✨ Instalation

Download local package
Download visualizer

Import using menu: Tools ➜ Import Local Asset Package, or by dragging and dropping the .yymps file onto the workspace area of the GameMaker window.

Examples_Beam.mp4

⚡ Basic Use:

// Lightning(start_point, end_point)

// CREATE EVENT
bolt = new Lightning({x:100, y:100}, {x:300, y:500});

// DRAW EVENT
bolt.update();

Start/end-point can be anything with x and y variables,
like struct literal (above), your own struct, object instance:

// CREATE EVENT
start_point = instance_create_layer(0, 0, "Instances", obj_cloud);
bolt = new Lightning(start_point, obj_player);

When using anonymous struct literal, you can update lightning position with update_start(x, y) and update_end(x, y) methods

Run visualizer to customize lightning and generate code that will set all parameters

When drawing more than one lightning utilizing same glow effect use draw,glow_set,glow_reset methods:

// DRAW EVENT
bolt.glow_set();

bolt.draw();
bolt_2.draw();
bolt_3.draw();
// draw anything here that you want to apply glow to

bolt.glow_reset();

🌩️ Lightning Strikes:

Exmaples_Strike.mp4

Make a Lightning and provide it to LightningStrike constructor - it will be used as a template for strike effects

var template = new Lightning({x:0, y:0}, {x:0, y:0}).set_fade_in(true);
lightning = new LightningStrike(template);

// DRAW EVENT
lightning.update();
// or
lightning.glow_set();
lightning.draw();
lightning.glow_reset();

Now you can use strike method whenever you want:

/* strike
* @param {Real} _start_x Start point x coordinate
* @param {Real} _start_y Start point y coordinate
* @param {Real} _end_x End point x coordinate
* @param {Real} _end_y End point y coordinate
* @param {Real} [_duration] [Optional] How long will lightning be shown (in frames)
* @param {Real} [_fade_in_speed] [Optional] Speed of a fade in animation. By default speed set in template will be used
* @param {Array} [_collateral] [Optional] array of points (instances, structs, etc) that have a chance to be hit by child lightnings
*/

// STEP EVENT
if (mouse_check_button_pressed(mb_right)) {
  var _x = random(room_width);
  lightning.strike(_x, 0, _x, 800);
}

Acknowledgements:

Perlin Noise by Nate Hunter - functions, shader
Disk Glow by Xor
Neon Glow by Jan Vorisek
Electric discharge simulation idea from Pierluigi Pesenti