Headless - Improve group transfer and add API

[johnb432]

When merged this pull request will:

• Checks for valid HCs before trying to transfer groups.
• Adds API for group transferral: 1 targeted event before a group is transferred, 1 targeted event after (targets are the current client and the HC it's going to move to).
  The API is very much WIP and I'd appreciate any input @LinkIsGrim.
  Because of it being WIP, I haven't made any documentation for it yet.

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[jonpas]

Is global event really a good idea here? That could be a lot of traffic on mission start.

[johnb432]

Is global event really a good idea here? That could be a lot of traffic on mission start.

I'm really not sure. I imagine a targeted event should suffice tbh.

[LinkIsGrim]

Functions to black/white-list a unit/group/array of units and module/Zeus interactions to go with them? I can add context menu on ZEN side afterwards.

[jonpas]

Black/white-list is just GROUP/UNIT setVariable ["acex_headless_blacklist", true/false, true];. I would not mind ZEN modules for this though, as well as "move to Server/HC1/HC2/...". :)

[johnb432]

Black/white-list is just GROUP/UNIT setVariable ["acex_headless_blacklist", true/false, true];. I would not mind ZEN modules for this though, as well as "move to Server/HC1/HC2/...". :)

GROUP/UNIT setVariable ["acex_headless_blacklist", true/false]; is only set locally though, not synced across the network. Might be safer to include a function that can be called via event.

For the modules, should it be 1 module, in which we have a menu that can select where the AI should be moved to or should there be 4 separate modules?

[jonpas]

is only set locally though, not synced across the network. Might be safer to include a function that can be called via event.

Add a 3rd argument (true) like I did and it's global. And it should only ever be applied globally anyways.

I am not the best person to ask for UX, but those should live in ZEN anyways so maybe it's better to have a discussion there.

[johnb432]

is only set locally though, not synced across the network. Might be safer to include a function that can be called via event.

Add a 3rd argument (true) like I did and it's global. And it should only ever be applied globally anyways.

I'm fully aware, it's just that the code never did it, making it inconsistent if we do start syncing it in this case as opposed to not syncing it in

ACE3/addons/headless/functions/fnc_handleSpawn.sqf

Line 26 in 80417b1

_object setVariable [QXGVAR(blacklist), true];

#9873 removes the problem entirely, so it won't matter anymore once that's merged.

---

I am not the best person to ask for UX, but those should live in ZEN anyways so maybe it's better to have a discussion there.

Ah, I thought we were going to add it in ACE' Zeus component.

I've worked with ZEN modules before, can make them if wanted.

[LinkIsGrim]

If we don't have modules in ACE Headless (I think they're unnecessary and cumbersome, just mentioned them for sake of completion) we should have Zeus Interactions available, at least.

ZEN integration is just making that available in context menu.

Blacklist variable should always be set globally IMO (thus, the function. I strongly dislike variables as API.). It's one bool per object, it's not going to break networking.

[jonpas]

ACE3/addons/headless/functions/fnc_handleSpawn.sqf

Line 26 in 80417b1

_object setVariable [QXGVAR(blacklist), true];

That's just a buggy remnant, that isKindOf check was just used for UAVs, it should have been public. However it worked because it was set on server and so those objects were never transferred to begin with (it might break with manual transfer technically).

Technically only server cares about blacklist variable, but what @LinkIsGrim said is true. I don't see a difference between function and variable here. If you want a function, it must also transfer back to server if it has been transferred already, as that is what one would expect.

[johnb432]

That's just a buggy remnant [...]

I knew it worked, but I didn't realise it wasn't intentional. I'm not opposed to setting it public at all.

If you want a function, it must also transfer back to server if it has been transferred already, as that is what one would expect.

I didn't think about that, but on the other hand, I think it might be best to make that optional (on by default though), as in some cases one might want AI to remain local to the client without being transferred back to the server.

Having a function would give us the liberty to add functionality similar to this in the future, so I'll implement it.

I'll also just implement Zeus interactions (no modules). @LinkIsGrim do you want to handle the ZEN context actions? I can do it, I know how, but I'll let you if you want to.

[LinkIsGrim]

I'm already working on other ZEN-ACE stuff, can handle that, just need functions to call

[jonpas]

but I didn't realise it wasn't intentional

Maybe it was, ask me 7 years ago. :P

I think it might be best to make that optional (on by default though), as in some cases one might want AI to remain local to the client without being transferred back to the server.

Agreed.

[LinkIsGrim]

I'd like to be able to do this easily as a user:

• Blacklist/whitelist selected (no locality transfer)
• Transfer selection to my client (blacklist if not already blacklisted)
• Transfer selection to server (same as above)
• Force rebalance (whitelist if not already whitelisted)

Doesn't even necessarily need HC to be active/enabled (this could be part of ACE Zeus) as long as black/whitelisting happens.

Is implementing this (from a 3rd party perspective) possible with current API?

[johnb432]

I'd like to be able to do this easily as a user:

* Blacklist/whitelist selected (no locality transfer)

* Transfer selection to my client (blacklist if not already blacklisted)

* Transfer selection to server (same as above)

* Force rebalance (whitelist if not already whitelisted)

Doesn't even necessarily need HC to be active/enabled (this could be part of ACE Zeus) as long as black/whitelisting happens.

Is implementing this (from a 3rd party perspective) possible with current API?

I've made it more general, so that you can transfer units you are blacklisting to any machine.

* Force rebalance (whitelist if not already whitelisted)

By that I'm guessing you are whitelisting units and you want to have the option, so that they auto-rebalance?

What do you mean by "force rebalance"? Do you want it to trigger a rebalance or do you want it to forcibly rebalance all units over all HCs?

See the below for the source of confusion:

ACE3/addons/headless/functions/fnc_transferGroups.sqf

Line 97 in 6dbe908

if (!_force && {(owner _x) in [_idHC1, _idHC2, _idHC3]}) exitWith {

[johnb432]

Is implementing this (from a 3rd party perspective) possible with current API?

Yes, although I want you to check it, just to be sure.