Wire Map Interface

About

First of all let me explain what the Wire Map Interface (WMI) is.

The WMI is like bridge between the map and Wiremod, it is an entity (info_wiremapinterface) that is able to give other entities wire ports. E2 Wirelinks and Highspeed/Memory wire ports are NOT supported.

This point entity is made for the use in the Valve Hammer Editor and is invisible in-game. It supports all popular data types (see at the bottom), it is easy to use and it is shipped with Wiremod.

If Wiremod is not installed/loaded, the entity will be not loaded, there will be a message in the console that info_wiremapinterface was not found and that it will be ignored. The map will run just fine, beside that you can't use the wire ports of course.

What you have to know

If you want to use this entity you should know this:

• How to use Wiremod.
• How to use the Input/Output system of the editor.
• How to add entities to the map and how to set them up.
• What *.fgd-files are and how to install/use them.
• How to make and compile functional maps.

I can not explain the basics, as the text would just get beyond the scope. If you don't know the above points you should learn them first and come back. Please don't mind my German GUI (Abbrechen/Übernehmen = Cancel/Apply) in the screen shots.

For server admins

Prop protection and controlling

You can control the use of the WMI by disabling or enabling it using the ConVar below. If you want a per player controlling, you will have to use a prop protection addon.

ConVars

• sv_wire_mapinterface 1/0 - Activate or deactivate the wire map interface. Default: 1

For mappers

The *.fgd-file

Before you can use the WMI in the Hammer Editor you have to load the file wiremod.fgd in the editor. You can find it the root folder of your copy of Wiremod. If you can't find it then you can use this. The wiremod.fgd requires garrysmod.fgd. It is found in the root folder of your Garry's Mod copy.

The entity properties

If your editor successfully loaded the *.fgd-file and you should be able create a info_wiremapinterface entity easily. If you open its properties menu then you should see this:

This following table explains the key names: (<N> is the number).

Property Name	Key Name	Description	Type	Default Value
Name	targetname	The name of the interface entity.	String (entity name)	<none>
Wire Entity	wire_entity_name	The interface gives up to 32 entities with this targetname wire ports.	String (entity name)	<none>
Minimum Trigger Time	min_trigger_time	The minimum time in seconds between two in-/output triggers. It's usefull to prevent lags.	Floating Number	0.01
Wire Input <N> Name	input<N>_name	The name of the Nth input.	String	<none>
Wire Input <N> Type	input<N>_type	The type of the Nth input. See data type section!	int number (choices)	0 (Normal)
Wire Input <N> Description	input<N>_desc	The description of the Nth input. It's shown behind the input name in-game.	String	<none>
Wire Input <N> Code	input<N>_lua	The the code when Nth inputs got triggered. See Lua section!	String	<none>
Wire Output <N> Name	output<N>_name	The name of the Nth output.	String	<none>
Wire Output <N> Type	output<N>_type	The type of the Nth output. See data type section!	int number (choices)	0 (Normal)
Wire Output <N> Description	output<N>_desc	The description of the Nth output. It's shown behind the output name in-game.	String	<none>

The Hammer outputs

Setting of names and types of entities and ports alone will not work. You have to also connect the interface's Hammer outputs to other entities. What Hammer inputs you connect them is your choice. In this screenshot I connected them to a door:

Valid outputs are: (<N> is the number):

Name	Description	Type
OnResetWireInput<N>	Fired when the Nth wire input got reset. Useful if you have something that isn't zero by default.	Void
OnWireInput<N>	Fired when the Nth wire input got triggered. Leave the override parameter empty, if you want to use the input value!	String
OnWireEntsCreated	Fires when Wire In-/Outputs entities have been created. The entity is ready to use.	Void
OnWireEntsRemoved	Fires when Wire In-/Outputs entities have been removed. The entity is ready to use.	Void
OnWireEntsReady	Fires when Wire In-/Outputs entities have been created or removed. The entity is ready to use.	Void
OnWireEntsStartChanging	Fires when the wire map interface entity is adding or removing Wire In-/Outputs entities. The entity can't be used yet.	Void

The Hammer inputs

Of course this entity has also Hammer inputs, they are useful if you want to build a wire-input-entity-dispenser or if you want to make a kind of a puzzle map for instance.

