Archive: 5 posts

---

Having trouble keeping track of all those wires? Noticing your thermometer take a jump when you add that sackbot/broadcast chip or menu? These tips and tricks will help you stay organized, speed up creation, and keep that temperature down! Better bring a jacket, it's about to get chilly! Before we begin, I would like to state that the broadcast chip is sometimes not the most efficient with large pieces of logic and sometimes a sackbot could be more thermo-friendly (mostly applies to sackboy only), so I will be assuming you are using a sackbot (more features are allowed anyways). I seriously suggest using a keyboard if you are serious about logic. It will save tons of time and the PS4 (and PS3) both accept a variety of bluetooth keyboards as well as USB keyboards. 1. Create a hub for advanced logic pieces This hub can be a microchip, broadcast chip, move cursor, controllinator, you name it! NOTHING should be on this chip except for the sensors needed for all functions and the microchips which actually do all the logic (this will reduce thermo SO MUCH). If you are wiring manually instead of using tag sensors... 2. Keep things labelled I cannot stress how important this is. If another person comes to help with logic or you take a break from your level, the only thing that can prevent hours of catch up time is labeling. It's fast, it's easy, do it. Remember to update labels as well. Make sure to label microchips, inputs/outputs (press square on their wires on the chip), etc. Put nodes on the input side of microchips to make the inputs stay in a particular order. This takes up no really noticeable space but keeps everything nice and tidy. On a similar note... 2a. Labeling extras Invest in a keyboard. If labeling is a hastle, which naming dozens of labels and microchips can very quickly get tiresome, get a keyboard. I can't stress how much this helps! As well as making general input easier, LBP3 allows you to copy and paste with a keyboard (super helpful for macro-text — EG "Double-Jump — {Timing, Conditions, Animations, etc.}", Double-Jump can be copied to keyboard). The copy-paste function has saved me on naming tags on numerous occasions (just my new level WIP alone has over 150 tag labels so far, most of which can be shortened using copy and paste functions), what would've taken a huge amount of time was most likely cut to a third or fourth. Buy a USB keyboard, most will work for the PS4. 3. Put notes down Notes can be handy for those things you can't explain in one word or to if you are using a controllinator- to show what button which wire is represented. Notes are easily hideable and once again, not much thermo. Use them frequently. Fun tip, if you are needing to copy and paste a chip but change the tag of a sensor (this is for things that aren't on for very long), place a note that says CHANGE in big letters so you don't forget to change it! Also set notes for things you must change before saving the object or publishing the level. 3a. Notes extras The percent mode in notes work even when paused, super helpful for debug, use these whenever you're messing with percentages, they will save your life when you come across bugs using percentages. 4. Use colour coding Did you know that most logic pieces allow you to change the colour of the wires? Just press square on the logic piece and scroll to the bottom! 4a. Color-coding extras Where you can make things colored based on macro-scale, such as which part of your logic hub wires are coming from, it is much more helpful to work with color coding on the micro scale. Depending on the purpose of your logic, it may be more helpful to keep everything one color, but change the colors of things that are: inverted outputs, modified version of a module used in the logic, key components of the logic, things for users to modify, inputs and outputs, etc.. When color-coding like this, it is good to keep your color-coding consistent, and keep a key. Mentally, you should use the same colors in all of your logic if following a key, so that it becomes part of your instinctual logic organization (EG for me personally, red is for inverted logic pieces, orange is for modified versions, green is for users to change, and so on). For macro scale, such as whole microchips being a color, this works better on smaller logic, or heavily separated logic, otherwise it is usually better to keep to a micro scale when color-coding. 