Oblivion Mod:Cobl/Modding/Inventory Tracking
< Mod / Oblivion: Oblivion Mod: Cobl: Mods ! Modding ! ProjectsBackgroundEdit
COBL's Inventory Tracking provides an easy way for modders to monitor changes in the player's inventory, essentially creating OnPickup/Drop Item type blocks. This is currently used by the Keychain mod to move any keys the player picks up to the keychain (a remote container). It could also be used to automatically determine whether the loot the player just picked up is worth keeping or should be trashed, automatically equip better armour, or continuously supply arrows as the player runs out.
RequirementsEdit
The player will need OBSE (>= v.0012) and Pluggy (>= v56) to use the Inventory Tracker.
SpecificsEdit
The Inventory Tracker scans the player's inventory every 2 seconds. If the contents have changed since the last scan, the change (item's base reference, count, etc.) is marked on the appropriate list. There are, currently, 5 lists that can be broken down into 2 categories:
- Gains
- Increased items - Player has more of these items since the last scan. Marks the items' base references and changes in count.
- Added items - Items that the player didn't have in the last scan. Marks the items' base references.
- New items - Items that the player has never had before (based on BaseID). Marks the items' base references.
- Loses
- Decreased items - Player has fewer of these items since the last scan. Marks the items' base references and changes in count.
- Removed items - Player has lost the entire stack of these items. Marks the items' base references.
ExampleEdit
The player has 5 Iron Arrows, 1 Iron Cuirass, and 50 Gold. Inventory tracking is initialized, makes the first scan, and the lists are updated:
Increased - 5 Iron Arrows, 1 Iron Cuirass, 50 Gold Added - Iron Arrows, Iron Cuirass, Gold New - Iron Arrows, Iron Cuirass, Gold
The player doesn't do anything for the next 2 seconds, IT makes the second scan, and updates the lists:
No changes
The player picks up 20 Gold, 1 Leather Cuirass, drops the Iron Cuirass and 2 Iron Arrows, IT makes the third scan and updates the lists:
Increased - 20 Gold, 1 Leather Cuirass Added - Leather Cuirass New - Leather Cuirass Decreased - 2 Iron Arrows, 1 Iron Cuirass Added - Iron Cuirass
Finally, the player picks up the Iron Cuirass again, IT makes the fourth scan and updates the lists:
Increased - 1 Iron Cuirass Added - Iron Cuirass
Taking requestsEdit
If you'd like the Inventory Tracking to do something else, post it in this section and I'll see what I can do.
Eat/Drink listEdit
A list of ingredients and potions that the player has eaten or drunk. As of now, the Remove list is indiscriminate about how the item was removed and all of the various methods (via script, dropping the item, selling the item, or eating the item, etc.) are treated the same way.
As of now, I'm thinking this would be a single list and you'd need to use IsFood, IsIngredient, and IsAlchemyItem to determine whether it's food or drink.
Quick GuideEdit
Initialize the systemEdit
- Write down an EditorID from your mod - anything except Globals will work
- Create a quest with the name of your choice
- Mark it as "Start Game Enabled"
- Create this quest script (replace the ---s with the name of your quest)
scn ---Script long Warning begin GameMode SetStage --- 0 if (Warning == 0) set Warning to 1 messagebox "You need COBL v1.35 or later in order to use this mod. Please visit http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=OblivionMods.Detail&id=3508 for more information and the download." return endif if (Warning == -1) ;Start a quest (see next step), add items, enable objects, etc. to get the player started with your mod StopQuest --- endif end - Attach the quest script to "YourQuest"
- Goto the Quest Stages tab
- Create a new stage, leave the index as 0
- Create a new Log Entry (don't worry - it won't pop up, it's just needed for the Result Script)
- Paste this in the Result Script box
set cobInvTrackingInitFAR.rInUse to AnyRefFromYourMod ;Use the EditorID that you wrote down earlier
;set cobInvTrackingFAR.RunInCombat to 1 ;If you'd like Inventory Tracking to run during combat
cobInvTrackingInitFAR.Activate cobGenActRef, 1
if (cobInvTrackingInit > 1)
set Warning to -1
endifUsing the listsEdit
I suggest using a quest as it will run all the time. You can use an object, but to be safe make sure it's always running (use the "Set" trick - set a variable on itself in GameMode and MenuMode).
