Expression Editor Help

Best Answers

• dimsdale Posts: 499

  July 2012 Accepted Answer

  i think i might have found want i wanted in the new manual under Definitions.
  
  Thanks.
• tenrdrmer Posts: 9,934

  July 2012 Accepted Answer

  they are also listed here. http://cookbook.gamesalad.com/definitions
• MotherHoose Posts: 2,456

  July 2012 Accepted Answer

  for simple mathematical operations/manipulations of numbers
  … we code with symbols … + - * /
  
  for more complex mathematical operations we use the languageRoutines in functions
  
  unfortunately our GS Functions have the designated number to manipulate listed as
  x,y,z … and that has no relationship to the X Y or Z axis in Game Salad
  would have liked them with n, n1, n2 designations
  
  so when you see something like abs(x) appear in the expressionEditor
  you really want to replace the x with a selected attribute for numberValue … or a number
  EX: abs(game.Score) … for absolute score … i.e. a non-negative number
  
  often we use the functions to just display a value rather than changeAttribute
  
  basically one uses
  ceil(x) … which rounds up the selected attribute's number value
  floor(x) … which rounds down the selected attribute's number value
  EX: Display Text: floor(self.Position.X)
  
  random(min,max) … we can replace the min,max with actual numbers or selected attributes
  EX: changeAttribute: game.Random To: random(1,5)
  or: changeAttribute: game.Random To: random(1,tableRowCount(table))
  
  of course the functions for tables
  tableCellValue … table must be selected; row/col can be a number or attribute's value
  tableColCount … table must be selected
  tableRowCount … table must be selected
  
  magnitude … mag(x,y) … values most often are attributes
  vectorToAngle
  max(x,y)
  min(x,y)
  
  in general: play with some functions in Display Text and see what shows in Preview
  ==
  ignore the trigonometry functions … until you need or need to learn them
  (Trig is not hard … but the jargon can be confusing!)
  
  ignore the exponential functions … unless you need them
  
  precision … prec(x,y) is nice when you want to limit the number of decimal places in display
  
  playing with different things in Game Salad is fun!
  
  MH