Random vehicle race script

[[FOTL]Aphex]

Hi all, I've been trying to create a random vehicle script for use in a race map. I have tested it locally and it works OK but I've been told that it is buggy when uploaded to a server in the sense that sometimes the vehicles don't change.

local CP1 = createMarker (2642.626, -1115.870, -999, "checkpoint", 6.25, 255, 200, 0, 0) 
local CP2 = createMarker (2642.812, -1258.972, -999, "checkpoint", 6.25, 255, 200, 0, 0) 
local CP3 = createMarker (2643.045, -1495.755, -999, "checkpoint", 6.25, 255, 200, 0, 0) 
local CP4 = createMarker (2821.937, -1657.358, -999, "checkpoint", 6.25, 255, 200, 0, 0) 
local CP5 = createMarker (2838.349, -1092.804, -999, "checkpoint", 6.25, 255, 200, 0, 0) 
local CP6 = createMarker (2886.200, -605.426, -999, "checkpoint", 6.25, 255, 200, 0, 0) 
local CP7 = createMarker (2740.237, -177.5, -999, "checkpoint", 9.25, 255, 200, 0, 0) 
local CP8 = createMarker (2767.004, 121.403, -999, "checkpoint", 14.25, 255, 200, 0, 0) 
local CP9 = createMarker (2687.881, 360.221, -999, "checkpoint", 24.25, 255, 200, 0, 0) 
local CP10 = createMarker (2195.303, 470.810, -999, "checkpoint", 14.25, 255, 200, 0, 0) 
local CP11 = createMarker (2170.537, 226.546, -999, "checkpoint", 14.25, 255, 200, 0, 0) 
local CP12 = createMarker (2240.647, -207.770, -999, "checkpoint", 14.25, 255, 200, 0, 0) 
local CP13 = createMarker (2343.595, -85.403, -999, "checkpoint", 6.25, 255, 200, 0, 0) 
local CP14 = createMarker (2343.689, 91.9994, -999, "checkpoint", 6.25, 255, 200, 0, 0) 
local CP15 = createMarker (2343.988, 343.850, -999, "checkpoint", 6.25, 255, 200, 0, 0) 
local CP16 = createMarker (2344.120, 759.821, -999, "checkpoint", 14.25, 255, 200, 0, 0) 
local CP17 = createMarker (2477.256, 1042.617, -999, "checkpoint", 14.25, 255, 200, 0, 0) 
local CPCount = 0 
local carids = {429, 541, 415, 480, 562, 565, 434, 494, 502, 503, 411, 559, 561, 560, 506, 451, 558, 555, 477, 602, 496, 401, 518, 527, 589, 419, 533, 526, 474, 545, 517, 410, 600, 436, 580, 439, 549, 491, 445, 604, 507, 585, 587, 466, 492, 546, 551, 516, 467, 426, 547, 405, 409, 550, 566, 540, 421, 529, 581, 509, 481, 462, 521, 463, 510, 522, 461, 448, 468, 586, 485, 552, 431, 438, 437, 574, 420, 525, 408, 416, 433, 427, 490, 528, 407, 544, 523, 470, 598, 596, 597, 599, 432, 601, 428, 499, 609, 498, 524, 532, 578, 486, 406, 573, 455, 588, 403, 514, 423, 414, 443, 515, 531, 456, 459, 422, 482, 605, 530, 418, 572, 582, 413, 440, 543, 583, 478, 554, 536, 575, 534, 567, 535, 576, 412, 402, 542, 603, 475, 568, 424, 504, 457, 483, 508, 571, 500, 444, 556, 557, 471, 495, 539, 579, 400, 404, 489, 505, 479, 442, 458} 
local boatids = {472, 473, 493, 595, 484, 430, 453, 452, 446, 454} 
local planeids = {592, 577, 511, 548, 512, 593, 425, 520, 417, 487, 553, 488, 497, 563, 476, 447, 519, 460, 469, 513} 
  
