Invisible/visible but still selectable entity ?

[binbinhfr]

Hi,

I'd like to have an 1x1 entity (container type) that I could make visible or invisible, but always selectable/operable.
Is it possible ? How would you do this ?

[daniel34]

No, it's not directly possible because that is stored in the entity prototype.
The workaround would be to have two identical entities, except one has a transparent image.
Whenever you wanted to switch visibility you'd need to remove one chest and place another, copying the contents.

Something like (as I already had this coded sometime ago)

Code: Select all

function replaceChest(sourceChest, targetChestName)
	local inv = sourceChest.get_inventory(defines.inventory.chest)
	local entity = sourceChest.surface.create_entity{
		name = targetChestName, 
		position = sourceChest.position, 
		force = sourceChest.force,
		bar = inv.getbar()}
	if inv.getbar() == #inv then
		entity.get_inventory(defines.inventory.chest).setbar()
	end
	for i = 1, #inv do
		entity.get_inventory(defines.inventory.chest)[i].set_stack(inv[i]);
	end
	sourceChest.destroy()
end

[binbinhfr]

No, it's not directly possible because that is stored in the entity prototype.
The workaround would be to have two identical entities, except one has a transparent image.
Whenever you wanted to switch visibility you'd need to remove one chest and place another, copying the contents.

OK, that's what I wanted to avoid, but if we have no choice...