PipScale

Flag:	PipScale
File(s):	rules(md).ini
Values:	Strings: Normal text. (Limited to: hardcoded values↓)
Default:	none
Applicable to:	TechnoTypes: AircraftTypes, BuildingTypes, InfantryTypes and VehicleTypes

This flag is used to display a special type of graphical representation on certain units. This usually indicates a unit's current load of passengers, ammunition, or harvested ore. Each icon representing a portion of the load is referred to as a "pip".

Accepted values

All values are case-insensitive. Any other values will simply be ignored and the default used instead.

Value	Game Availability				Remarks
charge					For use with IsMobileEMP
none					Default behavior—no pips are displayed
passengers					For use with Passengers
ammo					For use with Ammo
tiberium					For use with Storage
power					No effect—no pips are displayed
mindcontrol					For use with units having weapons whose warheads have MindControl=yes

Passengers

PipScale=Passengers is typically used for any vehicle with Passengers and SizeLimit each set to positive integers greater than or equal to the combined Size of its passengers, to show that there are units inside of it. The engine will always render a number of pips equal to Passengers. Infantry loaded inside of the unit are represented by the icon determined by Pip. Loaded vehicles are always represented by the sixth frame of pips2.shp. If a loaded unit's Size is greater than 1, it will take up that many pips, with each pip beyond the first drawn using the fourth frame of pips2.shp. The first frame is used to represent empty pips.

In Yuri's Revenge this can also be used to indicate units loaded into a building with UnitAbsorb=yes, InfantryAbsorb=yes, or both. An absorbed vehicle is represented by the fifth frame of pips.shp, while the fourth frame is used for infantry. In this case, the first frame of pips.shp is used to represent empty pips. It should be noted that this is not the flag used to display occupancy pips; see MaxNumberOccupants for that.

Passenger pips will override any declaration of ammo pips.

Ammo

This can be used to display the current number of rounds loaded on a unit with Ammo set to a positive integer greater than 0. This is typically used for aircraft, but it will display properly for any TechnoType.

In Tiberian Sun, the seventh frame of pips2.shp is used to display the unit's current ammo supply. The engine will only draw up to five ammo pips individually. If the unit's total Ammo is over five, each pip represents 20 percent. Nothing will be drawn to represent empty pips.

In Red Alert 2, if PipWrap=0 (the default value), the 14th frame (15th frame in Yuri's Revenge) of pips2.shp is used, and an individual pip will be drawn for each ammo point. Nothing will be drawn to represent empty pips.

If PipWrap is set to an integer greater than 0, a more specialized method of displaying ammo pips is used.

Tiberium

PipScale=Tiberium is used to show the amount for harvested ore on vehicles with Harvester=yes or Weeder=yes, and Storage set to a positive integer greater than 0. Exactly five pips are rendered; each indicating 20 percent of Storage. The third frame of pips2.shp is used to represent stored ore in Red Alert 2. In Tiberian Sun, the second frame of pips2.shp is used for green Tiberium and veins. For gems (or blue Tiberium in TS), the sixth frame of pips2.shp is used. The first frame of pips2.shp is always used to represent an empty pip.

In Yuri's Revenge, this is also used to display the current Storage for infantry that can gather ore in an enslaved state. The pips are rendered in the same way as they are for vehicles, but only three are used instead; each indicating one third Storage.

In Tiberian Sun, this is also used to display Tiberium storage for buildings such as refineries and silos. In this case, the second frame of pips.shp is used, while the first frame is used for empty pips. The engine will draw as many pips as it takes to span the selection box.

Charge

This should only be used in Firestorm for vehicles with IsMobileEMP=yes. Exactly eight pips will be drawn; each representing 12.5 percent of MaxCharge. The second frame of pips2.shp is used for complete portions of the full charge, while the first frame is used for the incomplete portions.

MindControl

This is only used in Yuri's Revenge to display the number of mind-controlled units for an infantry, vehicle, or building with a weapon whose warhead has MindControl=yes. PipScale=MindControl will display a number of pips equal to Damage set on the mind control weapon. The second frame of pips2.shp (or pips.shp for buildings) is used to represent each mind-controlled unit, while the first frame (of the respective .shp file) is used for empty pips.

If the mind control weapon also has InfiniteMindControl=yes and the controlling unit controls more units than it has pips, an additional pip will be drawn to represent "mind-control overload". This pip will use the fifth frame of pips2.shp (or pips.shp for buildings), but will briefly switch to the fourth frame (of the respective .shp file) each time the controlling unit takes damage specified by OverloadDamage.

Power

Although this is value is parsed, it has no effect in either Tiberian Sun or Red Alert 2. No pips will be displayed.

Bugs/Side-Effects/Unexpected Limitations

If TechnoTypes has PipScale=MindControl and the weapon used by TechnoTypes has too much Damage, for example Damage=999999999 will cause The game slows down a lot.
If TechnoTypes has PipScale=MindControl and Too much GuardRange such as GuardRange=999999999 will slow down the game significantly.
If TechnoTypes has PipScale=MindControl and Too much Range such as Range=999999999 will slow down the game significantly.
If TechnoTypes has PipScale=MindControl and Too much SpawnsNumber such as SpawnsNumber=999999999 will slow down the game significantly When TechnoTypes does not exist in the game area.

See also

• PipsDrawForAll
• Passengers
• Ammo
• Storage
• GuardRange
• Range
• SpawnsNumber