Is an Entity an Object?
Is an Object an Entity?

Why does an entity not contain geometry?

How can I create an object in WAD and then assign behaviors to it if it is an object rather than an entity?

I know this sounds like a simple question. Please forgive my ignorance however, I'm having difficulties understanding the differences of object and entity.

Thanks in advance,
dschomburg

Just search for "map entities" ... should help!

Thank you for your reply. However, that is what created my question(s).
I was doing a tutorial for a door. I was instructed to create the object and then build/save it as a map entity. Then I was instructed to import the newly created map entity of the "door". When I built the level and ran it there where 3 instances of the door.
So I deleted the original object of the door and rebuilt/reran but in so doing received an error of "no geometry".
This in turn melted my brain.
How can something be an entity and not consist of geometry. And why where there 3 instances of the door?

Hi!
I think, there are no fundamental differences:
Both, entitys and objects (the manual talks of panels or texts for example as objects)work similar to predefined structs in C.
You can define instances of them and access their predefined attributes in a similar way.
However there is a difference between level-entitys (map-entitys, models, sprites, terrain) and the script-defined 2D-elements, like panels, or entity definitions (view entitys).
So, idf I would talk of an object, I would probably think of a 2D-Element, and if I hear "entity", I would think of a 3d-element, that can be moved in the Level.
The level geometry (blocks) work very different. You can´t attach actions/functions to blocks. But you can build blocks as map-entities and then work with them in a similar way, as with models.
I wouldn´t call them objects, just in order to prevent confusion with panels and these things.

Edit: Okay, I see your question has gone into a more practical direction (typed my answer before your last post).
If you want to create a map-entity (in this case a door), you have to save the block as a prefab and then import in an empty level. Here (after texturing) you can compile / build this level, but not as a level, but as a map entity.
It becomes a .wmb file. This .wmb file can be placed in the folder of the original level, where you can use it in many ways like a model, you can give it actions, move it around and so on.

Cool! I understood that.
why would an entity, being a 3d element not contain "geomety". And what was happening behind the scenes when I imported the map entity of the door that would cause multiple instances of the element?

There is a very useful way to make copies of entitys, such as your door.
If you move it, while holding the shift-key it´s copied, so maybe this just happened accidentally?
Edit: But normally, if you place a model or map-entity with "add model" there should only be one copy.
The word "geometry" or "blocks" are normally used for these blocks, that are created with WED. A map entity is created in a similar way, but can be used different. There are certain rules and restrictions for levelgeometry, most important, that they must not be concave, must not be smaller than two quants and so on. Models, that are created with a model-editor work very different and more comfortable in many ways.

That certainly is possible. If I would have "shift copied" then wouldn't there be copies during design time and not just while running the build?

Thank you very much for your time and answers.

You´re welcome (and welcome on this forum btw. ), but I´m not sure if I understand the last question. If you make copies, they should be visible both in the 4 windows of WED and - after building (in this case just use "update entities)and hitting "run" - also with the engine. If you have too many doors, you can select and delete them from the level with the delete-key ...

Thanks for welcome!

Sorry about not being clear on that. I simply meant that there are no copies in the wed. They only appear when I build and run. However, as I just found out that if I close GS and re-open, then it works fine.
odd...I don't think this is an issue with 6.3v but rather an issue with "me.brain"

go into WED File->prefrences-> Advanced Tab and select the 'Auto' under the 'Reload of externaly modified files'

then you don;t need to shut down and re open wed and the level like you're doing