portal64-still-alive/documentation/levels/cutscenes

Cutscenes

Cutscenes are scripted sequences of steps which can be executed by the game in response to triggers or other cutscenes. Unlike typical usage of the term "cutscene", most do not take control away from the player and are instead more similar to background threads.

Definition

At level export time, level definition C source files are generated using the Lua scripts in tools/level_scripts/, initiated by export_level.lua. Cutscene information is written using information from each level's associated YAML file.

In the YAML file, cutscenes are defined in an object property called cutscenes. Property names are used to reference cutscenes from triggers or other cutscenes. Property values are lists of steps to perform.

Steps use the syntax:

STEP_NAME [ARG]...

That is, the step name followed by 0 or more space-separated arguments. The number and type of the arguments is specific to each step type.

For example,

cutscenes:
  OPEN_PORTAL:
    - delay 5
    - rumble 0
    - open_portal back_wall 0

  ENTERED_TRIGGER:
    - set_signal open_door

Multiple cutscenes can be running at once, and triggered cutscenes are stopped after their final step is executed.

Step types

See the pages below for details on specific cutscene steps.

Type	Description
play_sound	Plays a sound and waits for completion
start_sound	Plays a sound without waiting
q_sound	Queues a sound to be played on a channel
wait_for_channel	Waits for a sound channel to be available
delay	Pauses for a specified duration
open_portal	Opens a portal at a location
close_portal	Closes a portal at a location
set_signal	Changes a signal's default state to set
clear_signal	Changes a signal's default state to unset
wait_for_signal	Waits for a signal to become set
teleport_player	Moves the player to a location
load_level	Loads the next level
label	Marker for goto
goto	Unconditional jump to a label
start_cutscene	Starts a cutscene
stop_cutscene	Stops a cutscene
wait_for_cutscene	Waits for a cutscene to end
hide_pedestal	Hides pedestals and grants the portal gun
point_pedestal	Points pedestals at a location
play_animation	Plays or updates an armature's animation
pause_animation	Pauses playback of an armature's animation
resume_animation	Resumes playback of an armature's animation
wait_for_animation	Waits until an armature is not animated
save_checkpoint	Creates an autosave
kill_player	Kills the player
show_prompt	Displays an action prompt
rumble	Activates the rumble pak
activate_signage	Turns on test chamber signs