5. Each feature should have its own microchip This is so important as this is the single most time-saving tip on this list. If you want a sackbot that double jumps and rolls, SEPARATE it. If you want that sackbot to do a flip as it double jumps-- put a microchip within the double-jump microchip. Want to have several submenus-microchips. Why does separating help? Well, not only can you easily save the microchip and use it later with minimal tweaks, but you can always turn OFF a microchip. Now, how does that help? Take for instance a menu system with one sub menu. If you take that menu system and put the second menu on a SEPARATE microchip, you can have nothing affect the second menu while you're in the first menu, and simply have a tag on the second menu microchip that prevents the first menu from functioning while in the second menu. Easy. Or you can look a sackbot that has his overriding controllinator in a microchip. Simply turn off the microchip, and that sackbot can (temporarily) have all controls disabled in one simple logic piece. A good example of how useful this can be for copying purposes is the positive variable giveaway in this level (https://lbp.me/v/qrczwx3/topreviews?p=1&l=12). As an extra note, NO SENSORS SHOULD BE IN THESE CHIPS. Make it an input from the hub chip as this will save TONS of thermo instead of redundantly checking if the floor is really touching you (are you feeling it now Mr. Krabs? Are you feeling it?) The only time a sensor should be in a chip is if that sensor is really only used there or that chip is only on for a small time. A good check is that each microchip should have only one output unless it is a hub (object for those computer science people) or one job with no outputs. 5a. Separation with microchips extras Whatever is disabling the microchip, make sure to make it an input into the microchip as well. (here's why) (https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=89662-Non-Latency-Flow-Gate) 6. Label tags with a general term first This can be something simple like Controls or Global but this allows for all tags along the same category to be grouped together for quick tagging. For example: ControlsDpadLeft, ControlsL3, ControlsTriangle all appear directly next to each other on the tag list and make finding a control a lot easier. 7. Add features that you might use If you're creating a chip and you think, well, what if I need to blah, blah, blah, ADD IT. Put it in a microchip so it's easily removed (or deactivated as a lot of logic that is in a deactivated microchip takes up significantly less space). Chances are, if you think you need a feature, while you might not need it right at that moment, you WILL need it for something else, and since you're creating modularly with logic, you can copy and paste! 8. Label emitters So this deserves its own number even though label things is already presented as emitting logic often doesn't show up in the preview object. You will hate yourself if you forget what an emitter is emitting. 9. Prepare to debug Problems will happen, so assume everything will fail when making your logic. Separate your logic so you can pinpoint the source of the logic based on what the error is (EG if you can triple jump in a double jump chip by quickly jumping, check TIMING, and CONDITIONS). This makes debug much easier, not to mention it helps add onto the logic if your mind changes about something. Also for debug, make sure that you allow little backdoor inputs into your logic so you can activate specific parts of it with/without affecting the rest of it (based on what you need), this way if you pinpoint an error, you can easily fix it. If the thermo is too much, or it is too time consuming to add backdoors into every separated group in the logic, then just make sure it will be EASY to do so, by this I mean make sure your wirepathing is good, your logic 'path' is stable, and there is a fair amount of obvious separation between your pieces. 10. Wirepathing Make it look pretty. Believe it or not, if you can follow wires without a problem, or if your logic is visually innate to read, then you can debug much more easily, as well as add onto your logic without much hindrance or second guessing yourself. I would argue that this is about as important as labeling everything, practice this and everything will work much more smoothly as a result. It's just better for your logic overall. There might be some stuff I'm forgetting, but this is the basics of having easy, understandable logic in levels.

