This quick reference guide was taken directly out of The Game Programmer's Guide to Torque by Edward Maurina. It's an outstanding resource - a must for anyone wanting to get serious about programming in Torque.

ShapeBaseData

These values do not change engine functions and are meant to be used by scripts.

0.03125
(is equal to 1 point per second)

These values do not change engine functions and are meant to be used by scripts.

0.03125
(is equal to 1 point per second)

Purpose
Use the getDeployTransform method to retrieve the transform that would result from deploying an unscaled object using this datablock at position with the specified normail.

Syntax
position – The postion to create the transform for.
normal – A vector representing the object's UP vector. This can be thought of as an object's tilt or leaning vector. If the object is to be placed at an angle, pass in a unit-vector that has the same orientation as a vector starting at postion and aligning with the requied angle.

Returns
Returns a deployment (placement) transform for an un-scaled and un-rotated datablock derived shape placed at the required location with an optional tilt.

See Also
checkDeployPos

Purpose
Use the checkDeployPos method to determine if placing an unscaled version of an object using this datablock will cause that shape to be embedded in a staticShape or an InteriorInstance.

Syntax
transforms – A normal transform, or a transform calculated using getDeployTransform.

Returns
Returns false if the placement will result in the new shape being embedded in a staticShape or an InteriorInstance. Otherwise, it will return true.

Notes
This check doesn't examine the area for all possible object, just staticShapes and Interiors. To include more objects you will need to edit the engine and add them to the list of 'interesting' objects.

See Also
getDeployTransform

“NoLight”
“ConstantLight”
”PulsingLight”

“Ignore”
“Loaded”
“Empty”

“NoRecoil”
“LightRecoil”
“MediumRecoil” “HeavyRecoil”

“Ignore”
“Stop”
“SpinUp”
”SpinDown”
“FullSpeed”

Purpose
Use the delete method to delete this object.

Returns
No return value.

Notes
When an object is deleted, it automatically:

• Unregisters its ID and name (if it has one) with the engine.
  
• Removes itself from any SimGroup or SimSet it may be a member of.
  
• (eventually) returns the memory associated with itself and its non-dynamic members.
  
• Cancels all pending %obj.schedule() events.

For objects in the GameBase, ScriptObject, or GUIControl hierarchies, an object will first:

• Call the onRemove() method for the object's namespace.

Purpose
Use the dump method to display the following information about this object:

• All engine registered console methods (including parent methods) for this object.
  
• All script registered console methods (including parent methods) for this object.
  
• All Non-Dynamic Fields
  
• All Dynamic Fields

Returns
No return value.

Purpose
Use the getClassName method to get the ConObject class name of this object.

Returns
Returns a string containing the ConObject registered name of this object's class.

Some Possible Returns:

• SimObject
  
• WheeledVehicle
  
• Player
  
• ...

See Also
getType

Purpose
Use the getGroup method to determine if this object is contained in a SimGroup and if so, which one.

Returns
Returns the ID of the SimGroup this shape is in or zero if the shape is not contained in a SimGroup.

Purpose
Use the getId method to get the numeric ID of this shape.

Returns
Returns the unique numeric ID of this shape.

See Also
getName, setName

Purpose
Use the getName method to get the name (if any) for this shape.

Returns
Returns a string containing the name of this shape, or the NULL string if this shape was never given a name (either when created or subsequently).

See Also
getID, setName

Purpose
Use the getType method to get the type for this object. This type is an integer value composed of bitmasks. For simplicity, these bitmasks are defined in the engine and exposed for our use as global variables.

Returns
Returns a bit mask containing one or more set bits.

Notes
To simplify the writing of scripts, a set of globals has been provided containing the bit setting for each class corresponding to a particular type. For a complete list of the bit masks, see the 'Shape Type Bitmasks' table.

-$TypeMasks::GameBaseObjectType
-- $TypeMasks::EnvironmentObjectType
-- $TypeMasks::ExplosionObjectType
-- $TypeMasks::ProjectileObjectType
-- $TypeMasks::ShapeBaseObjectType
--- $TypeMasks::CameraObjectType
--- $TypeMasks::ItemObjectType
--- $TypeMasks::MarkerObjectType
--- $TypeMasks::PlayerObjectType
--- $TypeMasks::StaticShapeObjectType
--- $TypeMasks::VehicleObjectType
-- $TypeMasks::TriggerObjectType
- $TypeMasks::InteriorObjectType
- $TypeMasks::StaticObjectType
- $TypeMasks::TerrainObjectType
- $TypeMasks::VehicleBlockerObjectType
- $TypeMasks::WaterObjectType

Two interesting general masks are:

• $TypeMasks::EnvironmentObjectType – Matches sky, sun, lightning, particle emitter nodes.
  
• $TypeMasks::StaticObjectType – Matches – fxFoliageReplicator, fxLight, fxShapeReplicator, fxSunlight, interiorInstance, lightning, mirrorSubObject, missionMarker, staticShape, terrain, tsStatic

See Also
getClassName

Purpose
Use the schedule method to schedule an action to be executed upon this object time milliseconds in the future.

Syntax
time – Time in milliseconds till action is scheduled to occur.
command – Name of the command to execute. This command must be scoped to this object (i.e. It must exist in the namespace of the object), otherwise the schedule call will fail.
arg1...argN – These are optional arguments which will be passed to command. This version of schedule automatically passes the ID of %obj as arg0 to command.

Returns
Returns an integer schedule ID.

Notes
The major difference between this and the schedule console function is that if this object is deleted prior to the scheduled event, the event is automatically cancelled.

times should not be treated as exact since some 'simulation delay' is to be expected. The minimum resolution for a scheuled event is ~32 ms, or one tick.

schedule does not validate the existance of command. i.e. If you pass an invalid console method name, the schedule() method will still return a schedule ID, but the subsequent event will fail silently.

See Also
See the schedule console function and its corresponding helper functions.

Purpose
Use the setName method to give this shape a new name.

Syntax
name – A string containing the new name for this shape, or a NULL string to un-name this shape.

Returns
No return value.

Notes
Names can be compose of non-alphanumeric symbols, but be careful when doing this.

See Also
getID, getName