best practice to set up tools

[worldly swallow]

what would be the best possible way to set up tools on starterpack and backpack. I know the simplest and easiest way of doing it is by just putting the script under the tool, but all my tools are set through a module to loop through to see what events are required. by that, I mean cloning an exact script to be put under the tool to check and run the desired tool events, which in my opinion is just a waste of code memory. I attempted to do it in a module, not under a tool but it only runs once. Any ways to make it run whenever let's say its in the backpack or starter pack whenever the events are fired? Or tell me your opinion on this.

[bright obsidian]

You could just have a .new() function in your module for per object usage so that it's fine if it only runs once

[worldly swallow]

i did something like that

but for some reason

it doesnt run after one activated, or equipped, etc

[bright obsidian]

personally I usually have a metadata module defining tool types and giving object properties for the item class

so like you could have a gun item type class and you could have multiple items of type gun in the metadata

with different ammo and damage stats

[worldly swallow]

i technically did something like that ith a dictionary

[worldly swallow]

and yeah

[bright obsidian]

Yea mine's a dictionary too I just call it metadata out of habit lol

[worldly swallow]

my point is

henever i try to run the tool events in a module

it only runs once

hen its in the players backpack

how would if fix this?

[bright obsidian]

hence the .new()

assume this is the way you define it

[worldly swallow]

ill sho u an example

function Item.Setup(player, itemName, itemType, removing)
    local self = setmetatable({}, Item)
    
    self.player = player
    self.item = itemName
    self.itemType = itemType
    self.itemDictionary = require(itemDictionaries[itemType])[itemName]
    
    self.findItemFolder = gameItems:FindFirstChild(itemType):FindFirstChild(itemName)
    
    assert(self.findItemFolder, "Attempted to find item data file using: "..tostring(itemName))
    
    local categorySingular = string.gsub(itemType, "s", "")
    local setupItem = require(script:FindFirstChild(categorySingular)).Setup
    
    assert(setupItem, "Attempted to require item data file using: "..tostring(categorySingular))
    local itemSettedUp
    
    if removing then
        itemSettedUp = setupItem(player, itemName)
    else
        itemSettedUp = setupItem(player, itemName, self)
    end
    
    self.tool = itemSettedUp
    return itemSettedUp
end

thats my setup for an item

any item

and then gear

function Gear.Setup(player, gearName, itemTable)
    local self = setmetatable({}, Gear)
    
    local playerCache = player:FindFirstChild("PlayerCache")
    if not playerCache then
        playerCache = Instance.new("Folder")
        playerCache.Name = "PlayerCache"
        playerCache.Parent = player
    end
    
    if not itemTable then
        local toolBackpack = player.Backpack:FindFirstChild(gearName)
        if toolBackpack then
            toolBackpack:Destroy()
        end
        
        local starterTool = player.StarterGear:FindFirstChild(gearName)
        if starterTool then
            starterTool.Parent = playerCache
        end
        
        return "Successfully removed gear"
    end
    
    self.player = player
    self.name = gearName
    self.itemTable = itemTable
    
    -- check if tool exists
    local itemTool = playerCache:FindFirstChild(gearName)
    
    if not itemTool then
        itemTool = itemTable.findItemFolder:FindFirstChildWhichIsA("Tool")
        
        if not itemTool then
            itemTool = self:Create()
        end
        
        itemTool = itemTool:Clone()
        itemTool.Parent = playerCache
        
    end
    
    local starterTool = player.StarterGear:FindFirstChild(itemTool.Name)
    if not starterTool then
        starterTool = itemTool
        starterTool.Parent = player.StarterGear
        
    end
    
    local toolParent = player.Backpack:FindFirstChild(starterTool.Name)
    if not toolParent then
        toolParent = starterTool:Clone()
        toolParent.Parent = player.Backpack
        self:Set(toolParent)
    end
    
    return itemTool
end

hich essential fires the desired tool events

[bright obsidian]

so what is the calling order here

[worldly swallow]

self:Set(toolParent)

hich does this

function Gear:Set(tool)
    local dictionary = self.itemTable.itemDictionary
    local eventsRequired = dictionary.Setup.EventsRequired
    if eventsRequired then
        for key, value in pairs(eventsRequired) do
            if value == true then
                self[key](self, tool)
            end
        end
    end
    
end

[bright obsidian]

does gear not use item as a base class?

hmm

[worldly swallow]

they key is the event name

like for example

the table is like this

["EventsRequired"] = {
                ["Activated"] = true,
                ["Deactivated"] = false,
                ["Equipped"] = true,
                ["Unequipped"] = false,
            };

[bright obsidian]

show me the event processors

[worldly swallow]

function Gear:Equipped(tool)
    print("Gear Equipped Debug: "..tostring(tool.Name))
    local itemFunctions = self.itemTable
    local dictionary = self.itemTable.itemDictionary
    local object = tool:FindFirstChild("Handle") or tool:FindFirstChild("BodyAttach")
    
    tool.Equipped:Connect(function()
        print("equpped")
        local equipSound = dictionary.Skins.Default.Sounds["Equipped"]-- temporary 
        if equipSound then
            local sound = object:FindFirstChild("Equipped")
            if not sound then
                sound = Instance.new("Sound")
                sound.Name = "Equipped"
                sound.Parent = object
                sound.SoundId = "rbxassetid://"..equipSound -- temporary
            end
            sound:Play()
        end
    end)
end

is for equipped

[bright obsidian]

like how is self[key](self, tool) connecting to the relevant event

[worldly swallow]

imagine this

[worldly swallow]

the key is lets say

[worldly swallow]

