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Extensions Entity

scripts/vscripts/alyxlib/extensions/entity.lua

Methods

GetChildrenMemSafe

Gets the entities parented to this entity. Including children of children.

This is a memory safe version of GetChildren which causes a memory leak when called. If you need to get children often you should use this function instead.

CBaseEntity:GetChildrenMemSafe()

Returns - EntityHandle[]

IterateChildren

Returns a function that iterates over all children of this entity. The function returns the next child every time it is called until no more children exist, in which case nil is returned.

Useful in for loops:

Example 
for child in thisEntity:IterateChildren() do
    print(entstr(child))
end

This function is memory safe.

CBaseEntity:IterateChildren()

Returns - function The new iterator function

IterateChildrenBreadthFirst

Returns a function that iterates over all children of this entity in breadth-first order. The function returns the next child every time it is called until no more children exist, in which case nil is returned.

Useful in for loops:

Example 
for child in thisEntity:IterateChildrenBreadthFirst() do
    print(entstr(child))
end

Unlike IterateChildren, this visits all immediate children first, then their children, and so on.

This function is memory safe.

CBaseEntity:IterateChildrenBreadthFirst()

Returns - function The new iterator function

GetTopChildren

Gets the top level entities parented to this entity. Not children of children.

This function is memory safe.

CBaseEntity:GetTopChildren()

Returns - EntityHandle[]

EntFire

Sends an input to this entity.

CBaseEntity:EntFire(action, value, delay, activator, caller)

Parameters

  • action
    string
    Input name
  • value (optional)
    any
    Parameter override for the input
  • delay (optional)
    number
    Delay in seconds
  • activator (optional)
    EntityHandle
    IO activator
  • caller (optional)
    EntityHandle
    IO caller

GetFirstChildWithClassname

Gets the first child in this entity's hierarchy with a given classname. Searches using breadth-first traversal, so it finds the closest matching child first.

This function is memory safe.

CBaseEntity:GetFirstChildWithClassname(classname)

Parameters

  • classname
    string
    Classname to search for

Returns - EntityHandle? The first matching child found, or nil if none exists

GetFirstChildWithName

Get the first child in this entity's hierarchy with a given name. Searches using breadth-first traversal, so it finds the closest matching child first.

This function is memory safe.

CBaseEntity:GetFirstChildWithName(name)

Parameters

  • name
    string
    Targetname to search for

Returns - EntityHandle? The first matching child found, or nil if none exists

SetQAngle

Sets entity pitch, yaw, roll from a QAngle.

CBaseEntity:SetQAngle(qangle)

Parameters

  • qangle
    QAngle
    The QAngle rotation to set

SetLocalQAngle

Sets entity local pitch, yaw, roll from a QAngle.

CBaseEntity:SetLocalQAngle(qangle)

Parameters

  • qangle
    QAngle
    The QAngle rotation to set

SetAngle

Sets entity pitch, yaw or roll. Supply nil for any parameter to leave it unchanged.

CBaseEntity:SetAngle(pitch, yaw, roll)

Parameters

  • pitch (optional)
    number
    Pitch angle
  • yaw (optional)
    number
    Yaw angle
  • roll (optional)
    number
    Roll angle

ResetLocal

Resets local origin and angles to (0, 0, 0).

CBaseEntity:ResetLocal()

GetSize

Gets the bounding size of the entity.

CBaseEntity:GetSize()

Returns - Vector Bounding size of the entity as a Vector

GetBiggestBounding

Gets the biggest bounding box axis of the entity. This will be either size.x, size.y or size.z.

CBaseEntity:GetBiggestBounding()

Returns - number The largest bounding value

GetRadius

Gets the radius of the entity's bounding box. This is half the size of the bounding box along its largest axis.

CBaseEntity:GetRadius()

Returns - number The bounding radius value

GetVolume

Gets the volume of the entity bounds in cubic inches.

CBaseEntity:GetVolume()

Returns - number The volume of the entity bounds

GetBoundingCorners

Gets each corner of the entity's bounding box.

CBaseEntity:GetBoundingCorners(rotated)

Parameters

  • rotated (optional)
    boolean
    If true, corners are rotated by the entity's angles

Returns - Vector[] List of 8 corner positions

IsWithinBounds

Checks if entity is within the given worldspace bounds.

CBaseEntity:IsWithinBounds(mins, maxs, checkEntityBounds)

Parameters

  • mins
    Vector
    Worldspace minimum vector for the bounds
  • maxs
    Vector
    Worldspace maximum vector for the bounds
  • checkEntityBounds (optional)
    boolean
    If true the entity bounding box will be used for the check instead of its origin

Returns - boolean true if the entity is within the bounds, false otherwise.

DisablePickup

Sends the DisablePickup input to the entity.

CBaseEntity:DisablePickup()

EnablePickup

Sends the EnablePickup input to the entity.

CBaseEntity:EnablePickup()

Delay

Delays some code, using this entity as the context.

CBaseEntity:Delay(func, delay)

Parameters

  • func
    function
    The function to delay
  • delay (optional)
    number
    Delay in seconds (default 0)

GetParents

Gets all parents in the hierarchy upwards, from immediate parent up to the root.