- Create a quest with the name of your choice
- Choose which list you want to track
- Create this script: (where you see ---s, replace them with the appropriate name of the list - New, Add, Remove, Inc, or Dec)
scn YourQuestScript float fQuestDelayTime long ScanNumber long iChange ref rItem begin GameMode set fQuestDelayTime to 1.5 if (cobInvTracker.iScan != ScanNumber) set iChange to 0 Label if (iChange < cobInvTracker.---Changes) set rItem to (GetInArray cobInvTracker.a--- iChange) ;if you're using a list with a count, such as Increased or Decreased, check the Count array for the count ;set ItemCount to (GetInArray cobInvTracker.aIncCount iChange) ;Run your code, make checks, etc. set iChange to (iChange + 1) Goto endif set ScanNumber to cobInvTracker.iScan endif end ;Copy the GameMode block for MenuMode, with one special check to keep it from running while the Main Menu is open begin MenuMode if (MenuMode 1044) return endif set fQuestDelayTime to 1.5 if (cobInvTracker.iScan != ScanNumber) ... - Attach the script to the quest
Example from KeychainEdit
Initialization script
scn P1DkeyInitScript
;Checks and requirements
;COBL-ized
;need to activate using dummy ref instead of player
long Warning
long Warning2
begin GameMode
SetStage P1DkeyInit 0
if (Warning == 0)
set Warning to 1
messagebox "You need OBSE v0014a or higher in order to use the Keychain. Please visit http://obse.silverlock.org/ for more information and the download."
return
endif
if (Warning2 == 0)
set Warning2 to 1
messagebox "You need COBL v1.36 or later in order to use the Keychain. Please visit http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=OblivionMods.Detail&id=3508 for more information and the download."
return
endif
if (Warning == -1) && (Warning2 == -1)
StartQuest P1DkeyAdd
StopQuest P1DkeyInit
endif
end
;Result Script
;Stage 0 - Make sure the player has installed and is using OBSE >= 14 and COBL >= v1.36
;SetStage cobSigSE 0
;if (cobSigSE.Version > 13)
; set P1DkeyInit.Warning to -1
;endif
;
;set cobInvTrackingInitFAR.rInUse to P1DkeyChain
;cobInvTrackingInitFAR.Activate cobGenActRef, 1
;if (cobInvTrackingInit > 1)
; set P1DkeyInit.Warning2 to -1
;endif
Keychain script (The tracking is split across this and the following Hooking script)
scn P1DkeyChainScript
long IsInPlayerPossesion ;If not in player possesion, won't do anything
long ScanNumber ;Keeps track of the last inventory tracking scan
...
;Pick up new keys
begin MenuMode
if IsInPlayerPossesion
if (cobInvTracker.iScan != ScanNumber)
if (P1DkeyContainer02.GetScale == 1) ;Keychain is "Turned On"
if cobInvTracker.AddChanges
set P1DkeyHook.UseIT to 1
P1DkeyHook.Activate cobGenActRef, 1
endif
...
endif
set ScanNumber to cobInvTracker.iScan
endif
endif
end
begin GameMode
if IsInPlayerPossesion
if (cobInvTracker.iScan != ScanNumber)
if (P1DkeyContainer02.GetScale == 1) ;Keychain is "Turned On"
if cobInvTracker.AddChanges
set P1DkeyHook.UseIT to 1
P1DkeyHook.Activate cobGenActRef, 1
endif
...
endif
set ScanNumber to cobInvTracker.iScan
endif
endif
end
Hooking script
scn P1DkeyHookScript
long UseIT ;Use the inventory tracker
long iInv
ref rItem
long KeyCount
long StopSpam ;Used to stop message spam as the keys are taken from the player
begin onActivate
set iInv to 0
set StopSpam to 1
Label
if UseIT
if (iInv < cobInvTracker.AddChanges)
set rItem to (GetInArray cobInvTracker.aAdd iInv)
else
set rItem to 0
endif
else
set rItem to (player.GetInventoryObject iInv)
endif
if rItem
if (IsKey rItem)
if (rItem != P1DKeychain) ;...
set KeyCount to (player.GetItemCount rItem)
P1DkeyContainer02.AddItem rItem KeyCount
if StopSpam
set StopSpam to 0
if UseIT
Message " "
Message " "
else
message "Added loose keys to Keychain"
message "Added loose keys to Keychain"
endif
if MenuMode
con_ToggleMenus
endif
endif
player.RemoveItem rItem KeyCount
Label 1 ;An engine bug may require multiple RemoveItem calls
set KeyCount to (player.GetItemCount rItem)
if KeyCount
player.RemoveItem rItem KeyCount
Goto 1
endif
if UseIT
set iInv to (iInv + 1)
endif
...
endif
Goto
endif
if MenuMode
if (StopSpam == 0)
con_ToggleMenus
;Refresh inventory menu if necessary
player.EquipItem P1DKeychain
player.UnEquipItem P1DKeychain
endif
endif
;Reset inputs
if UseIT
set UseIT to 0
endif
end
AdvancedEdit
PluggyEdit
Pluggy is fairly unique, and I would suggest you read the Intro to Pluggy Arrays and keep the list of functions available as you read this.