Equipped in this table

it ill find the key

if its true it ill fire

[bright obsidian]

Yea I got that part but why are you indexing self for the key, does self have an "Activated" function? If it does and your intention is to fire on that event, calling them all when Set is called won't yield the expected behavior, it just fires it off once

[worldly swallow]

i ant to connect the events tho

[bright obsidian]

you gotta use :Connect() on the tool object since it is what has the relevant events

[worldly swallow]

is hat i did

[bright obsidian]

So does the print come through to the output? Also Imo you should use a maid to control it on a per object basis so you can abandon relevant connections when unequipped occurs

or do it when the object leaves the inventory and the character model (dropped or destroyed tool)

If the print in your Equipped function doesn't come through put a print in the Set function

[worldly swallow]

i mean i set it like this its like cached tools once its unequipped its put under the player with a folder

[bright obsidian]

And if that doesn't come through then you need to go up the call stack and look at where you call Set

[worldly swallow]

if the player leaves

so does the cahced tools

[bright obsidian]

So the problem is that it can't call Equipped for more than one tool at a time or something? What is the issue specifically

So it's not possible for items to leave the player's inventory?

[worldly swallow]

no i dont ant it like that. its like equipping and unequipping tools

hat if the player needs it again

[bright obsidian]

I'm just trying to understand your implementation

[worldly swallow]

so thats hen the cached tools come in

hich i parent to a player

one sec

let me sho u hat i mean

like that

hen the plyaer doesnt need it

i put it under a folder

for incase the player needs again

also i ant to ask something

if a player leaves

ith the cached tools

ill the tool connections automaticly disconnect?

[bright obsidian]

I see. Might not be super reliable if BreakJoints ends up carrying into the tool it could require you to reconstitute the joints. Maybe that doesn't happen idk lol

So all client side code becomes irrelevant when the player leaves

[worldly swallow]

hat if its in the server

[bright obsidian]

Server code, if it descends the object, will terminate execution and cleanup when the object above it is destroyed

[worldly swallow]

automaticly right?

[bright obsidian]

If it's handled in a module, then it really depends on whether an instance of the module is referenced anywhere in active memory

So like for example if you created a gun handler and the player left, it would clean up the gun handler so long as there is no scopes that have a variablized reference to the gun handler instance that was previously instantiated

[worldly swallow]

ok but hat if its in a module and i set up the connections in the module for the player

ho ould that go in regards to lets say if the player left

and the tools became unexistiant

[bright obsidian]

You're gonna have to work on an instance basis anyway otherwise the serverside code will conflict when multiple players use the same tool type

When an object destroys, all connections are cleaned up

So if you in your toolcache say it destroys it all when the player removes

the connections should be cleaned up

[worldly swallow]

ok

[bright obsidian]

but if I was you, I would deliberately destroy the toolcache on player removal

just to ensure it doesn't hang out in memory or anything

[worldly swallow]

ok

[worldly swallow]

the issue is hen i reset my character. yk ho it re-replicates the tool from starterpack, therefore making it no longer ork

[worldly swallow]

I'm ondering ho exactly should i detect once a player resets their character

[worldly swallow]

so any ideas anyone?

[tulip mulch]

Humanoid.Died

then connect a function

or Humanoid.Changed

if Humanoid.Health == 0 then

[worldly swallow]

not as in that lol

shouldve said it more clearly

one sec

[worldly swallow]

my point is i made a module that sets the tools up hen the player equips them hoever hen i reset the tools are no longer orking as the backpack tools are re-replicated. You think i should just loop through the backpack after the player dies reconnecting the tool connections?

[worldly swallow]

also ur opnion on this @tulip mulch

[tulip mulch]

idk if i understood correctly , but you made a custom Tool Module ?

[worldly swallow]

yes

[tulip mulch]

and you want to reset everything when the player dies?

[worldly swallow]

no

hen the player dies

the tools no longer ork since the connection of a module is somehere else

[tulip mulch]

:Disconnect() them

[worldly swallow]

also mb my www key isn't working at its finest

[tulip mulch]

same lol

[worldly swallow]

when the player dies?

[tulip mulch]

yes

use Humanoid.Died to detect when he dies

[worldly swallow]

but what if i want the tools to connect it again

ould i just loop through?

again

[tulip mulch]

you could just Clone the Tools that you want and give it to the player

[worldly swallow]

u didnt get it lol

my point is

hen a player dies

the backpack tools also dissapear

and hen the player respans

the starterpack tools clone

and reappear

ould it be a good practice for me to loop through the backpack to connect the tool functions?

[tulip mulch]

loop trough the backpack and destroy the tools