Editing Instances and Using Timers
Two things:
When I was stumbling along, making my first map I needed to edit an instance (the cube dropper) so that the background was the right texture to fit with the map. However, I accidentally replaced the original instead of saving it as something new. Is this going to come back and haunt me? What can I do to return it to its previous state? I've heard that you should never edit instances, but...
Secondly, I'm struggling with a timer on one of my maps. What I want to happen is that when you depress and unpress a button, the indicator lights light up and the timer begins and you have to press the other button within that time to activate a funnel, but I'm failing miserably. Can some one point me in the direction of a clear non-technical tutorial that can explain it for me? Thanks.
Incidentally, what's the difference between the wall and floor indicator light textures?
RU.
It won't really come back to haunt you except in maps you're still working on. You can always re-edit it and change the texture back.
Second: do you want the funnel to stay on forever after the two buttons are pressed? Or do you want the funnel only to stay on while both buttons are depressed and haven't yet reset?
And finally, there's absolutely no difference in Portal 2. It's a carry-over from Portal 1 where the indicator strips had different colored backgrounds.
Now with 100% more inline comments!
Thanks. What I want to happen is for the funnel to stay on (or in this case, switch direction) for ever. So:
- Press button 1 or 2
- Timer starts when button is unpressed
- Press other button
- Timer stops
- Funnel changes direction for an indefinate time.
Wouldn't it make more sense for the button to have a key value that says it's on a timer (EDIT: delay before reset, and you may or may not want to enable Prevent fast reset), then fire your output on OnPressed, and negate it on OnButtonReset? Anyway, if you do do it that way, which is the easier way, I believe, then add an output for the first button that says to add one to a math counter OnPressed, and OnButtonReset to subtract one from it. Then, add an output for the other button saying OnPressed, add pne, and OnButtonReset, sibtract one, but dont put this button on a timer. The math counter should have a max value of two, so add an output to it saying OnHitMax, SetValueTest 1 to a logic branch. Add no other outputs to the math counter. Then, on the logic branch, add an output saying OnTrue, and then whatever your funnel inputs will be.
Additionally, if you want the funnel to change direction every time you do this two-button manoeuvre, then just change the SetValueTest input to ToggleTest, and add an output to the logic branch saying OnFalse to change the direction from the OnTrue value.
I have no idea if this is the most streamlined way of doing it (it probably isn't) and it's a lot simpler than I make it sound, but this should work.
I have been mapping for about a week. I understood none of what you just said.
I could upload the map in WIP as I have done it so far if you wanted to show me what you meant.
Tell you what, I'll just create a test map for you myself, that way we only have to send one file about the place. I'll have it done in a little bit. 
Sorry, I do have a problem with making things overly complicated.
Er, sorry I took to long, I got distracted, and... well, it's in the description. Check the "ohter files" section. I'm not sure how to fix the indicator lights, sorry.
There is one difference with indicator lights: you don't have to re-size them anymore.
What do you mean? I was talking about a problem where if the user presses the timer button, then the normal button, the timer indicator lights stay on until the timer resets, when all the other indicator lights have gone blue.
Thanks Rubrica. It occured to me is that you could set up a reverse version of your button timer if you wanted the reverse to work as well so pressing either button would start a timer.