Wiremod.com Forums - Wiremod Tutorials http://www.wiremod.com/forum/ Post your wiremod tutorials/guides here. en Thu, 09 Sep 2010 12:05:46 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.wiremod.com/forum/images/vblue/misc/rss.png Wiremod.com Forums - Wiremod Tutorials http://www.wiremod.com/forum/ Laser Aimed Plate Tutorial http://www.wiremod.com/forum/wiremod-tutorials/22408-laser-aimed-plate-tutorial.html Sun, 05 Sep 2010 22:26:39 GMT ...]]> [Look below the video for the discription of how it works.]Here is my video on how to make a laser guided plate. WATCH IN HD> How it works: The subtract gates subtract the position of the plate(the GPS) from the X Y Z of where the laser is pointed. Then it applies thrust to the vector thruster in the direction of what the subtract gates found. Then it will follow wherever the laser is pointed! This is my first tutorial so bear with it. ]]> Wiremod Tutorials SodNoShirayuki http://www.wiremod.com/forum/wiremod-tutorials/22408-laser-aimed-plate-tutorial.html E2 HTTP functions - Usage and good practices. http://www.wiremod.com/forum/wiremod-tutorials/22376-e2-http-functions-usage-good-practices.html Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:00:45 GMT E2 HTTP functions allow you to retrieve online content with the HTTP protocol - a website (markup), .txt file, rss feed, etc. This opens new doors... E2 HTTP functions allow you to retrieve online content with the HTTP protocol - a website (markup), .txt file, rss feed, etc.

This opens new doors for all sorts of inventive, fun and dynamic expressions, but it's also your task as the coder to use them responsibly.

Usage:
Doing an HTTP request is (roughly) a 6-step process:

1. You set runOnHTTP(1) on your first() block statement.
Example:
Code:
    if(first()) {
        runOnHTTP(1)
    }
2. You check if you can make a request with httpCanRequest()
httpCanRequest() returns a number that tells you if you're allowed to make a new request at this moment, there's a default 3 second delay between HTTP requests to prevent abuse.

Example:
Code:
    if(httpCanRequest()) {
        httpRequest("www.wiremod.com")
    } else {
        print("Cannot request www.wiremod.com !")
    }
3. You make the request with httpRequest( string URL )
httpRequest( string URL ) takes a string of the URL (address) to request, the 'http://' prefix is optional. This function does not return anything.
Example:
Code:
httpRequest("http://www.wiremod.com")

4. You check that your request is ready with httpClk()
httpClk() returns a number (1) when the current execution was triggered by a request being completed.
Example:
Code:
    if(httpClk()) {
        print("Request complete!")
    }
5. (OPTIONAL) You check what URL request was completed with httpRequestUrl()
httpRequestUrl() returns a string with the URL of the request that was just completed.
Example:
Code:
    if(httpClk()) {
        RequestURL = httpRequestUrl()
        print("Request complete: "+RequestURL)
    }

6. The most important part, you retrieve the request's data, that is, a string with the contents of the page/file you requested, with httpData()
httpData() returns a string with the content you fetched.
Example:
Code:
    if(httpClk()) {
        RequestURL = httpRequestUrl()
        print("Request complete: "+RequestURL)
       
        Data = httpData()
        fileWrite("myfile.txt", Data)
        print("Data saved!")
    }


Notes and good practices:

1. HTTP requests are costly, and can take a considerable time to complete - you should avoid making too many consecutive requests, and above all, avoid redundant ones. The best way to prevent the latter is caching.
Note, this is an non-functional E2, and servers only as a proof of concept.
Example:
Code:
@name CacheTest
@persist CACHE:table

    # Note - this is an example, and not fully functional.
    if(first()) {
        runOnHTTP(1)
    }
   
    URL = "www.wiremod.com"
    if(CACHE[URL, string]) {
        # We have this page stored already.
        Page = CACHE[URL, string]
    } else {
        if(httpCanRequest()) {
            httpRequest(URL)
        } else {
            print("Cannot request at this time.")
            # Consider using a buffer to account for
            # limits, without losing requests.
        }
    }
   
    if(httpClk()) {
        GotURL = httpRequestUrl()
        Data = httpData()
        CACHE[GotURL, string] = Data
        print("Saved "+GotURL+" to the cache.")
    }


2. Strings retrieved from httpData() can be too huge to print.
Attempting to print a full string retrieved with httpData() may cause you to reach the umsg length limit. You can preview these strings by clamping their size:
Example:
Code:
if(httpClk()) {
        GotURL = httpRequestUrl()
        Data = httpData()
        print(Data:left(255))
    }


3. HTTP requests can timeout, if the target address cannot be reached. If httpData() returns an empty string, an error may have ocurred.
Note, this is an non-functional E2, and serves only as a proof of concept.
Example:
Code:
if(httpClk()) {
        GotURL = httpRequestUrl()
        Data = httpData()
        if(Data != "") {
Code:
print("Request complete!")
        } else {
            print("An error ocurred!")
      }
    }
4.If you're sending arbitrary strings as part of the URL, use the httpUrlEncode(string) function to properly encode it. The opposite can be achieved with httpUrlDecode()
Example:
Code:
MyString = "I do rather enjoy that smell, old chap!"
EncodedString = httpUrlEncode(MyString)
print(EncodedString)
# Output: I+do+rather+enjoy+that+smell%2C+old+chap%21


Snippets/Examples:

Building a GET key/value pair string dynamically:
Code:
    # Our base target url:
    URL = "http://www.somesite.com/killanator.php"
   
    # Our table with arguments and values:
    GET = table()
    GET["name", string] = "Filipe"
    GET["location", string] = "Portugal"
    GET["isalien", string] = "false"
   
