Prop Balloon - Turn props into balloons

[JamminR]

Description:
Ever wanted to turn something into a balloon without having to weld/attach balloons to it? Now's your chance!
Prop Balloon allows you to set negative or positive lift on any prop that allows physics.

Features:

• Use positive numbers to make a prop want to fly.
• Use negative numbers to make a prop want to stick to the ground.
• Use negative numbers on props to become less bouyant in water. For instance blue barrel at ~ -1200 (I forget exact) won't raise to surface, but won't sink to bottom either

Known issues

• Like Garry's Magnetize Tool, any constraints connected to an item you turn into a balloon _will_be_ LOST

Installation:
Unzip into your <drive><steampath><username><garrysmod>/addons folder.

ChangeLog:
0.30; - First release to Ulysses forums - Beta 0.30 - getting late, wanted to get it out the proverbial door.
0.40;

• Should now work on servers
• Fixed sbox_max issue (added a default limit .. 6) - sbox_maxprop_balloon
• Added text for hitting sbox_maxprop_balloon limit
• Corrected text for Undone.

Note:
Though I've long wanted to be able to do this (turn any prop into a balloon), general 'push' to do so was (can you believe it?!) inspired by a Facepunch request post
http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=844778

Do NOT upload this to any other download site. Though you may share it, please link to this individual release post.
When I've improved it more, I will add a download link that doesn't require registration.

Download:

[Megiddo]

Yay! Was hoping you'd finish this up.

[JamminR]

haha, so I'd stop asking if you knew of a way to get it to do what I want it to do in a simpler way?
Still not finished, but wanted to get it released before the weekend ended.

[RynO-SauruS]

Sounds like fun. Nice!

[JamminR]

Thanks to those interested, and to the one person so far who's downloaded it.
I tested it on a server and, oops... found that it wouldn't work..didn't set an sbox_max convar for it.
It should now work on a server.

v04 beta Changelog -
Fixed sbox_max issue (added a default limit .. 6) - sbox_maxprop_balloon
Added text for hitting sbox_maxpropballoon limit
Corrected text for Undone.
Few other tweaks I can't remember.

Still no constraint 'memory' - turning any prop into a balloon will erase all constraints.

[Datsun]

I downloaded it. Works really good. I haven't seen or experienced any lua errors or anything so far. If I find anything, I will be sure and let you know. So far so good.

[JamminR]

Hopefully you won't find any!
I think I figured out how to make it so that when you spawn the prop it doesn't automatically go floating off.
Thinking about adding that as a toggle. (Spawn Frozen)
Hope to get that put in within the next week or two.

(Oh, and welcome to Ulysses forums Datsun.)

[atomicspark]

Being me, I'll suggest renaming "Lift (500)" to "Vertical Force" in the tool properties and "Lift: #" to "Force: #" on hover. This not only makes it consistent with the balloon spawner, but "Lift" implies that your prop balloon can only go upwards.

[JamminR]

Did Garry change his balloon text? Or did I change his?
Either way,
1) Negative Lift is still negative vertical force.
2) I pretty much sandbagged this project.
I just simply lost interest. So many things could be done with it to improve it, I just moved on.
I considered releasing it in FacePunch Lua scripts section (Not releases), but as usual, FP mentality just made me decide not to.

If anyone wants to pick it up, feel free.
Biggest next step in the project (in my mind) would be to have it save the constraints already used on whatever you're turning into a balloon.
I've always hated the "Physical properties" stool for losing them.

[Stickly Man!]

Good work JamminR! 

As I'm on vacation, you should bug Megiddo to add your cvsr to the list of xgui sandbox limits! 

[JamminR]

Stickly Man,
Uh, thanks. (Good job for a release? You missed it last January, right?)
I've stopped working on it.
With only 17 downloads of it since Jan 2010, does it really warrant adding to the master cvar list?
If I ever decide to post it in the FacePunch Lua scripting area so others might pick it back up, I guess that might be worth doing.

[Megiddo]

With only 17 downloads of it since Jan 2010, does it really warrant adding to the master cvar list?

Don't you mean since February?

[JamminR]

You're right Megiddo!
That means it's much more popular than I thought. Definitely need to add it then, huh!

[Stickly Man!]

heh, wow, guess that's what I get for browsing on a phone (I thought it was a new release)

Either way, isn't that what the xgui cvarlist is for? Getting a list of known sandbox limits, even the less popular ones?