Able Ability System Info and Support Thread

[intoxicat3]

Thank for info!

How I can get CurrentTime from running passive abilities (GetCurrentPassiveAbilities) - I would like to show TimeRatio in my HUD, and I don't have context there to get time ratio...

[intoxicat3]

There is an crash without call stack unfortunately

- Use SetShaderParameter on Active Ability,
- Use SetShaderParameter on Passive Ability,
- Run Active Ability - check if shader changes (eg. color), then activate passive ability with the same shader param name,

[ExtraLifeMatt]

Thank for info!

How I can get CurrentTime from running passive abilities (GetCurrentPassiveAbilities) - I would like to show TimeRatio in my HUD, and I don't have context there to get time ratio...

AblAbilityComponent::GetCurrentPassiveAbilities()
For Each Passive:
AblAbilityComponent::GetAbilityCooldownRatio (only takes in an Ability, doesn't require a context).

There is an crash without call stack unfortunately

- Use SetShaderParameter on Active Ability,
- Use SetShaderParameter on Passive Ability,
- Run Active Ability - check if shader changes (eg. color), then activate passive ability with the same shader param name,

Unfortunately, without a callstack it's hard to tell what's going on. Odds are you have an invalid shader parameter (or it could be something completely unrelated - need a callstack to figure out for sure).

[intoxicat3]

AblAbilityComponent::GetCurrentPassiveAbilities()
For Each Passive:
AblAbilityComponent::GetAbilityCooldownRatio (only takes in an Ability, doesn't require a context).

yes but I don't want to get Cooldown, but CurrentTime for Ability. I need to know TimeRatio for specific Ability.

As for crash - will try to figure this out.

[ExtraLifeMatt]

yes but I don't want to get Cooldown, but CurrentTime for Ability. I need to know TimeRatio for specific Ability.

As for crash - will try to figure this out.

Ah, I see. Yea, there's no way to currently get that value (you could easily add it though). I'll put it on my list.

[intoxicat3]

you could easily add it though

Can you help? Basically Times need Context and when I create Context it creates "new ability" so can't get actual running time for passive ability.

[ExtraLifeMatt]

Can you help? Basically Times need Context and when I create Context it creates "new ability" so can't get actual running time for passive ability.

PM'd you the required changes.

[George.Xiao]

I found another bug and fix it like picture show.

[George.Xiao]

Hi, I found a bug when i use custom task function, i create a custom task and added to ability, then i modify custom task code and recompile, if i open the ability at this time, it will cause crash or disable the task in ability. Picture show the crash code and reason.

[ExtraLifeMatt]

Hi, I found a bug when i use custom task function, i create a custom task and added to ability, then i modify custom task code and recompile, if i open the ability at this time, it will cause crash or disable the task in ability. Picture show the crash code and reason.

I'll add a check there to fix the crash and remove any null ptrs. UE4 can be a bit finicky when it comes to referencing a blueprint that then gets recompiled and thus the class changes.

Thanks for the report!

[jimmay.10]

Matt,

1. Can you make your AI decorators and tasks be able to take blackboard keys that specify the ability, rather than having to specify the exact ability in the behavior tree? If I'm using various AIs that share a behavior tree, but have different abilities for their attacks, I need to be able to push those into the tree.

2. Can you provide a map of values I can push into the ability context that I can pull out later in callback methods on the ability? Again, it's helpful to setup some ability functionality and then pass specific data on creation that is evaluated on execution.

Thanks

[Kuro_Dev]

Idk if this has been asked before but would it be possible to have an ability that holds all the animations, collisions, etc. and depending on the button input switches between the animations. As an example say I have a light attack combo right, that has different cancel windows that leads to a different combo from each cancel would it be possible to hold all of that in a single ability or would I have to make a separate ability per move?

[ExtraLifeMatt]

Idk if this has been asked before but would it be possible to have an ability that holds all the animations, collisions, etc. and depending on the button input switches between the animations. As an example say I have a light attack combo right, that has different cancel windows that leads to a different combo from each cancel would it be possible to hold all of that in a single ability or would I have to make a separate ability per move?

You would make individual Abilities and then link them using Branch actions. So, a typical combo chain would look like: Light Attack 1 -> Light Attack 2 -> Light Attack 3 -> Heavy Attack/Flourish

So that's 4 separate Abilities, each with their collision/animation/sounds/effects, and you just link them with some input on the Branch check (input, a game stat of some sort, or whatever you need).

Having all that info in one HUGE ability would be really cumbersome to work with (or let's say you wanted to remove Light Attack 3 or replace it with something else - you'd have to redo the entire thing).

[George.Xiao]

Hmmm... I don't see you specifying a blend time in there, I assume Play Montage is just defaulting to some blend. I'll investigate.

Hi, Happy new year!
I finally found the problem, and fixed it like picture show. Hope you can also fixed it at next update, thanks! By the way, I give you a suggest, you can add a "IsEnable" option in Task base class, so that we can iteration our ability more easy, Not delete it, Hmmm.. , not so good, add it agian, Oh, god, my option must redo. Just a suggest.

[ExtraLifeMatt]

Hi, Happy new year!
I finally found the problem, and fixed it like picture show. Hope you can also fixed it at next update, thanks! By the way, I give you a suggest, you can add a "IsEnable" option in Task base class, so that we can iteration our ability more easy, Not delete it, Hmmm.. , not so good, add it agian, Oh, god, my option must redo. Just a suggest.

What did that fix for you? If you're already in AnimationBlueprint mode, then setting it again shouldn't do anything. Basically the check you added is in the SetAnimationMode method anyway.

Also, I purposely didn't add an IsEnabled option because I've worked with similar systems and you end up with large amounts of disabled Tasks because Designers will see no benefit to deleting the task ("Well, maybe I'll use it again some day?"). Which means you have just useless data you are iterating through every time you go to launch an Ability which is just wasted time. I opted for forcing deleting so that Abilities were clean and as lean as possible.