i havent delt very much with unit sprites before so theres a lot im trying to explore with them

i was reading one of the Maplantis tutorials about them and i downloaded one of the maps. i really think theres a lot that can be done with unit sprites

i just have a couple questions here
1. Is it possible to create them? If so, how?
2. If i cant create them, is it possible to move them in from another location to my desired place when they are purchased by a player?
3. Can you build buildings over the top of them?
4. Will having unit sprites and regular units mixed around the same area have any effect on each other? (Can they kill each other, do they behave funny around each other... etc.)
5. Can they be given to other players?

1. No. You have to pre-place them.
2. Yes. If they are enabled, they act like normal units.
3. I have no idea.
4. No funny behavior as far as I know.
5. I'm 99% sure you can. I'm also pretty sure they act like normal units after they've been enabled. I think that some of them are unstable, however.

Sticky is pretty much correct, except that for what he is talking about, you must use disabled sprites, which are unit sprites preplaced with the disabled box checked, this alone creates some odd effects, and if you use Enable Doodad State, like sticky said, you can make them move, and also they stack when this is done to them.

so is there a reason why one shouldnt use them on a map? cause i haven't seen any maps that use them

Regular sprites are merely decoration and cannot be affected by anything.

Disabled unit sprites are more like units than like sprites. And those are used by a number of maps, but since they are like units maybe you just haven't noticed. Coco Def uses them afaik.

The reason why they are not used very often is probably because a lot of them can crash starcraft. Check Falks link on that.

so is that how people place like psi emitters and crystals and stuff like that in impossible places?
cause even though its disabled, it still shows the unit name?

I thought only a few unit sprites crash sc?
not sure where i got this list from:

Unused Terran Bldg
Unused Terran Bldg
Unused Zerg Bldg
Unused Zerg Bldg 5
Protoss Unused
Protoss Unused
Cave
Cave-in
Cantina
Mining Platform
Independent Command Center
Jump Gate
Ruins
Kyadarin Crystal Formation (This is not mispelled)
Zerg Marker
Terran Marker
Protoss Marker

That looks like a list of units that crash the game, sprites that crash the game are:
[collapse Sprite List]Hydralisk
Infested Kerrigan
Archon Energy
Dark Archon Energy
Civilian
Marine
Firebat
Medic
Ghost
Kerrigan(ghost)
Siege Tank Base(Tank)
Siege Tank Turret(Tank)
Siege Tank Base(Siege)
Siege Tank Turret(Siege)
Refinery
Scanner Sweep
Vespane Geyser
White Circle
White Circle
White Circle
zmarker.grp
Wall Missle Trap 1
Wall Missle Trap 2
Wall Flame Trap 1
Wall Flame Trap 2
Dual Photon Blaster Hit
Particle Beam hit
Anti-Matter Missle
Phase Disruptor
Pulse Cannon
Photon Cannon
Psionic Storm
Fusion Cutter Hit
Gauss Rifle Hit
Gemini Missles
Fragmentation Grenade
Lockdown Missle
C-10 Rifle Hit
ATS/ATA Laser
Burst Lasers
Arclite Shock Cannon Hit
Yamato Gun
Lockdown Missle
Needle Spine Hit
pdriphit.grp
Sunken Colony Tentacle
Lethal Ejector?
Acid Spore
Glave Wurm
Seeker Spores
Parasite
Plague
Consume
Psionic Shockwave Hit
Phase Disruptor
Neutron Flare
Optical Flare Grenade
Halo Rockets
Corrosive Acid Shot[/collapse]

I think the main use of them is if you need a certain effect, which isn't too common, so the most common use is to make units stackable, I've used it in a number of maps and it's a pretty cool effect.

So now, is there a way to hide an arbiter using a sprite?

i dont have a location where i can put him hidden on my map so i need a way to hide him so its not obvious i used an arbiter

I don't think there's a way, arbiters are air, so just covering him up with a sprite doesn't work well, and they crash when you try to cloak them, why can't you just create him to do what you need and then remove him?

Place a bunch of lifted CCs or something and order him there. Looks weird but hides the arbiter

I think smaller units automatically go on top, so that wouldn't work.

It was just an example. He can as well place a swarm of scourges... duh

well i suppose i could create it

but i need like a bunch of them for it to work correctly, like 10

i dont have very much space on my map to put it, and if each player uses the feature at the same time, i'd have to have a place for 60 arbiters

could they all fit in an 8x8 location? or like how big would i have to go for that?

Air units are stackable. The location can be as small as you wish

dont they spread out like really fast if that happens?

cuz thats what i was thinkin but i'd have to have a trigger that always moves them to the location

then i wonder if they'll be able to all cast recall if they're constantly being moved

They'd unstack if you constantly moved them, ordering is the best way, if you have hypertriggers it should work fine.

so...
Always
Issue order to move to location x?


that kind of order?

yup

those are all units that crash SC