Attempt to index nil with 'GetDescendants'?

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#1

I am trying to create a flashlight script that drains the flashlight’s battery when it is equipped. The Modulescript stops at line 6, giving the error "Attempt to index nil with ‘GetDescendants’. I tried defining the tool as a child of starterpack, but the script still doesn’t work.

ModuleScript:

local Flashlight = {}

local Tool = game.StarterPack.ShakeTool

function Flashlight:DrainBattery(Tool)
local Lights = {} -- Create table to store lights in so their brightness can be changed at the same time
for i, child in pairs(Tool:GetDescendants()) do -- The issue
if child:IsA("SpotLight") then -- Finds the lights
print("Found a light, Adding to table.")
table.insert(child, Lights)
end
end
local Battery = 100
if Battery > 0 then
repeat 
Battery -= 1 
task.wait(0.5)
for i, light in pairs(Lights) do
light.Brightness = Battery / 100
print(Battery)
end
until Battery == 0 or Tool.Unequipped
end
end

return Flashlight

Server Script:


local Item = script.Parent
local DrainBattery = Shakelight.DrainBattery

Item.Equipped:Connect(function()
	DrainBattery(Item)
end)
#2

Are these scripts the child of the tool or somewhere else? If somewhere else then a tool would be in the Player’s backpack upon running the game, if they are a child of said tool then you can use script.Parent.

#3

yup, the scripts are children of the tool!

#4

Than use script.Parent rather than using game.StarterPack.

#5

the parent of the modulescript is the serverscript, forgot to say that sorry

#6

Then use script.Parent.Parent?

#7

ill see what that does, thank you

#8

Nope, still errors even though i replaced it

#9

Can you show me hierarchy of the scripts and tool?

#10

Unsure if this is what you want, but here
image

#11

Yes, this is exactly what I want. I see that in the module script you assigned “Tool” twice as well. Maybe remove the first tool variable? (I just noticed this right now)

So basically:

local Flashlight = {}

-- local Tool = game.StarterPack.ShakeTool Removed this

function Flashlight:DrainBattery(Tool) -- Tool already assigned?
local Lights = {} -- Create table to store lights in so their brightness can be changed at the same time
for i, child in pairs(Tool:GetDescendants()) do -- The issue
if child:IsA("SpotLight") then -- Finds the lights
print("Found a light, Adding to table.")
table.insert(child, Lights)
end
end
local Battery = 100
if Battery > 0 then
repeat 
Battery -= 1 
task.wait(0.5)
for i, light in pairs(Lights) do
light.Brightness = Battery / 100
print(Battery)
end
until Battery == 0 or Tool.Unequipped
end
end

return Flashlight
#12

Nope, that didn’t help, sorry…

#13

Hmmmm… Can you show me the drainBattery function?

Also you could then maybe do this:

local Flashlight = {}

local Tool = script.Parent.Parent -- using that

function Flashlight:DrainBattery() -- Removed "Tool"
local Lights = {} -- Create table to store lights in so their brightness can be changed at the same time
for i, child in pairs(Tool:GetDescendants()) do -- The issue
if child:IsA("SpotLight") then -- Finds the lights
print("Found a light, Adding to table.")
table.insert(child, Lights)
end
end
local Battery = 100
if Battery > 0 then
repeat 
Battery -= 1 
task.wait(0.5)
for i, light in pairs(Lights) do
light.Brightness = Battery / 100
print(Battery)
end
until Battery == 0 or Tool.Unequipped
end
end

return Flashlight
#14

Is this backwards? table.insert(child, Lights). Looks like this should be table.insert(Lights, child). Hard to tell without testing.

#15

oh, that fixed it! rest of the code is bugged but i’m sure i can fix that myself lol thank you !

#16

Yeah, no worries. I was also being stupid and got quite many stupid questions from you. Sorry about that.

#17

This will end up in the players backpack.
Edit: oh you got it … pretty sure this was why.

#18

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