    # 'Buffer' will hold our final key/value pairs string.
    Buffer = ""
    foreach(K, V:string = GET) {
        Buffer += format("%s=%s&", K, V)
    }
   
    # Some concatenation and...
    RequestUrl = URL + "?" + Buffer
    # Ta-ta!
    print(RequestUrl)
    # Output:
    # http://www.somesite.com/killanator.php?name=Filipe&location=Portugal&isalien=false&


Buffering and dynamically storing requests:

Code:
@persist STORAGE:table

    if(first()) {
        # For demonstration purposes only, an array
        # with various URLs that we'll load in sequence.
        Requests = array(
            "www.wiremod.com",
            "www.nasa.gov",
            "www.mysite.com"
            )
       
       
        runOnHTTP(1)
    }
   
    # If we call the retryRequest timer, or if this is
    # the first execution...
    if(clk("retryRequest") | first() ) {
   
        # If httpCanRequest() returns 1 we remove the first(bottom) url
        # from the queue, and call an httpRequest() with it.
        # Otherwise, the URL is still left in it's place, and the
        # buffer will attempt the request again the next time
        # it's executed.
       
        if(httpCanRequest()) {
            RequestUrl = Requests:removeString(1)   
            httpRequest(RequestUrl)
        } else {
            timer("retryRequest", 2000)
        }
    }
   
    if(httpClk()) {
        # Get information on the completed request:
        RequestedUrl = httpRequestUrl()
        RequestedData = httpData()
        RequestedDataSize = RequestData:length()
       
        # Check that the request completed properly, and if so,
        # save it in our STORAGE table, using the URL as the key.
        # Caching the data's length might also be useful if you're doing
        # any further processing.
       
        if(!RequestedDataSize) {
            print("Error: an error ocurred while retrieving " + RequestedUrl)
        } else {
            STORAGE[RequestedUrl, string] = RequestedData
            STORAGE[RequestedUrl, number] = RequestedDataSize
            print("Saved "+RequestedUrl+" in storage.")
        }
    }
 ]]> Wiremod Tutorials Filipe http://www.wiremod.com/forum/wiremod-tutorials/22376-e2-http-functions-usage-good-practices.html How to make your first car for newbies http://www.wiremod.com/forum/wiremod-tutorials/22273-how-make-your-first-car-newbies.html Sat, 28 Aug 2010 08:52:08 GMT This is my first tutorial, and yes, it is more for newbies if you ask me. Tell me what you think about this tutorial. AND NOW 1.The advanced pod... This is my first tutorial, and yes, it is more for newbies if you ask me. Tell me what you think about this tutorial.

AND NOW
1.The advanced pod controller wire tool is a good tool for creating vehicles, or mouse-aimed turrets, and some other stuff I haven't gone into yet. You can assign components controls, like you could link a grabber's "Grab" to the Pod Controller's "mouse1"

2.To make a car, I advise making a chassis, and maybe the bodywork if you want.

3.Spawn a jeep seat, and put it somewhere on the car where you have decent visibility.

4.Create a Wire Adv Pod Controller and link it to the the jeep seat (not wiring) by right-clicking on the Adv Pod, and then right-clicking on the car seat. Linking them enables control of the Adv Pod Controller.

5.Then create four (or possibly three or five or something) wire wheels so that you can control the wheels with the Pod Controller.

6.For steering, I use wire thrusters, although there probably is something better than that, and for the REAL newbies, while looking down on your unfinished materpiece, put a wire thruster at top-left side, and/or on the bottom right side to steer right, to steer left, put wire thrusters, on the top-right side, and/or the bottom-left side.

Optional components:

1.Wire turrets with lots of firepower, high powered wire thrusters at the back for boost, wire igniters at the front to.... ignite things.

2. A speedometer, components required are the speedometer, and display- Screen, the screen must have only one value called MPH.

Wiring!
1.Wire the wheels' "go" to "W" on the Adv Pod Controller, so that when you press "w", the vehicle moves, or tries to move. If it doesn't move, put a low powered or medium powered wire thruster on the back and wire that to "W" on the Adv Pod Controller.

2.Wire the wheels' "break" to "S" on the Adv Pod, I don't think it makes it reverse, only slow down. For reversing just put a few thrusters with low power at the front.

3.Wire the top-left and/or the bottom-right thruster to the "D" on the Adv Pod.

4.Wire the top-right and/or the bottom-left thruster to the "A" on the Adv Pod, this and the previous step are for steering of course.

5.If you have turrets or weapons, wire their "fire" or whatever you think activates them on Adv Pod Conts' various inputs such as mouse 1, or mouse 2 or even shift.

6.If you made a wire thruster for going at 200MPH at the back of your vehicle, wire that thruster to the Adv Pod Cont's "Shift", so that when you press shift, you will probably be crashing into a wall in five seconds.

7. If you want a speedometer, wire the screen's "A" to the speedometer's "MPH". (this probably just outputs the speed in MPH it is traveling at) You can also use KPH and if you want a whole number instead of decimals, use the Arithmetic-Round gate and wire the screen to that gate, then wire the gate to the speedometer.

NOTE: IF YOU DON'T PUT THE ARITHMETIC-ROUND GATE FOR YOUR SPEEDOMETER MAKE SURE YOU UNCHECKED "Use bigger font for single-value screen" OR THE NUMBERS WILL GO OUT OF THE SCREEN.

Testing!
Hop into your jeep seat, use WASD to move, and you should know if you added in extras. ]]> Wiremod Tutorials TroZy http://www.wiremod.com/forum/wiremod-tutorials/22273-how-make-your-first-car-newbies.html