Initializing the systemEdit
Use the script as in the Quick Guide. Here's a description of the various parts and options:
Registration SystemEdit
Inventory Tracking uses a registration system so it can shut itself down if the player de-activates your mod. Before you activate the Initializer, make sure to set its rInUse variable to a reference from your mod. The reference can be anything new in your mod: base object of an item, specific reference of an object or item that your mod places in the world, a quest, etc. (A specific example that won't work - if you edit a vanilla item, i.e., reduce the weight of a Silver Shortsword, the item is still from "Oblivion.esm" and won't work. If you make a new Silver Shortsword base object, that will work.)
Running in CombatEdit
By default, Inventory Tracking will stop while the player is in combat. If you need to track items in combat (i.e., lost arrows) then set the RunInCombat variable to 1 before activating the Initializer.
Version NumberEdit
cobInvTrackingInit can be thought of as a version number. Use the following guide to determine which version you need.
| Version | COBL version | Changes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | v1.35 | First version - do not use |
| 2 | v1.36 | Fixed a MenuMode bug, first usable version |
Some Background infoEdit
VariablesEdit
All of the variables that you'll be using are on the quest "cobInvTracker". They're on the script "cobInvTrackerQS" under the ";Global" section. You will need to refer to them as any other external quest variable and prefix the variable with "cobInvTracker.".
When does it run?Edit
Inventory Tracking runs during most of GameMode and MenuMode. It won't run while the player is in combat (unless it's been set to run during combat) and won't run during the Options menus or Messageboxes.
Using the listsEdit
Scan Index (cobInvTracker.iScan)Edit
The scan index is changed after every new scan. Note that it's changed, not necessarily increased. So the check should be
long ScanNumber
...
begin GameMode
if (cobInvTracker.iScan != ScanNumber)
;Check the lists for changes
set ScanNumber to cobInvTracker.iScan
endif
end
;Need the same for MenuMode as it continues to run
begin MenuMode
if (cobInvTracker.iScan != ScanNumber)
;Check the lists for changes
set ScanNumber to cobInvTracker.iScan
endif
end
- If this is on a quest, you can set "fQuestTimeDelay" to 1 or 1.5.
- You should also add a special part to the top of the MenuMode block to make sure it won't run during the Main Menu
...
begin MenuMode
if (MenuMode 1044)
return
endif
...
List UpdatesEdit
After every scan a "Changes" variable is updated for each list (AddChanges, RemoveChanges, etc.). This is the number of changes that occurred for each list. For the examples above
Scan 1
| List | Changes |
|---|---|
| Increased | 3 |
| Added | 3 |
| New | 3 |
| Decreased | 0 |
| Removed | 0 |
Scan 2
| List | Changes |
|---|---|
| Increased | 0 |
| Added | 0 |
| New | 0 |
| Decreased | 0 |
| Removed | 0 |
Scan 3
| List | Changes |
|---|---|
| Increased | 2 |
| Added | 1 |
| New | 1 |
| Decreased | 2 |
| Removed | 1 |
Scan 1
| List | Changes |
|---|---|
| Increased | 1 |
| Added | 1 |
| New | 0 |
| Decreased | 0 |
| Removed | 0 |
This number is very important! The arrays will not be "shrunk" after each scan. For instance, on the second scan (inventory doesn't change) the lists actually look like the first:
Increased - 5 Iron Arrows, 1 Iron Cuirass, 50 Gold Added - Iron Arrows, Iron Cuirass, Gold New - Iron Arrows, Iron Cuirass, Gold
However, the Changes variables will all be 0 so you should know that the lists should be ignored.
Use a check, such as
if (iInv < cobInvTracker.AddChanges)
to make sure you don't use information from old scans.
The listsEdit
The lists themselves are arrays. For instance, on the first scan they will look like this
Increased List
| Index | Item (from array aInc) | Count (from array aIncCount) |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Iron Arrow | 5 |
| 1 | Iron Cuirass | 1 |
| 2 | Gold | 50 |
Added List
| Index | Item (from array aAdd) |
|---|---|
| 0 | Iron Arrow |
| 1 | Iron Cuirass |
| 2 | Gold |
New List
| Index | Item (from array aNew) |
|---|---|
| 0 | Iron Arrow |
| 1 | Iron Cuirass |
| 2 | Gold |
Use the function GetInArray to retrieve the information.