What I'm trying to do is get Lua to detect characters in a line of text. For example, Let's say I have:

local text = "This is an example";

And I can use some sort of function:

local textgetter = text:GetCharacter(1);
local textgetterB = text:GetCharacter(2);
local textgetterC = text:GetCharacter(8);

Making (textgetter) be "T", (textgetterB) be "h", and (textgetterC) "(space)". Is there a function like this that exists?

Edit: Also, what are the functions for I/O -
1. Opening a file
2. Reading something from a specific line
3. Getting the total number of lines
4. Writing things to the file/saving

I realize this is somewhat unhelpful, but it'd probably be pretty useful to look at the official documentation on the string library and the I/O library (chapters 20 and 21, respectively) for some general advice.

They helped a bit, but a little hard to read.

I have another question: Is there a way to detect the net force acting on an MO?

I don't know if I like that this game has the ability to open and edit files.

I don't think it can get anything outside of the CC folder, but I could be wrong.

yeah it could delete system32 and then you'd be ♥♥♥♥

Any program can open and edit files.

Its how you get viruses.


Anyhow I think CC can only edit files in the same folder it is.
Worst case scenario is someone writes code to corrupt/delete Base.rte, then you'd have to reinstall.
(Or they can steal your key, but whatever.)

The worst Lua virus I've heard of is one made in Garry's Mod that corrupted your addons folder. Correct me if I'm wrong, though.

They are properly termed lua viruses in gmod, because they spread from host to client.

In CC, you are actually downloading an archive and extracting it.

It can delete any file on your computer or do anything it would like, there are no limits in CC.

Stop going off topic, and help the man.

I tried to do this a while ago with some really, really retarded methods. If anyone knows how, I want to know as well.

if by 'force' you actually mean kinetic energy just use KE = mv^2

Does cc actually use that to calculate the kinetic energy?

also wouldn't that only be useful to a modder if they wanted to apply their own physics to an object or something?

Well assuming CC has anything near an accurate physics engine, (disputable) what you get with that should be at least proportional to the in-game physics.
Although the actual equation is what grif said divided by two, assuming the SI units of Kg, [what cc uses] m/s, [also what cc uses, 1m=20px] and Joules [the derivative unit of those two units, so cc probably uses this too]


But if you actually want the force like you asked for instead of kinetic energy... [they're very different and far from interchangeable]
You could take checks of the velocity and time, [maybe record them in a list or something] and find the acceleration between the two points in time from that.
Vf - Vi = ΔV [CC velocity unit is already m/s]
Tf - Ti = ΔT [you will probably want to convert units from milliseconds to seconds about now]
ΔV/ΔT = a [gonna be m/s² if you converted to seconds]
m * A = ΣFapplied, Joules if you used seconds

One check per sim update could be a limiting factor in your recording though.

And keep in mind gravity. I'm pretty sure you can find the gravity of a scene through Lua (BW:M did this for the zero-g bunker systems], so if you want to find the net force excluding gravity, that's possible.

What I need this for is a better working rope, so if there are 2 objects attached with a rope and the larger of the two pulls, the smaller one will be pulled while the larger slowed down. The function I'm trying to use to apply the force is "target:AddImpulseForce()", so I thought finding a way to check net force would help.

Then I ditched this idea and switched over to using position and velocity to create a rope (as seen in my grappling gun mod) which is great for terrain grappling, but not for 2 moving things.


Tried, didn't quite work out for my purposes. (I'm probably be doing something wrong)


Will try sometime, once I finish my current mod I'm working on.