CBaseEntity:GetParents()

Returns - EntityHandle[] List of parent entities

DoNotDrop

Sets if the prop is not allowed to be dropped. Only works for physics based props.

CBaseEntity:DoNotDrop(enabled)

Parameters

  • enabled
    boolean
    true if the prop is not allowed to be dropped

GetCriteria

Gets all criteria for this entity as a table.

CBaseEntity:GetCriteria()

Returns - CriteriaTable Criteria key-value pairs

GetOwnedEntities

Gets all entities owned by this entity.

Note: This searches all entities in the map and should be used sparingly.

CBaseEntity:GetOwnedEntities()

Returns - EntityHandle[] List of owned entities

SetRenderAlphaAll

Sets the alpha modulation of this entity, plus any children that support SetRenderAlpha.

CBaseModelEntity:SetRenderAlphaAll(alpha)

Parameters

  • alpha
    integer
    Alpha value (0 = fully transparent, 255 = fully opaque)

SetCenter

Moves the entity so that its center is at the given position.

CBaseEntity:SetCenter(position)

Parameters

  • position
    Vector
    The new center position

SetOriginByAttachment

Sets the entity's origin so that the specified attachment point aligns with the given world position.

CBaseAnimating:SetOriginByAttachment(position, attachment)

Parameters

  • position
    Vector
    The target world position for the attachment point
  • attachment
    string
    The name of the attachment point to align

TrackProperty

Tracks a property function and calls a callback when a change is detected.

-- Make entity fully opaque if alpha is ever detected below 255

thisEntity:TrackProperty(thisEntity.GetRenderAlpha, function(prevValue, newValue) if newValue < 255 then thisEntity:SetRenderAlpha(255) end end)

CBaseEntity:TrackProperty(propertyFunction, onChangeFunction, interval, context)

Parameters

  • propertyFunction
    function
    Property function to track
  • onChangeFunction
    function
    Function to call when a change is detected
  • interval (optional)
    number
    Think interval (default: 0)
  • context (optional)
    EntityHandle
    Entity to run the thinker on, or the calling entity if nil

Returns - string The name of the think for stopping later

UntrackProperty

Untracks a property function which was set to be tracked using TrackProperty.

CBaseEntity:UntrackProperty(propertyFunction)

Parameters

  • propertyFunction
    function
    Property function to untrack

QuickThink

Quickly starts a think function on the entity with a random name.

CBaseEntity:QuickThink(func, delay)

Parameters

  • func
    function
    The think function
  • delay (optional)
    number
    Delay before starting the think (default: 0)

Returns - string The name of the think for stopping later if desired

SetRenderingEnabled

Sets whether the entity is rendered or not.

CBaseEntity:SetRenderingEnabled(renderingEnabled)

Parameters

  • renderingEnabled
    boolean
    true to enable rendering, false to disable

SetCastShadow

Sets whether the entity casts a shadow or not.

CBaseEntity:SetCastShadow(shadowEnabled)

Parameters

  • shadowEnabled
    boolean
    true to enable shadow casting, false to disable

DistanceFromEyes

Gets the position in front of the entity’s eyes at the specified distance.

CBaseEntity:DistanceFromEyes(distance)

Parameters

  • distance
    number
    How far in front of the eyes

Returns - Vector The world position in front of the eyes

GetAttachmentNameOrigin

Gets the world origin position of a named attachment point.

CBaseAnimating:GetAttachmentNameOrigin(name)

Parameters

  • name
    string
    The name of the attachment

Returns - Vector The world position of the attachment

GetAttachmentNameAngles

Gets the world angles (rotation) of a named attachment point.

CBaseAnimating:GetAttachmentNameAngles(name)

Parameters

  • name
    string
    The name of the attachment

Returns - Vector The world rotation angles of the attachment

GetAttachmentNameForward

Gets the forward direction vector of a named attachment.

CBaseAnimating:GetAttachmentNameForward(name)

Parameters

  • name
    string
    The name of the attachment

Returns - Vector The forward unit vector of the attachment in world space

ClearParent

Unparents this entity if it is parented.

CBaseEntity:ClearParent()

SetAbsVelocity

Sets the absolute world velocity of the entity.

CBaseEntity:SetAbsVelocity(velocity)

Parameters

  • velocity
    Vector
    The target velocity in units/second

OBBvsOBB

Tests if the OBB of this entity intersects with the OBB of another entity.

CBaseEntity:OBBvsOBB(other)

Parameters

  • other
    EntityHandle
    The other entity

Returns - boolean true if the OBB of this entity intersects with the OBB of the other entity

AABBvsOBB

Tests if the AABB of this entity intersects with the OBB of another entity.

The AABB is defined by the entity's bounding mins/maxs and its current origin/angles.

CBaseEntity:AABBvsOBB(other)

Parameters

  • other
    EntityHandle
    The other entity

Returns - boolean true if the AABB of this entity intersects with the OBB of the other entity

AABBvsAABB

Tests if the AABB of this entity intersects with the AABB of another entity.

The AABB is defined by the entity's bounding mins/maxs and its current origin/angles.

CBaseEntity:AABBvsAABB(other)

Parameters

  • other
    EntityHandle
    The other entity

Returns - boolean true if the AABB of this entity intersects with the AABB of the other entity