Barabus' Clocks
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Version 1.0 - 1 February 2005


This is a modders' resource.

For a playable mod featuring Barabus' Clocks, download "Mournhold Clockmaker" from:-

http://www.tesmods.net


Original artwork created by Barabus

Original scripts created by Nigedo



Description
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This resource pack includes all of the artwork, sound fx, scripting and TESCS structure to allow you to add Barabus' Clocks to your own mods.


All of the clocks feature high quality, original artwork and include individual combinations of original sound effects. They are fully animated through Morrowind Script and synchronized with game time.



Notes
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To avoid conflict with other mods that may also use this resource, you are strongly advised to change the id's of all objects, scripts and global variables in TESCS.

The best way to do this is to add a prefix to each of them, signifying your name or mod name:-


e.g. TESCS object ID

bar_misc_clock01


should be changed to

mymod_bar_misc_clock01


You will also need to amend references to these objects and global variables in each of the associated scripts (see "How they work" below).


For bug reports and general comments, please contact Nigedo through the Elder Scrolls forums:

http://www.elderscrolls.com/forums/index.php?showuser=28918



How to deploy Barabus' Clocks
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1. How they work


Each clock is a collection of objects:-


- main body

- hour hand

- minute hand

- pendulum (not all clocks have this one)



Each type of clock has its own collection of these objects that share the same ID stem.


e.g. the Mantle Clock has the ID stem "bar_clock01", so its component objects are:-


bar_misc_clock01

- main body, miscellaneous item tab


bar_act_clock01_hour

- hour hand, activator tab


bar_act_clock01_minute

- minute hand, activator tab



The main body of most clocks is a miscellaneous item, so that it can be handled by the player as any other item of this type and carries the name, weight, value and icon for that clock.

The other component objects are always activators.  These are not manipulated by the player directly, but are added to and removed from the game by scripts as required.

This pack also includes a furniture Wall Clock which has an activator as the main body. This can only be placed in the game world in TESCS and can not be manipulated by the player in game.



For each type of clock, each component object also has its own associated script, which shares the same ID stem for that type of clock.


e.g. scripts for the Mantle Clock are:-


bar_script_clock01

- the main script, attached to the main body object "bar_misc_clock01"


bar_script_clock01_hour

- script attached to the hour hand object


bar_script_clock01_minute

- script attached to the minute hand object



When you add one of Barabus' Clocks to your own mod, it is essential that you include all of the component objects and scripts for that type of clock.


e.g. to add the Mantle Clock to your own mod, you must include:-

3 x scripts
1 x miscellaneous object
2 x activator objects


You must also include the four global variables that govern the placement of all clock objects, whenever any clock is moved in game:-

bar_clock_xpos
bar_clock_ypos
bar_clock_zpos
bar_clockparts



2. Adding clocks to traders' inventories or containers


This is a simple operation, once you have added to your mod all of the component objects and scripts for the type of clock you want to include.

Just add the miscellaneous object (main body) for that clock to the trader's inventory or to a container that they own.

The minute and hour hands (and pendulum) will be automatically added to the clock when it is first dropped by the player.


Of course, you do also need to ensure that the trader is set to trade in miscellaneous items and the trader can stock unlimited clocks of that type in the normal way, if you wish.

Miscellaneous clock objects placed in chests or the inventories of other NPC's work the same way.  



3. Placing clocks openly on display


This is a slightly more difficult operation, since you will need to ensure that you position all of the clock's component objects in advance.

When they are placed in the game world, each of a clock's component objects share precisely the same x,y and z co-ordinates.

So, you should place the main body of the clock first and, when you are happy with its position, open its property dialogue (double click it) and round off each of the co-ordinates to a whole number.

Then add each of the other objects and reposition them by copying and pasting the co-ordinates of the main body into their own properties dialogues.

Make sure that all of the clock's component objects also share the same rotation values, so that they are facing the same way. :)

If you want to add ownership to a clock on open display, you do this in the normal way by modifying the properties of the miscellaneous component (main body).



That's it. Have fun adding Barabus' Clocks to your mod. :)



Cleanliness Statement
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Barabus' Clocks is clean.

It has been cleaned with TESAME and TESTool and it makes no changes to the game.

You may merge this resource with your own mod with complete confidence.



Credits
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Grateful thanks to Thepal for a very helpful scripting suggestion that made it possible for merchants to stock unlimited clocks.


Thanks to the beta testers, Kathryn, Korrow and Sunsi, for volunteering their time to guarantee the quality of this resource.


Thanks to these wonderful modders for their essential utilities, which were all used to create this mod:

Morrowind Enchanted Editor - Farren Hayden

NIFTexture - Dave Humphrey

TESAME - Erik Benerdal

TESTool - Ghostwheel