Why isn't this firing?

Help and Feedback Scripting Support
#1

I don’t get why this isn’t firing.

Code:

local mouse = game.Players.LocalPlayer:GetMouse()
local uis = game:GetService("UserInputService")

local plr = game.Players.LocalPlayer
local char = plr.Character or plr.CharacterAdded:Wait()
local db = false
local dbtime = 3


--script.Parent.Activated:Connect(function()
	--game.ReplicatedStorage.Events.KnifeThrow:FireServer(mouse.Hit.Position)
--end)


uis.InputBegan:Connect(function(Input, IsTyping)
	if not IsTyping then
		if not db then
			db = true
			print("key clicked!")
			if Input.KeyCode == Enum.KeyCode.E and script.Parent.Equipped == true then
				game.ReplicatedStorage.Events.KnifeThrow:FireServer(mouse.Hit.Position)
			end

			wait(dbtime)
			db = false
		end
	end
end)

I want to know why the key clicked isn’t printing when I am pressing the E key.

It’s probably just me making a mistake somewhere.

#2

script.Parent.Equipped == true is probably the culprit. Equipped is an event, and you’re comparing it to the boolean true, and this will never be true.

You should use ContextActionService:BindAction instead of InputBegan. Also, it will help if you use the debugger or add other print statements to ensure your code is getting to where you expect it to.

#3

Use this:

local mouse = game.Players.LocalPlayer:GetMouse()
local uis = game:GetService("UserInputService")

local plr = game.Players.LocalPlayer
local char = plr.Character or plr.CharacterAdded:Wait()
local db = false
local dbtime = 3
local equipped = false

uis.InputBegan:Connect(function(Input, IsTyping)
	if not IsTyping then
		if not db then
			db = true
			print("key clicked!")
			if Input.KeyCode == Enum.KeyCode.E and equipped == true then
				game.ReplicatedStorage.Events.KnifeThrow:FireServer(mouse.Hit.Position)
			end

			wait(dbtime)
			db = false
		end
	end
end)

script.Parent.Equipped:Connect(function() equipped = true end)
script.Parent.Unequipped:Connect(function() equipped = false end)
#4

Didn’t realize that issue, whoops.

I’m also unsure how to use ContextActionService:BindAction, could you give some pointers on how to use it in my case?

Thanks!

#5

something like this?

local CAS = game:GetService("ContextActionService")

local function handleAction(actionName, inputState, inputObject)
	if actionName == "KnifeThrow" then
		if inputState == Enum.InputState.Begin then
			-- do something
		end
	end
end

CAS:BindAction("KnifeThrow", handleAction, false, Enum.KeyCode.E)
#6

CAS is all about, well, contextual actions. When you equip a tool you enter a context in which you can perform an action. Upon entering that context, you call BindAction and provide it:

  1. (string) the name of that action,
  2. a function which handles the input of that action,
  3. (boolean) whether a button is created for players using touch input, and
  4. any inputs (Enum.KeyCode or Enum.UserInputType) which the player should use to perform this action.

When you unequip the tool, you leave the context and you call UnbindAction, providing it the action name you provided BindAction (1 above).

So, in your case:

local ContextActionService = game:GetService("ContextActionService")
local tool = script.Parent
local ACTION_THROW_KNIFE = "Throw Knife"
local INPUT_THROW_KNIFE = Enum.UserInputType.MouseButton1

local function throwAKnife()
   -- Whatever logic your game needs to perform this action goes here! Yours was:
   --game.ReplicatedStorage.Events.KnifeThrow:FireServer(mouse.Hit.Position)
end

local function handleAction(actionName, inputState, inputObject)
   if actionName == ACTION_THROW_KNIFE then
      if inputState == Enum.UserInputState.Begin then
         throwAKnife()
      end
   end
end

tool.Equipped:Connect(function ()
   -- We've entered a context wherein the player can throw knives! Bind:
   ContextActionService:BindAction(
      ACTION_THROW_KNIFE, -- the action name
      handleAction, -- function to process the action
      false, -- whether a button is created for touch input players
      INPUT_THROW_KNIFE -- inputs which trigger this action
  )
end)
tool.Unequipped:Connect(function ()
    -- We're leaving the context that allows for knife-throwing, so unbind
    ContextActionService:UnbindAction(ACTION_THROW_KNIFE)
end)

You might think this is long-winded and you’re partially right. However, this makes it very straightforward to support cross-platform play, modify behaviors of existing actions, and support multiple actions per action handler function. For example, you could add a charge-up time by measuring the time between Enum.UserInputState.Begin and End (eg how long they held the button down for).

1 Like
#7

Forgot to add this:

	local UIS = game:GetService("UserInputService")

	local function handleAction(actionName, inputState, inputObject)
		if actionName == "KnifeThrow" and not UIS:GetFocusedTextBox() then
			if inputState == Enum.InputState.Begin then
				-- do something
			end
		end
	end
#8

You don’t need to do this with ContextActionService, as it will not call your action’s handler function if something else bound above it.

Your posts would be mildly more helpful to readers if you provided written explanation rather than just chunks of code.

1 Like