Tool detection help

Help and Feedback Scripting Support
1

I’m not sure if this question is going to make much sense but here’s my best way of wording it, what is the best way for the client to detect if they currently have a weapon in their inventory and then use the correct weapon module—such as a gun or a knife—without having scripts inside the tools?

2

when the tool is equipped it goes into the character, so you can look for a tool instance inside player.Character

local player = game.Players.LocalPlayer

local function getHoldingTool() : Tool?

  local character = player.Character
  if not character then return end

  return character:FindFirstChildWhichIsA("Tool")

end
3

How would I identify if its a gun or melee for example?
My best guess would be to use an attribute on the tool, and then say if its a gun use this code or if its a melee use that code, but is that the most optimum/efficient way of doing it?

4

Technically and practically speaking you should go with attributes as they are quick to set-up, can be updated dynamicly in-game throught the use of :SetAttribute() and generally should be faster. To indentify you could set up a string attribute to each tool you want and indetify them as “Gun” or “Meele”.

if item:GetAttribute("Type") == "Gun" then
	-- Code
end
5

Sounds like youre trying to do some sort of check.
Every player has a backpack, you access it like a property. Player.backpack or so. You have many ways to detect a tool if its a gun or a knife. You can:

  • have the type in their name (nameKnife or nameGun) and later on use string methods to detect if it has gun or knife in the name
  • use attributes like you said
  • have them saved in a dictionary and then do a loop to give them the script
  • etc…

You then have to copy the said script that you want (saved as a reference) and then parent it to the specific object.

6

There is also events in ContextActionService for detecting when a tool is equipped/uneqipped: LocalToolEquipped and LocalToolUnequipped. You could listen for these events and then using either tags or attributes on the Tool bind/unbind any necessary module code.

7

I feel like parenting scripts into tool objects is messy no? How do most big games go about doing it?

8

tbh, you don’t have to micro optimize like that, it’s unnecessary

9

This is the most optimal way you can do this.

-- LocalScript inside StarterPlayerScripts
local Players = game:GetService("Players")
local Player = Players.LocalPlayer
local Character: Model? = Player.Character or Player.CharacterAdded:Wait()
local hasTool: boolean, tool: Tool? = false, nil
local equipConnection, unequipConnection

function equipped(thisTool: Tool)
	-- add your functionality here..
	print(`You equipped {thisTool.Name}!`)
end

function unequipped(thisTool: Tool)
	-- add your functionality here..
	print(`You unequipped {thisTool.Name}!`)
end

function onChildAdded(child: Instance)
	if child:IsA("Tool") then
		if not hasTool then
			hasTool = true
			tool = child
			equipped(tool)
		end
	end
end

function onChildRemoved(child: Instance)
	if child:IsA("Tool") and child == tool then
		hasTool = false
		unequipped(tool)
		tool = nil
	end
end

function disconnect(connection)
	if connection then 
		connection:Disconnect() 
	end
end

function setupCharacter(character)
	Character = character
	
	-- Check if character already has a tool
	local existingTool = character:FindFirstChildOfClass("Tool")
	if existingTool then
		hasTool = true
		tool = existingTool
		equipped(tool)
	end
	
	-- Connect events
	equipConnection = character.ChildAdded:Connect(onChildAdded)
	unequipConnection = character.ChildRemoved:Connect(onChildRemoved)
end

if Character then
	setupCharacter(Character)
end

Player.CharacterAdded:Connect(setupCharacter)
Player.CharacterRemoving:Connect(function(character)
	Character = nil
	hasTool = false
	tool = nil
	disconnect(equipConnection)
	disconnect(unequipConnection)
end)
1 Like
10

Doing that decreases processing quality resulting in higher memory consumption, don’t just assume.

11

Not if you use it right, you can have 1 server script and 1 local script, and then make an auto script that has the tool detection and gives the scripts thay way., atleast thats the case with local scripts. Im unsure about server scripts. Pretty sure you can just make 1 server script in serverscript storage that handles all knifes or all guns, just remember to do the necessary checks.

12

Where is HasTool being called in this example? and why is there not a return?

And why is your HasTool function written like that? child = child:IsA("Tool") and child
hasTool = child ~= nil

And another thing, Doesn’t “CharacterAdded” not work first time around in local scripts?

Edit: I’m blind I see where it’s being called, but still no return, is that intentional?

13

Oh sorry, I’ve fixed the script to you requests. Please know I quickly made a scratch up on what you could potentially do.

14

I noticed in your script though player.CharacterAdded doesn’t work first time around when joining game in client scripts, how does yours work?

15

Oops! another mistake, the character should not be nil, it should be local Character = Player.CharacterAdded or Player.CharacterAdded:Wait().

EDIT : The script has been tested and is ready to be used.

16

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