2016-01-04 02:40:00 Author: koltonaugust Posts: 1382

---

Thanks for the suggestions. I've already been following some of these rules, but I've never thought about the efficiency of these methods thermo-wise! Labelling is extremely important for me, as I normally play LBP3 with big time spans between one session and the other. Most of the time I spend in Create Mode is used trying to understand what the heck I did the last time I played with the logic, so I HAD to start labelling things in order to save time

2016-01-04 11:29:00 Author: Puntolory Posts: 34

---

Omg, thank you so much for all these useful tips! I only can agree, being organized can help to save so much time, I have often enough "forgotten" to label my logic and my logic tends to proliferate quickly and its so frustrating looking at your own logic creations and having no idea anymore why you integrated a logic element and for what use! I haven't counted the endless hours that I've spent trying to reconstruct my own logical constructions. So thanks and a recommendation to all creators: stay organized! Many greetings, Jürgen^^

2016-01-04 12:41:00 Author: CuriousSack Posts: 3981

---

As an avid logic creator, I hope it's not wrong for me to add to this list. That being said, here are some of my suggestions you forgot to touch on (or some additions to your existing suggestions) I will be using your numbering system for easier access: 2a. Labeling extras Invest in a keyboard. If labeling is a hastle, which naming dozens of labels and microchips can very quickly get tiresome, get a keyboard. I can't stress how much this helps! As well as making general input easier, LBP3 allows you to copy and paste with a keyboard (super helpful for macro-text ? EG "Double-Jump ? {Timing, Conditions, Animations, etc.}", Double-Jump can be copied to keyboard). The copy-paste function has saved me on naming tags on numerous occasions (just my new level WIP alone has over 150 tag labels so far, most of which can be shortened using copy and paste functions), what would've taken a huge amount of time was most likely cut to a third or fourth. Buy a USB keyboard, most will work for the PS4. 3a. Notes extras The percent mode in notes work even when paused, super helpful for debug, use these whenever you're messing with percentages, they will save your life when you come across bugs using percentages. 4a. Color-coding extras Where you can make things colored based on macro-scale, such as which part of your logic hub wires are coming from, it is much more helpful to work with color coding on the micro scale. Depending on the purpose of your logic, it may be more helpful to keep everything one color, but change the colors of things that are: inverted outputs, modified version of a module used in the logic, key components of the logic, things for users to modify, inputs and outputs, etc.. When color-coding like this, it is good to keep your color-coding consistent, and keep a key. Mentally, you should use the same colors in all of your logic if following a key, so that it becomes part of your instinctual logic organization (EG for me personally, red is for inverted logic pieces, orange is for modified versions, green is for users to change, and so on). For macro scale, such as whole microchips being a color, this works better on smaller logic, or heavily separated logic, otherwise it is usually better to keep to a micro scale when color-coding. 5a. Separation with microchips extras Whatever is disabling the microchip, make sure to make it an input into the microchip as well. (here's why) (https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=89662-Non-Latency-Flow-Gate) 9. Prepare to debug Problems will happen, so assume everything will fail when making your logic. Separate your logic so you can pinpoint the source of the logic based on what the error is (EG if you can triple jump in a double jump chip by quickly jumping, check TIMING, and CONDITIONS). This makes debug much easier, not to mention it helps add onto the logic if your mind changes about something. Also for debug, make sure that you allow little backdoor inputs into your logic so you can activate specific parts of it with/without affecting the rest of it (based on what you need), this way if you pinpoint an error, you can easily fix it. If the thermo is too much, or it is too time consuming to add backdoors into every separated group in the logic, then just make sure it will be EASY to do so, by this I mean make sure your wirepathing is good, your logic 'path' is stable, and there is a fair amount of obvious separation between your pieces. 10. Wirepathing Make it look pretty. Believe it or not, if you can follow wires without a problem, or if your logic is visually innate to read, then you can debug much more easily, as well as add onto your logic without much hindrance or second guessing yourself. I would argue that this is about as important as labeling everything, practice this and everything will work much more smoothly as a result. It's just better for your logic overall. Thank you for this tutorial koltonaugust, I'm sure it'll help lots of people!

2016-01-05 03:25:00 Author: amiel445566 Posts: 664

---

I went ahead and added those tips in spoilers so that it's easy to tell that you said them. I had completely forgotten about the latency with priority of activating microchips without the signal as an input! Those are some nice tips and much better explanations than mine

2016-01-05 05:29:00 Author: koltonaugust Posts: 1382

Posts: 1077139    Threads: 69970    Members: 9661    Archive-Date: 2019-01-19

Aus dem Archiv wurden alle persönlichen Daten wie Name, Anschrift, Email etc. - aber auch sämtliche Inhalte wie z.B. persönliche Nachrichten - entfernt.
Die Nutzung dieser Webseite erfolgt ohne Speicherung personenbezogener Daten. Es werden keinerlei Cookies, Logs, 3rd-Party-Plugins etc. verwendet.