classname) <string> !FGD
Determines the characteristics of the entity before it spawns.
Tip.pngTip:Changing this on runtime still has use, like making matching an entry in S_PreserveEnts will persist the entity on new rounds!
Flags (spawnflags) <integer> !FGD
Toggles exclusive features of an entity, its specific number is determined by the combination of flags added.
Effects (effects) <integer> !FGD
Combination of effect flags to use.
Entity Scripts (vscripts) <scriptlist> (in all games since Left 4 Dead 2) (also in Team Fortress 2)
Space delimited list of VScript files (without file extension) that are executed after all entities have spawned. The scripts are all executed in the same script scope, later ones overwriting any identical variables and functions. Scripts executed on the worldspawn entity will be placed in root scope.
Think function (thinkfunction) <string> (in all games since Left 4 Dead 2) (also in Team Fortress 2)
Name of the function within this entity's script that'll be called automatically every 100 milliseconds, or a user-defined interval if the function returns a number. Avoid expensive operations in this function, as it may cause performance problems.
Lag Compensation (LagCompensate) <boolean> (in all games since Left 4 Dead 2) !FGD
Set to Yes to lag compensate this entity. Should be used very sparingly!

Inputs

EnableDisable:

Enable
Disable
Enable/disable this entity from performing its task. It might also disappear from view.

Base:
AddContext <string>
Adds to the entity's list of response contexts. See Context.
AddOutput <string>
Assigns a new keyvalue/output on this entity. For keyvalues, some rely on extra necessary code to be ran and won't work if its simply just changed through this input. There is a strict format that must be followed:
// Format of changing KeyValues: "AddOutput [key] [value]"
//// Raw text:
"OnUser1" "!self,AddOutput,targetname new_name"

// Format of adding an Output: "AddOutput {targetname}:{inputname}:{parameter}:{delay}:{max times to fire, -1 means infinite}"
//// Raw text:
"OnUser1" "!self,AddOutput,OnUser1:SetParent:!activator:0.0:-1"
// Arguments can be left blank, but the empty blank should still be contained.
//// Raw text:
"OnUser1" "!self,AddOutput,OnUser1:ClearParent::0.0:-1"
ClearContext
Removes all contexts from this entity's list.
ClearParent
Removes this entity from the the movement hierarchy, leaving it free to move independently.
FireUser1 to FireUser4
Fires the respectiveOnUseroutputs; see User Inputs and Outputs.
Kill
Removes this entity and any entities parented to it from the world.
KillHierarchy
Functions the same as Kill, although this entity and any entities parented to it are killed on the same frame, being marginally faster thanKillinput.
RemoveContext <string>
Remove a context from this entity's list. The name should match the key of an existing context.
SetParent <string>
Move with this entity. See Entity Hierarchy (parenting).
SetParentAttachment <string>
Change this entity to attach to a specific attachment point on its parent. The entity will teleport so that the position of its root bone matches that of the attachment. Entities must be parented before being sent this input.
SetParentAttachmentMaintainOffset <string>
As above, but without teleporting. The entity retains its position relative to the attachment at the time of the input being received.
Use  !FGD
Same as a player invoking +use; no effect in most cases.
DispatchResponse <string> !FGD
Dispatches a response to the entity. See Response and Concept.
DispatchEffect <string> (removed since Left 4 Dead) !FGD
Dispatches a special effect from the entity's origin; See also List of Client Effects. Replaced by the particle system since Left 4 Dead.
RunScriptFile <script> (in all games since Left 4 Dead 2) (also in Team Fortress 2)
Execute a VScript file from disk, without file extension. The script contents are merged with the script scope of the receiving entity.
RunScriptCode <string> (in all games since Left 4 Dead 2) (also in Team Fortress 2)
Execute a string of VScript source code in the scope of the entity receiving the input. String quotation may be needed when fired via console.
Icon-Bug.pngBug:In Hammer, using string arguments will corrupt the VMF file's structure, making the file unviewable for the next Hammer session.
Note.pngFix:Remove the string argument manually with a text editor.
Note.pngNote:Team Fortress 2 Backtick characters ` are replaced with quotation marks at runtime, allowing quotation marks to be used when normally not possible.
CallScriptFunction <string> (in all games since Left 4 Dead 2) (also in Team Fortress 2) !FGD
Calls a VScript function defined in the scope of the receiving entity.
TerminateScriptScope  (only in Team Fortress 2) !FGD
Destroys the script scope of the receving entity.
SetLocalOrigin <coordinates> (in all games since Alien Swarm) !FGD
Send this entity to a spot in the map. If the entity is parented to something, it will be offset from the parent by this amount.
SetLocalAngles <angles> (in all games since Alien Swarm) !FGD
Set this entity's angles.

Outputs

OnBallGrabbed
Fired when a ball is disrupted and considered outside the container, normally by punting or pulling with the gravity gun. !activator is the prop_combine_ball.
OnBallHitBottomSide
Fired when a ball hits the bottom of its container, then bounces back up.
OnBallHitTopSide
Fired when a ball hits the top of its container, then bounces back down.
OnBallReinserted
Fired when a ball re-enters the container.
OnFirstBallReinserted
Fired when there's only one ball (remaining), and it re-enters the container. Useful for re-powering something.
Note.pngNote:OnBallReinserted will also fire whenever this does.
OnLastBallGrabbed
Fired when there's only one ball (remaining), and it is disrupted.
Note.pngNote:OnBallGrabbed will also fire whenever this does.

Base:

OnUser1 to OnUser4
These outputs each fire in response to the firing of the like-numbered FireUser1 to FireUser4 Input; see User Inputs and Outputs.

See also