function randomCar(player, dimension) 
    if source == CP1 then 
        if CPCount == 0 then 
            if getElementType(player) == "player" then 
                local veh = getPedOccupiedVehicle(player) 
                if veh then 
                    setElementModel (veh, carids[math.random(1,161)]) 
                    CPCount = 1 
                end 
            end 
        end 
    end 
    if source == CP2 then 
        if CPCount == 1 then 
            if getElementType(player) == "player" then 
                local veh = getPedOccupiedVehicle(player) 
                if veh then 
                    setElementModel (veh, carids[math.random(1,161)]) 
                    CPCount = 2 
                end 
            end 
        end 
    end 
    if source == CP3 then 
        if CPCount == 2 then 
            if getElementType(player) == "player" then 
                local veh = getPedOccupiedVehicle(player) 
                if veh then 
                    setElementModel (veh, carids[math.random(1,161)]) 
                    CPCount = 3 
                end 
            end 
        end 
    end 
    if source == CP4 then 
        if CPCount == 3 then 
            if getElementType(player) == "player" then 
                local veh = getPedOccupiedVehicle(player) 
                if veh then 
                    setElementModel (veh, carids[math.random(1,161)]) 
                    CPCount = 4 
                end 
            end 
        end 
    end 
    if source == CP5 then 
        if CPCount == 4 then 
            if getElementType(player) == "player" then 
                local veh = getPedOccupiedVehicle(player) 
                if veh then 
                    setElementModel (veh, carids[math.random(1,161)]) 
                    CPCount = 5 
                end 
            end 
        end 
    end 
    if source == CP6 then 
        if CPCount == 5 then 
            if getElementType(player) == "player" then 
                local veh = getPedOccupiedVehicle(player) 
                if veh then 
                    setElementModel (veh, carids[math.random(1,161)]) 
                    CPCount = 6 
                end 
            end 
        end 
    end 
    if source == CP7 then 
        if CPCount == 6 then 
            if getElementType(player) == "player" then 
                local veh = getPedOccupiedVehicle(player) 
                if veh then 
                    setElementModel (veh, carids[math.random(1,161)]) 
                    CPCount = 7 
                end 
            end 
        end 
    end 
    if source == CP8 then 
        if CPCount == 7 then 
            if getElementType(player) == "player" then 
                local veh = getPedOccupiedVehicle(player) 
                if veh then 
                    setElementModel (veh, carids[math.random(1,161)]) 
                    CPCount = 8 
                end 
            end 
        end 
    end 
    if source == CP9 then 
        if CPCount == 8 then 
            if getElementType(player) == "player" then 
                local veh = getPedOccupiedVehicle(player) 
                if veh then 
                    setElementModel (veh, boatids[math.random(1,10)]) 
                    CPCount = 9 
                end 
            end 
        end 
    end 
    if source == CP10 then 
        if CPCount == 9 then 
            if getElementType(player) == "player" then 
                local veh = getPedOccupiedVehicle(player) 
                if veh then 
                    setElementModel (veh, boatids[math.random(1,10)]) 
                    CPCount = 10 
                end 
            end 
        end 
    end 
    if source == CP11 then 
        if CPCount == 10 then 
            if getElementType(player) == "player" then 
                local veh = getPedOccupiedVehicle(player) 
                if veh then 
                    setElementModel (veh, boatids[math.random(1,10)]) 
                    CPCount = 11 
                end 
            end 
        end 
    end 
    if source == CP12 then 
        if CPCount == 11 then 
            if getElementType(player) == "player" then 
                local veh = getPedOccupiedVehicle(player) 
                if veh then 
                    setElementModel (veh, carids[math.random(1,161)]) 
                    CPCount = 12 
                end 
            end 
        end 
    end 
    if source == CP13 then 
        if CPCount == 12 then 
            if getElementType(player) == "player" then 
                local veh = getPedOccupiedVehicle(player) 
                if veh then 
                    setElementModel (veh, carids[math.random(1,161)]) 
                    CPCount = 13 
                end 
            end 
        end 
    end 
    if source == CP14 then 
        if CPCount == 13 then 
            if getElementType(player) == "player" then 
                local veh = getPedOccupiedVehicle(player) 
                if veh then 
                    setElementModel (veh, carids[math.random(1,161)]) 
                    CPCount = 14 
                end 
            end 
        end 
    end 
    if source == CP15 then 
        if CPCount == 14 then 
            if getElementType(player) == "player" then 
                local veh = getPedOccupiedVehicle(player) 
                if veh then 
                    setElementModel (veh, carids[math.random(1,20)]) 
                    CPCount = 15 
                end 
            end 
        end 
    end 
    if source == CP16 then 
        if CPCount == 15 then 
            if getElementType(player) == "player" then 
                local veh = getPedOccupiedVehicle(player) 
                if veh then 
                    setElementModel (veh, planeids[math.random(1,20)]) 
                    CPCount = 16 
                end 
            end 
        end 
    end 
    if source == CP17 then 
        if CPCount == 16 then 
            if getElementType(player) == "player" then 
                local veh = getPedOccupiedVehicle(player) 
                if veh then 
                    setElementModel (veh, planeids[math.random(1,20)]) 
                    CPCount = 17 
                end 
            end 
        end 
    end 
end 
addEventHandler('onMarkerHit', getRootElement(), randomCar) 

As it is the markers are at the same coordinates as the race checkpoints, although I have made the markers 4 sizes bigger than the CPs so they have the same active radius (i.e. if the CP size = 2.25, then the marker size = 6.25). I've also made the markers at -999 on the z axis because setting the alpha setting to zero had no effect (it was still visible).

