point_energy_ball_launcher
point_energy_ball_launcher
is a point entity available in the Portal series.
Entity description
It spawns and launches a prop_energy_ball periodically.

Keyvalues
- Ball Lifetime
(balllifetime)
<float>
- The time in seconds the ball will live before self-destructing. A negative value will give infinite life.
- Min life after portal transition
(minlifeafterportal)
<float>
- When energy balls created by this launcher pass through a portal and their life is refreshed to be this number at minimum.
- Ball count
(ballcount)
<integer>
- This is how many balls will be bouncing around inside the spawner
- Min ball speed
(minspeed)
<float>
- The minimum speed of balls that fly in the spawner
- Max ball speed
(maxspeed)
<float>
- The maximum speed of balls that fly in the spawner
- Ball radius
(ballradius)
<float>
- The radius of the energy balls
- Ball Type
(balltype)
<choices>
- Has no effect.
- Ball Respawn Time
(ballrespawntime)
<float>
- The energy balls respawn time
- Ball Bounces
(maxballbounces)
<integer>
(only in)
- Sets on which bounce the ball should explode. (Ported from HL2 combine balls)
- Ball Damage
(balldamage)
<float>
(only in)
- The amount of damage the ball should deal to players
- Ball explode player
(ballexplodeplayer)
<boolean>
(only in)
- Sets if the ball should explode on player contact or ignore the player
- Ball body material override
(ballmaterial1)
<material>
(only in)
- Override the main ball material.
- Ball flicker material override
(ballmaterial2)
<material>
(only in)
- Overrides the other ball material.
- Ball knockback multiplier
(ballknockback)
<float>
(only in)
Base:
- Classname
(classname)
<string>
- The classname defines the type of entity. Classnames can be changed using
AddOutput
, which will influence how the engine deals with the entity in certain circumstances. - Name
(targetname)
<string>
- The name that other entities refer to this entity by.
- Global Entity Name
(globalname)
<string>
- Name by which this entity is linked to another entity in a different map. When the player transitions to a new map, entities in the new map with globalnames matching entities in the previous map will have the previous map's state copied over their state.
- Parent
(parentname)
<targetname>
- Specifies a movement parent. An entity will maintain its initial offset from its parent. An attachment point can be added to the end of the name, separated by a comma. Every entity can be parented, even point entities. Entities which are parented will be forced to transition to the next map, such as from a
trigger_transition
. Some entities which aren't intended to be parented may not function correctly.phys_constraint
can be used as a workaround to parenting. - Origin (X Y Z)
(origin)
<coordinates>
- The position of this entity's center in the world. Rotating entities typically rotate around their origin.
- 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: This works on brush entities, although Hammer doesn't show the new angles.
- Flags
(spawnflags)
<integer>
- Toggles features of an entity, its specific number is determined by the combination of flags added.
- Response Contexts
(ResponseContext)
<string>
- Pre-defined response system contexts for this entity. Format is
key:value,key:value,...
. Contexts may be filtered. - Effects
(effects)
<integer>
!FGD - Combination of effect flags to use.
- Local Time
(ltime)
<float>
!FGD - The local time of the entity, independent of the global clock. Used mainly for physics calculations.
- Next Think
(nextthink)
<float>
!FGD - Amount of time before the entity thinks again.
- Hammer ID
(hammerid)
<integer>
!FGD - The entity's Hammer ID. Mainly used by plugins and debugging commands, such as
ent_keyvalue
. Can be manually assigned with the "hammerid" or "id" keyvalue. Entities spawned at run-time are not assigned any Hammer ID. - Disable for Xbox 360
(disableX360)
<boolean>
(in all games since) !FGD
- If Yes, disables this entity on the Xbox 360 version of Source.
- Entity Scripts
(vscripts)
<scriptlist>
(in all games since)
- 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.
- Script think function
(thinkfunction)
<string>
(in all games since)
- Name of a function in this entity's script which will be called automatically every 100 milliseconds (ten times a second) for the duration of the script. It can be used to create timers or to simulate autonomous behavior. The return value (if present) will set the time until the next call. Try to avoid expensive operations in this function, as it may cause performance problems.
- Lag Compensation
(LagCompensate)
<boolean>
(in all games since) !FGD
- Set to Yes to lag compensate this entity. Should be used very sparingly!
Flags
Inputs
BallCaught
(in all games since)
- Ball this launcher created was 'caught'.
LaunchBall
Enable
- Enable spawning of combine balls
Disable
- Disable spawning of combine balls
Base:
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 thanKill
. 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.
ClearParent
- Removes this entity from the the movement hierarchy, leaving it free to move independently.
AddOutput
<string>
- Evaluates a keyvalue/output on this entity.
Format:<key> <value>
Format:<output name> <targetname>:<inputname>:<parameter>:<delay>:<max times to fire, -1 means infinite>
FireUser1
toFireUser4
- Fire the
OnUser
outputs; see User Inputs and Outputs. Use
!FGD- Same as a player invoking +use; may not do anything. Can also be invoked by creating an output that does not specify an input.
This input is not included in Valve's FGDs. DispatchEffect
<string>
(removed in) !FGD
- Dispatches a special effect from the entity's origin. Removed and replaced entirely by the particle system since
.
DispatchResponse
<string>
!FGD- Dispatches a response to the entity. See Response and Concept.
AddContext
<string>
- Adds to the entity's list of response contexts. Format is
<key>:<value>
. RemoveContext
<string>
- Remove a context from this entity's list. The name should match the key of an existing context.
ClearContext
<string>
- Removes all contexts from this entity's list.
RunScriptFile
<script>
(in all games since)
- 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)
- 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.
Bug: In
, the code is executed in the script scope of the entity that fires the output, not the one receiving the input.
Warning: Never try to pass string parameters to a script function with this input. It will corrupt the VMF structure because of the nested quotation marks, which then must be removed manually with a text editor.
CallScriptFunction
<string>
(in all games since) !FGD
- Execute a VScript function in the scope of the receiving entity.
SetLocalOrigin
<coordinates>
(in all games since) !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) !FGD
- Set this entity's angles.
Outputs
OnBallCaught
(in all games since)
- Fired when a ball this entity has launched has been 'caught'.
OnPostSpawnBall
- Fired after the ball has spawned.
OnBallGrabbed
- Fired when a combine ball is grabbed from the field by a mega physcannon
OnBallReinserted
- Fired when a combine ball is reinserted into the field (only gets triggered when Combine Power supply is checked)
OnBallHitTopSide
- Fired when a combine ball in hits the top side of the field (only gets triggered when Combine Power supply is checked)
OnBallHitBottomSide
- Fired when a combine ball in hits the bottom side of the field (only gets triggered when Combine Power supply is checked)
OnLastBallGrabbed
- Fired when the last combine ball is grabbed from the field by a mega physcannon
OnFirstBallReinserted
- Fired when the first combine ball is reinserted into the field (only gets triggered when Combine Power supply is checked)
Base:
OnUser1
toOnUser4
- These outputs each fire in response to the firing of the like-numbered
FireUser1
toFireUser4
Input; see User Inputs and Outputs.