Highlight Objects

[denizsi]

The idea is to spawn a transparent 2D object at every pickable object (and maybe containers too) in a certain proximity to help with spotting them. I've done things involving a similar functionality (but for different purposes) for Oblivion and Fallout 3 with their respective Script Extenders, so I think this should be easy enough to do with FNV if NVSE provides all the same functionality its previous iterations did. Alas I'm utterly demotivated and also devoid of the time to do it myself, so maybe somebody else will pick on the idea (please!).

 

The script logic for NVSE should/could be something like this:

 

- Decide on what distance objects should have helper sprites on them. Let's call it "n"

 

- Cycle through each object in the current cell (I fail to remember if there was a way to discern whether any given reference was a pickable object with OBSE and FOSE, Hopefully, there was and is) and check each object's distance to the player. If it is <= n, spawn the sprite (ie. the transparent 2D object in question to help with spotting) at it and store this new object's reference in an array for easy removal later.

 

- Get player's X,Y and repeat the above process for every other cell if (playerX ± n), (playerY ± n) correspond to a position in any of the eight adjacent cells (this still is how the game works, right? Though I fail to remember if interior and exterior cells differed in this regard)

 

- When highlighting of the objects are no longer needed, use the array to get the sprites' references and remove them.

 

- It might also be helpful to generate a game message telling you how many objects (based on the amount of sprite entries in the array) there are in that vicinity.

 

- Assign the script to a key.

 

Also of important note, there might be a simpler way to achieve this functionality without resorting to NVSE. The mod, "THE5 Combat Assistant" does more or less the same thing for actors but I couldn't tell if the method is applicable to pickable objects. If I had the time, and the motivation, that is where I would start before jumping to NVSE.

 

Finally, I would imagine the following to be practical ways of using this functionality:

 

(1) As a toggle. When toggled on, the script will wait for you to move n+ from your last position (ie. where you first toggled Highlighting on or the n+ position you moved to) to update until you toggle it off.

 

(2) As a toggle. When toggled on, it will keep updating every so often as you would like (ie. using a timer) until you toggle it off.

 

(3) A simple one time key without toggling. It will either highlight objects for a fixed amount of time without updating and then turn itself off, or stay on until you move n+ away and then turn itself off.

 

Further improvements could be:

 

- Different sprites for pickables and containers and if the two can be discerned via scripting/NVSE

 

- Further varied sprites for sorting mods if it's possible to get pickable objects' names via scripting/NVSE

 

 

 

Oh, and if anyone ever gets to do this, please, PLEASE, don't use nonsensical hipster images with meaningless gibberish or similar "weird designs" for the cool factor. Keep it simple, mmkay?

Edited March 23, 2011 by denizsi

[Ruadhan2300]

I think you'll find that the advanced recon nightvision system incorporates something like this as part of its TAC functions.

 

grab it Here: http://newvegasnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=38328

 

I know it highlights any objects you can pick up, as well as any containers with stuff in.