Valid inputs are: (<N> is the number):

Name	Description	Type
TriggerWireOutput<N>	Sets the Nth wire output to the given var when trigged.	String
AddEntity	Gives the wire ports to calling entity.	Void
RemoveEntity	Remove the wire ports from the calling entity.	Void
AddEntities	Adds entities by name that will get wire ports.	String (entity name)
RemoveEntities	Remove the wire ports from the named entities.	String (entity name)
RemoveAllEntities	Remove the wire ports from all entities.	Void
Activate	Allow the triggering from wire inputs and the updating of wire outputs.	Void
Deactivate	Disallow the triggering from wire inputs and the updating of wire outputs.	Void
Toggle	Toggle the above status.	Void

Note

Keep in mind that the adding and removing of port entities is asynchronous, because of performance and networking reasons. While the interface is adding or removing ports entities, it can't accept orders that change the list of entities!

You have to wait till the entity Hammer output OnWireEntsReady got fired, before you can use it again.

The spawnflags

I think this screenshot should explain enough. These are for built-in entity protecting, removal behavior, wire rendering, status and for the activating of the Lua feature

The Lua feature (Advanced)

If you enter a into the Wire Input <N> Code or input<N>_lua field AND you activate the Run given Lua codes (For advanced users!) flag then it gets ran when the Nth input got triggered. The following table shows you the globals that are available inside the code's scope:

Variable	Description	Type
WIRE_NAME	The name of the input.	String
WIRE_VALUE	The value of the input.	<varying>
WIRE_WIRED	Is the input wired?	Boolean
WIRE_CALLER	The interface entity.	Entity
WIRE_ACTIVATOR	The entity that has the input.	Entity

This table shows some Lua methods of the interface:

Name	Takes	Returns	Description
Entity:AddEntitiesByName	String	<Nothing>	Adds entities with the given name to the list and give them wire ports.
Entity:AddEntitiesByTable	Table	<Nothing>	Adds entities in given table to the list and give them wire ports.
Entity:RemoveAllEntities	<Nothing>	<Nothing>	Removes the wire ports from all the interface's entities.
Entity:RemoveEntitiesByName	String	<Nothing>	Removes the wire ports from the interface's entities that has the given name.
Entity:RemoveEntitiesByTable	Table	<Nothing>	Removes the wire ports from the interface's entities that has the given table.
Entity:GetWiredEntities	<Nothing>	Table	Returns a table of all interface's wire ports entities.
Entity:SetWiredEntities	Table	<Nothing>	Removes the wire ports from all the interface's entities and then adds wire ports to all entities in the given table.

Note

Keep in mind that the adding and removing of port entities is asynchronous, because of performance and networking reasons. While the interface is adding or removing ports entities, it can't accept orders that change the list of ports entities!

If you want to check if the entity is working then you have to check if the variable entity.WirePortsChanged is true

Important Note

Warning: Similar to the lua_run entity you have to be very careful when you put Lua code in a WMI entity. There is a limit of 512 chars in each field and you have to avoid double quotation marks (") and replace them with single quotation marks ('). There is no way around, it's a problem of the Hammer editor! Carelessness may corrupt the map!

Supported data types

As said in the beginning the WMI supports all common data types. This is a table of all supported data types and how they are converted:

ID	Wire Data Type	Lua Data Type	How it is converted to wire output?	How it is converted to wire input?
0	NORMAL	Number	Number from String.	Number to String.
1	NORMAL (Toggle)	Number (0 or 1)	Toggling between 0 and 1 each time it is triggered.	It triggers the input only when value is above 0. (Useful inputs for wired buttons.)
2	STRING	String	String is string	String is string
3	VECTOR2	Table with 2 indexes	Get the first 2 numbers separated by spaces from a string.	Get the 2 values and put them separated by spaces in to a string.
4	VECTOR	Vector	Get the first 3 numbers separated by spaces from a string.	Get the 3 values and put them separated by spaces in to a string.
5	VECTOR4	Table with 4 indexes	Get the first 4 numbers separated by spaces from a string.	Get the 4 values and put them separated by spaces in to a string.
6	ANGLE	Angle	Get the first 3 numbers separated by spaces from a string.	Get the 3 values and put them separated by spaces in to a string.
7	ENTITY	Entity	Get them by ID number	Get ID number from the Entity
8	ARRAY	Table	Spit string values are separated by spaces.	Put values into a string and separate them by spaces.

The example map

This is the official example map, so you can take it apart to see how it is used.

You don't have to ask for any permissions, you can always use parts or everything of the example map for everything you want. The *.vmf source file is included.

Download gm_wiremapinterface.7z (Dropbox)

Happy mapping and wiring!