ScriptingBasics

Scripting Basics

The Editor lets you create scenes ranging from simple to more complex worlds. Even without scripts, you can do a lot—but the true power of the Editor shows once you add at least some basic behavior to your scene.

In Engu, we use visual scripting. That means instead of writing code, you assemble colorful “tiles” into logical blocks. You don’t need to know programming—just understand the basic principles.

In this chapter, we will show them using simple examples.

Testing scene

To get straight to scripting, we will use the ready-made Island template. Create a new scene in the Editor and during setup choose:

• the Templates tab,
• the Island scene.

After opening the scene, you will see a partly built house, a pen, and a few animals. Feel free to adjust the scene, but for our first scripts, this setup is already enough.

Scripting canvas

Every object in the scene (or a group of objects) can have its own script. A script is a set of commands that tells what should happen—for example:

• “when X happens, do Y”,
• “when entering an area, turn on a light”,
• “when opening a door, change an object’s color”.

Instead of theory, let’s add our first script right away.

In the scene, select the door of the house. On the left side in the properties panel, you will find the Add script button. Click it to open the scripting canvas for this door.

This opens the so-called Scripting canvas. You can think of it as a workbench where we will place and connect individual script “tiles”.

On the scripting canvas, you will see:

• left – command categories (e.g., text, numbers, entities, events…)
• center – the canvas itself, where you place and connect tiles
• right – the Script Explorer panel, where you can see an overview of all canvases and scripts (open it with the documents + magnifier icon).

Working with scripting tiles

Scripting tiles work like building blocks:

• add a tile by dragging it with the left mouse button from the menu onto the canvas,
• tiles can be moved and connected—their shapes show where they fit,
• delete a tile by selecting it and pressing Delete (Del).

Events and their role

For a script to do something, something has to happen—for example:

• the player starts the scene,
• opens a door,
• enters an area,
• a certain amount of time passes.

We call these triggers Events. You can find them under the fourth icon from the left in the scripting tiles menu.

Events don’t execute anything by themselves—they only say: “Now start running the connected commands.”

Examples of events:

• On Game Start – triggers when the player starts the scene.
• On Wake Up – triggers when an object is “activated” in the scene.
• On Open / On Lock – typical door events that react to door behavior.

Different objects can have different special events depending on what they can do. Doors have different events than, for example, a lever, a button, or an animal.

On doors, you will find for example the On Open event. When the player opens the door, this event activates and runs all commands connected to it.

In this example, after opening the door, its color changes to green first and then the game time is set to six in the evening.

This is the absolute foundation of visual scripting: an Event triggers the commands connected below it.

Creating your first script

Let’s create a simple but practical script:

Goal: the house door opens automatically when the player gets close.

We will use Game Logic – Activation Area. It can detect when the player enters a specific place.

• place the Activation Area in front of the door,
• set its shape and size so the player must pass through it when approaching the door.

Now open the scripting canvas of the Activation Area (same as with the door – the Add script button).

Steps:

• in the Events category, find On Enter Area and drag it onto the canvas,
• in Entities → Actions, select Open and add it to the canvas as well,
• snap the Open tile under the On Enter Area event,
• on the Open tile, click the “eyedropper” button and select the door in the scene that should open.

Don’t be afraid to experiment

Even this simple script can be a great base for more ideas. Try to:

• use the On Exit Area event and automatically close the door when the player leaves,
• create multiple activation areas – each can trigger a different action,
• change the weather or time of day when the player enters a certain area.

Visual scripting is the perfect space for trying and discovering. If something doesn’t work out, just tweak the script and try again.

Useful commands