I am a novice at lua scripting btw... am I doing anything wrong? is there any way of making the script more efficient??

Please be gentle, lol, any help will be excellent!

[SDK]

hai thar

local carids = {429, 541, 415, 480, 562, 565, 434, 494, 502, 503, 411, 559, 561, 560, 506, 451, 558, 555, 477, 602, 496, 401, 518, 527, 589, 419, 533, 526, 474, 545, 517, 410, 600, 436, 580, 439, 549, 491, 445, 604, 507, 585, 587, 466, 492, 546, 551, 516, 467, 426, 547, 405, 409, 550, 566, 540, 421, 529, 581, 509, 481, 462, 521, 463, 510, 522, 461, 448, 468, 586, 485, 552, 431, 438, 437, 574, 420, 525, 408, 416, 433, 427, 490, 528, 407, 544, 523, 470, 598, 596, 597, 599, 432, 601, 428, 499, 609, 498, 524, 532, 578, 486, 406, 573, 455, 588, 403, 514, 423, 414, 443, 515, 531, 456, 459, 422, 482, 605, 530, 418, 572, 582, 413, 440, 543, 583, 478, 554, 536, 575, 534, 567, 535, 576, 412, 402, 542, 603, 475, 568, 424, 504, 457, 483, 508, 571, 500, 444, 556, 557, 471, 495, 539, 579, 400, 404, 489, 505, 479, 442, 458} 
local boatids = {472, 473, 493, 595, 484, 430, 453, 452, 446, 454} 
local planeids = {592, 577, 511, 548, 512, 593, 425, 520, 417, 487, 553, 488, 497, 563, 476, 447, 519, 460, 469, 513} 
  
function randomCar(checkpoint, time) 
    local veh = getPedOccupiedVehicle(source) 
     
    if 1 <= checkpoint and checkpoint <= 8 then 
        setElementModel (veh, carids[math.random(#carids)]) 
    elseif checkpoint <= 11 then 
        setElementModel (veh, boatids[math.random(#boatids)]) 
    elseif checkpoint <= 15 then 
        setElementModel (veh, carids[math.random(#carids)]) 
    elseif checkpoint <= 17 then 
        setElementModel (veh, planeids[math.random(#planeids)]) 
    end 
end 
addEvent('onPlayerReachCheckpoint') 
addEventHandler('onPlayerReachCheckpoint', getRootElement(), randomCar) 

No need for all the markers, race has a checkpoint event

(and you won't need to check if the player exists and has a vehicle)

No need for so many if's, you can say "between those checkpoints"

[[FOTL]Aphex]

Hey SDK...

Aaaaaaaah, Thanks a lot... I've been scouring the wiki - searched for "checkpoint" and nothing came up... i was just about to try out createColCirlce instead of markers lol

That certainly is a lot more efficient! Thanks again. You're a gentleman and a scholar!

EDIT: Can I just ask... with the math.random(#carids) - does the #carids automatically specify the amount of cells in the array?

and for:

function randomCar (checkpoint, time) 

What does time refer to? (sounds silly I know) Do I have to specify a duration??? or is it a placeholder for something I dont need?

[SDK]

Aaaaaaaah, Thanks a lot... I've been scouring the wiki - searched for "checkpoint" and nothing came up... i was just about to try out createColCirlce instead of markers lol

Yeah, it's hidden in the resource catalogue

https://wiki.multitheftauto.com/wiki/Resource:Race

EDIT: Can I just ask... with the math.random(#carids) - does the #carids automatically specify the amount of cells in the array?

Yup, and math.random(1,#carids) is the same as math.random(#carids). If you give one parameter for math.random, it returns a number between 1 and the parameter.

and for:

function randomCar (checkpoint, time) 

What does time refer to? (sounds silly I know) Do I have to specify a duration??? or is it a placeholder for something I dont need?

time = time since the race started, in milliseconds.

And yeah, it's kinda a placeholder, but you can remove it if you want. Lua will not complain if you don't define all the variables that are passed through a function.

[[FOTL]Aphex]

Thanks for the reply... and hehe, just found that hidden Resource:Race thing by googling for onPlayerReachCheckpoint

Easy when you know how, eh! Thanks again.