In this TUG, we’ll go through all the different ways you can enhance your game’s props. If you have any ideas for alternate prop interactions, please comment them below.
Introduction
Introduction to Prop Interactions
You might be wondering, what are Prop Interactions? Well, a Prop Interaction is a certain input that changes something, like a prop’s visibility, or a variable.
There are 4 properties of props that can be changed to make good Prop Interactions:
- Visibility
- Collision
- Damage
- Color
In the following sections, we will use these as well as other mechanics to explore Prop Interactions.
Input Methods
Before we make our Prop Interactions, we have to first visit the different ways to actually interact with the prop. The two main ways you can interact with a prop are through wires (including channels) and damaging the prop.
In most circumstances, you will be using either a button or a zone. These can be linked with the prop using either wires or channels. Using a trigger allows more complex interactions to occur, as it allows the player to code using blocks.
If you are using damaging, you would most likely be using channels. The issue with wires is that you would usually be sending the interaction back to the prop, so you would need an extra wire repeater, as you cannot connect a wire to the same thing twice.
Prop Interactions
Prop Toggling
Prop Toggling is quite simple to understand and use. It involves making props visible and invisible. This is the easiest Prop Interaction, as visibility is the only property that can directly be interacted with on channels (show and hide when receiving on _ ).
If you layer two props on top of each other, you can link them to turn off and on oppositely to each other. This creates the illusion of a prop changing state.
Examples:
- Arcade machine turning off and on (guide)
- Armor/Spacesuit being equipped and unequipped (guide)
- Bookshelf being emptied and refilled (guide)
- Food boxes being emptied and refilled (no guide)
Have any other guides? Post them in the comments!
Moving Props & Animations
Moving props is quite annoying. Gimkit does not have a system where you can change the position of a prop, so to create movement, you need a frame for every single position. The prop should only be active when a certain variable, let’s say “frame”, is equal to the frame’s id. If you want more movement, you need more props. If you’re moving multiple things at once, this can take up lots of space.
You can make animations with this. If you want a good explanation on animations, here’s a guide that explains it well.
Damaging Props & Damage Links
You can destroy props in Gimkit by damaging them. This sounds simple, but actually allows lots of cool ways to change your Gimkit game. If you give your prop collision and set up damaging, you can turn it into debris you have to clear, or a wall you have to break through. An example of this can be found here.
You can link these actions to events with what I call Damage Links. If you set up a channel that activates when the prop is destroyed, you can cause other things to happen.
Here are some examples of guides using Damage Links:
Conclusion
There are many ways to interact with props, from buttons to zones, from destruction to creation, you can change your game in so many ways. If you like props, then there's a poll below.- Idk they all are fine I guess
- They all suck! Use barriers!
- They all suck! Use emojis!
- The medieval stuff is cool
- plants.
- I like tables
- TV / Computer / Anything that has a screen
- The spacesuit cabinet
- Anything with food I’m hungry
- 3D Printer cuz it’s the first one
- Something else (Comment)
Also GimFish isn’t a prop don’t say that.