Add Script Variable (addScriptVariableSim)

Table of Contents

• Adding a New Lua Script Variable
• How to Run the Example
  • Usage
• Classes
• Plugin Entry Points

The Add Script Variable example demonstrates the following:

• How to build a plugin module for the VR-Forces 3D Gui
• How to add a new scripted variable type to the script system
• How to reference this variable in a scripted task

Adding a New Lua Script Variable

The Add Script Variable example shows how to add a new scripted task or set variable to the script system, in this case a boolean list of values. It will show how to add the gui component as well as the component to transfer the data to/from reader/writer variables (which is the foundation of getting this information into lua scripts).

How to Run the Example

Usage

Since this example is loaded as a plugin, it will need to be enabled in the Launcher. In the Launcher, click the Plug-ins button to bring up the Plug-ins Selection dialog. Enable the plugin. To use this example you can load the add script variable toolkit developer example. This example has an entity with a plan that contains a task that uses the new 'Boolean List' variable type in that task. Or, you can create a new scenario with a scenario script that adds the 'Boolean List' variable type to a scripted task. See below on how to recreate the behavior.

To view the new behavior:

1. Start VR-Forces GUI and SIM.
2. Create a new Scenario - e.g. EntityLevel SMS on Ground_DB II terrain.
3. Create a new scripted task. Scripted tasks are accessed from the Simulation menu item - Simulation -> Scripts... Press New Script button within the Scripts dialog..
4. Add a new task parameter named "booleans" of 'Boolean List' scripted variable type.
5. Set a script Name and Edit the lua script for the scripted task

6. In the init method add lua code to loop over the table entries for the new 'Boolean List' variable and printWarn each entry.

     myBools = {}
   
     function init()
   
        myBools = table.copy(taskParameters.booleans)
   
        for index,value in pairs(myBools) do
           printWarn(value)
        end
   
        vrf:setTickPeriod(0.5)
   
     end
   

7. Press Add button within the Scripts dialog to add the new scripted task.
8. Close both the Edit script and the Scripts dialogs.
9. Create a new entity, bring up the entity information dialog and set the notify level to Warn.
10. Task the entity to perform the new scripted task and add a few boolean values to the 'Boolean List' task parameter.
11. The entity information dialog and the sim engine console window should display the boolean values

Classes

DtScriptedTaskRwBooleanListVariableConverter

The variable converter that converts to/from scripted task variable.

Plugin Entry Points

/*******************************************************************************
** Copyright (c) 2010 MAK Technologies, Inc.
** All rights reserved.
*******************************************************************************/

#include "vrfcgf/vrfPluginExtension.h"
#include <vrfutil/scriptedTaskVariable.h>
#include "booleanListConverter.h"

extern "C" {
   DT_VRF_DLL_PLUGIN void DtPluginInformation(DtVrfPluginInformation& info)
   {
      info.pluginName = "Add Script Variable Sim";
      info.pluginDescription = "Back-end plugin addition to add new boolean list script variable";
      info.pluginVersion = "1.00";
      info.pluginCreator = "MAK Technologies";
      info.pluginCreatorEmail = "sales@mak.com";
      info.pluginContactWebPage = "www.mak.com";
      info.pluginContactMailingAddress = "10 Fawcett Street, Suite 204, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA";
      info.pluginContactPhone = "(617) 876 8085";
   }

   DT_VRF_DLL_PLUGIN bool DtInitializeVrfPlugin(DtCgf* cgf)
   {
      DtScriptedTaskVariable::addConverter(MyScriptedTaskBooleanListVariable, new MyScriptedTaskRwBooleanListVariableConverter);

      return true;
   }
}