minetest.get_perlin() and minetest.get_perlin_map() Return nil

[prestidigitator]

The minetest.get_perlin() function returns nil in 0.4.8 (haven't tried other versions). The minetest.get_perlin_map() function, which is barely mentioned in lua_api.txt and not documented anywhere on the wiki, also returns nil in this version.

The PerlinNoise() constructor does return a valid object, on the other hand, as does the PerlinNoiseMap() constructor (which is not documented in the wiki).

There seem to be no notes in lua_api.txt or the wiki about any of these functions being deprecated or replaced, and without digging through Git history logs or source code it is impossible to tell the intent and thus whether it is the implementation or the documentation that needs to be fixed.

Running Ubuntu 13.10 with the minetestc55 0.4.8-0ppa1~ubuntu13.10.1 package installed through the stable apt repo, though I suspect there is nothing platform specific about this behavior.

[prestidigitator]

Here is Lua code that can show the symptoms:

Code: Select all

local NOISE_PARAMS =
   {
      offset = 0,
      scale = 1,
      spread = { x = 100, y = 100, z = 100 },
      seed = 23,
      octaves = 3,
      persist = 0.70
   };
local SIZE = { x = 100, y = 100, z = 100 };


local function logResult(context, obj)
   local msg = (obj and "good") or "nil";
   minetest.log("error", context.." returned "..msg.." object");
end

logResult("get_perlin", minetest.get_perlin(1, 2, 0.5, 100));

logResult("get_perlin_map", minetest.get_perlin_map(NOISE_PARAMS, SIZE));

logResult("PerlinNoise", PerlinNoise(23, 3, 0.70, 100));

logResult("PerlinNoiseMap", PerlinNoiseMap(NOISE_PARAMS, SIZE));

The expected output is:

Code: Select all

17:53:56: ERROR[main]: get_perlin returned good object
17:53:56: ERROR[main]: get_perlin_map returned good object
17:53:56: ERROR[main]: PerlinNoise returned good object
17:53:56: ERROR[main]: PerlinNoiseMap returned good object

but the observed output is:

Code: Select all

17:53:56: ERROR[main]: get_perlin returned nil object
17:53:56: ERROR[main]: get_perlin_map returned nil object
17:53:56: ERROR[main]: PerlinNoise returned good object
17:53:56: ERROR[main]: PerlinNoiseMap returned good object

[PilzAdam]

The code for get_perlin() wasnt touched since 0.4.7, and it doesnt return nil for me.

EDIT: Ah, found your problem: You can only call it after the environment is created. So put the code in minetest.after(0, ...) or so.

[prestidigitator]

Ah. I see. And the two that were returning nil depend on the world's seed, whereas the constructors do not. Okay. Makes sense. Thank you.

[PilzAdam]

EDIT: Ah, found your problem: You can only call it after the environment is created. So put the code in minetest.after(0, ...) or so.

like minetest.get_modpath()

In get_modpath() its exactly the other way round (IIRC), it only works the first time the modcode runs.