cycler Last edited 3 months ago2024-09-11 07:06:14 UTC

cycler - Point Entity

The cycler entity is a model viewer of sorts. It places a model within the map which, when attacked, will cycle its animation.

Attributes

• Name (targetname) - Name is a general attribute used to identify entities.
• Pitch Yaw Roll (Y Z X) (angles) - Sets the pitch, yaw and roll angles of the model.
• Animation Sequence (editor) (sequence) - Sets the animation the model should start in. Setting this to anything other than 0 seems to place the cycler into its triggered mode (see notes).
• Model (model) - This defines which model file will be displayed by the entity. This accepts an input of the form path/filename.mdl (starting from the root folder). (Example: models/scientist.mdl).
• Render FX (renderfx) - Gives the model certain visual effects depending on Render Mode.
  • Normal (0) - No visual effects.
  • Slow Pulse (1) - Model slowly pulses with transparency. Faint.
  • Fast Pulse (2) - Model quickly pulses with transparency. Faint.
  • Slow Wide Pulse (3) - Model slowly pulses with transparency. Strong.
  • Fast Wide Pulse (4) - Model quickly pulses with transparency. Strong.
  • Slow Fade Away (5) - Seemingly unused.
  • Fast Fade Away (6) - Seemingly unused.
  • Slow Become Solid (7) - Seemingly unused.
  • Fast Become Solid (8) - Seemingly unused.
  • Slow Strobe (9) - A very slow strobe effect between visible and invisible.
  • Fast Strobe (10) - A medium strobe effect between visible and invisible.
  • Faster Strobe (11) - A very fast strobe effect between visible and invisible.
  • Slow Flicker (13) - Model flickers in and out of visibility.
  • Fast Flicker (13) - Model quickly flickers in and out of visibility.
  • Constant Glow (14) - No effect on models.
  • Distort (15) - Model has a slight fast pulsing of transparency, and occasionally translocates slightly. (Translocation visible with "Normal" Render Mode.)
  • Hologram (Distort + fade) (16) - Model has a slight fast pulsing of transparency, and occasionally translocates slightly. (Translocation visible with "Normal" Render Mode.) Model will fade with distance.
  • Bulge Sideways (18) - [undocumented] Animates model to become wide, which loops (frozen animation stays wide). Same effect as monster_gargantua dying.
  • Glow Shell (19) - [undocumented] Applies Quake-like aura effect to models. FX Color specifies the glow colour, and FX Amount specifies glow offset.
• Render Mode (rendermode) - Allows special rendering modes to be applied to the given entity.
  • Normal (0) - Standard rendering. Render FX and FX Amount will generally have no effect.
  • Color (1) - Allows model to become transparent.
  • Texture (2) - Allows model to become transparent.
  • Glow (3) - Allows model to become transparent.
  • Solid (4) - Allows model to become transparent.
  • Additive (5) - Renders the models additively (only brighten, i.e. black is fully transparent.) Allows model to become transparent.
• FX Amount (1 - 255) (renderamt) - In all but "Normal" Render Mode, alters how transparent the model is. Scales from 0 (invisible) to 255 (solid, normal).
• FX Color (R G B) (rendercolour) - No effect on models, except the colour of the aura on "Glow Shell" Render FX.
• Body (body) - [undocumented] Select the bodygroup combination. Use an external model viewer like Half-Life Asset Manager to get the exact value to use.
• Skin (skin) - [undocumented] Select the skin value.
• Frame (frame) - [undocumented] Sets how far along the sequence the entity spawns at (0.0-255.0)

Flags

This entity has no flags.

Notes

• Cycler entities that has a non-zero sequence or frame values spawn frozen. Probably intended for use as a statue. Surround the cycler model with an invisible func_wall to prevent accidentally stepping through the cycler animation.
• Triggering or pressing use on the cycler will freeze the model in its current animation. In this state, shooting the cycler will have it step through frames of the animation it was in. Triggering it or using it again will return it to its normal function.
• Doesn't survive a save-load cycle. [confirm?]
• Has human-sized collision, and bleeds with black particles and yellow (alien) blood decals.
• [25th Anniversary Update] Can be the speaker for a scripted_sentence.
• Given the way this entity behaves, there is little practical use for this entity beyond viewing animations (for which there are programs that are far more convenient).
• While it is tempting to use a cycler to display props, the fact that it has collision and hitbox, animation-stepping function, bleeds, and doesn't survive a save-load cycle, makes it a poor choice. Use some other entities like monster_furniture or env_sprite instead. You wouldn't be able to see the model in editor by default in case of the latter, but it does work. Or start with a cycler entity, then change the entity class when you're done.

See also

• Tutorial: Render Properties