Ships

The code for a ship consists of three parts:

• the ship's definition
• a 'chain' of performance functions representing 'flow of control' for the ship, considering game-intrinsic variables and including its graphics
• the ship's activation

The definition sets the properties of the ship like introduction date, speed, capacity, etc. Please note that a vehicle definition may only occur after a prior grfinit() function call for the grf file.

The ship performance functions are used to group sets of graphics sprites from a previous spriteblock() (layout functions), or to evaluate game-intrinsic variables, and make both of them accessible to the ship's activation function (performance functions).

The ship activation instantiates the ship by finally assigning graphics sets and/or callback or other variable-referencing functions to this particular ship. This is done by supplying a block of special functions handling references and cargo types to the ship's activation. See below.

Function	Meaning
defineship(<Veh-ID>,<block>)	Ship definition
nameship(<Veh-ID>, {<Language-ID>, <String>})	Definition of ship name(s)
makeship(<Veh-ID<,<block<)	Ship activation

This function defines a ship. Its parameters are the ship's ID, an optional standard text naming the ship, and a block of property-defining functions, where the relative position of the property functions is irrelevant.

defineship(_HARLAND,{""},
	intro(1968)
	climate(TEMPERATE, ARCTIC, TROPIC)
	newgraphics()
	refittable(YES)
	price(180)
	speed(40 km/h)                
	cargotype(MENU)
	capacity(280)
	loadamount(40)
	runningcost(160)
	soundeffect(4)
	refitcost(1 %)
	canalspeed(60 %)
	cargoclasses(+REEF) // allow for food, fruit, fish, vegetables, milk 
	cargomask(FISH)     // but no fish!
)

This function defines more names for a ship than the default one given by definevehicle(). It should be used if a ship needs names in more than one language. Its parameters are the ship's ID and a block consisting of language IDs and associated names.

nameship(_HARLAND,
	ALL, "'Harland' Reefer",
	D, "Kühlschiff 'Harland'",
	F, "Navire frigorifique 'Harland'",
	E, "Buque frigorífico 'Harland'",
	I, "Nave frigorifera 'Harland'"
)

makeship(<Veh-ID<,<block<)

This function activates a previously defined ship. Its parameters are the ship's ID and a block of special cargo-associated functions:

Function	Meaning
link(<ref()>,<CargoType>)	Linking a chain of graphics or variable-dependencies to this ship
default(<ref()>)	Default chain to use with this ship

link(<ref()>,<CargoType>)

This function links a reference to a chain of functions describing graphics and/or variable evaluations with a particular cargo type. Its parameters are the reference to the chain of functions and a cargo type.

The given cargo-type determines the set of graphics or the variable chain to be used with this particular type of cargo. If the grf file has installed a cargo translation table, the cargo type here refers to the cargo with that label in the translation table.

The special cargo-type MENU is used for graphics shown in the purchase or construction window.

default(<ref()>)

This function is used if no entry from the link() function(s) matches, or if there are no special cargo-types listed at all in a link() function.

makeship(_FLENDER,
	link(ref(1),FOOD, FRUT)
	default(ref(4)) // GOOD (container, refrigerated)
)