Title: The Constant Nodon
Author: Jim
Article Type: 101
Date Published: 7/31/2021
Date Updated: NA
XP Level: Beginner
Nodon Featured: Constant
Nodons Used: Constant, Box, Slide Connector, Calculator, Button Press
Typical Time Required: 15 minutes
The Constant Nodon
One of the simplest Nodons in Game Builder Garage. It has one function, to output a number that you configure into it’s settings. I actually thought it was interesting that this was classified as an Input. In most cases though that is how you will use it. The number in it’s output will be input into another Nodon that accepts numbers as it’s input.
Looking at it’s settings we see a bar which we can use to adjust the number it outputs from -1000 to 1000. You can also have numbers with decimals such as 3.14 shown here.
The bar can be dragged to adjust the number or you can use the right and left arrows. To input a number using a calculator style interface select the box between the two arrows.
Nodons that accept numbers include the Person Nodon to determine which action is done and slide connectors to control how far something is moved. You may also need specific numbers for arithmetic operations. You will probably find yourself using this Nodon a lot.
Let’s see this in operation. Place two Objects > Simple Objects > Box on screen and set them side by side. We will also need an Input > Button Press > Y and a Middle > Calculate > X and an Objects > Connections > Slide Connectors > X Slide. Arrange them as shown.
Go into the settings of the left most box and ensure that Movable is not enabled. Go to its Connection point and set it so that it’s own connection point is X+ and it’s target point is X-. Close the setting for this box and look at the setting on the right most box. The only change we need to make here is the connection point. Set it so that it’s own connection point is X+ and it’s target connection point is X-. Close the setting. Now we just need to connect everything together as shown in this picture. Use special care to connect the slide connector to the boxes upper and lower connectors as shown.
When you are finished, run the game and note what happens when you press the Y button. Did the right Box move to the right about 3.14 meters? Go back into editing mode and change the Constant to 1. Did this change how far the Box moved? So how does this work exactly?
The Y Button outputs a 1 when pressed or a 0 when not pressed. This is fed into the Calculator which multiplies whatever the Constant outputs by either 1 or 0. When the button is pressed the full amount of the Constant is fed into the slide amount input on the Slide connector. We have the left Box anchored in place since we set it as not movable. The slide connector will cause objects it is connected to, to slide in the X direction based on the number applied to it’s input. We input a 3.14 the first time and then a 1 the second time which caused it to move 3.14m and then 1.0m. This was a practical demonstration of one use for the Constant Nodon.
Summary : In this 101 level tutorial we discuss the Constant Nodon and how it is configured. We use it to control how far a slide connector moves a box.