Last Update: 2023-07-06

Interaction Properties

API Version: 619045

Interaction properties define how entities in Don't Starve Together can be interacted with by players and other entities. These properties span across various components and create a consistent interaction system that handles actions like examining, picking up, attacking, and using items.

Core Interaction Properties

Property	Type	Description
clickable	Boolean	Whether the entity can be clicked on
inspectable	Boolean	Whether the entity can be examined
isactivatable	Boolean	Whether the entity can be activated
interactive	Boolean	General property for interactive status
useable	Boolean	Whether the entity can be used
useableitem	Boolean	Whether the item can be used on other entities
actionable	Boolean	Whether actions can be performed on the entity
attackwhenworkable	Boolean	Whether entity is attacked when right-clicked with a tool
inventoryitem	Boolean	Whether the entity can be picked up into inventory
unwrappable	Boolean	Whether the entity can be unwrapped
activatable	Boolean	Whether the entity can be turned on/off

Interaction Mechanisms

Interactions in Don't Starve Together work through a layered system of action priority and targeting:

Action Detection and Prioritization

When a player attempts to interact with an entity, the system follows these steps:

1. Detect Possible Actions: Identify all possible actions based on:

   • The entity's components
   • The player's current state (items held, buffs, etc.)
   • Distance and positioning

2. Action Prioritization: Sort actions based on priority values

   • Higher priority actions are shown first in the action wheel
   • Default actions are executed when right-clicking without a specific selection

3. Action Execution: Perform the selected action through the component's handler

-- Example action handler
function SomeComponent:DoAction(act)
    if act.action == ACTIONS.EXAMINE then
        -- Handle examination
        return true
    elseif act.action == ACTIONS.PICKUP then
        -- Handle pickup
        return true
    end
    return false
end

Interaction Distance

Interactions have distance requirements:

• Standard Interaction: Usually requires player to be within ~2-4 game units
• Far Interaction: Some actions can work at longer ranges (e.g., examining)
• Weapon Interaction: Based on weapon reach for attacks
• Obstacle Checking: Line-of-sight checks for many interactions

-- Example distance check in component
function Component:TestAction(act, doer)
    -- Check if interaction is physically possible
    if act.action == ACTIONS.INTERACT and 
       doer:GetDistanceSqToInst(self.inst) <= self.interaction_distance_sq then
        return true
    end
    return false
end

Action Types

Don't Starve Together has several standard action types:

Action	Description	Common Components
EXAMINE	Look at and describe the entity	Inspectable
PICKUP	Pick up into inventory	Inventoryitem
EAT	Consume for food value	Edible
CHOP	Cut down with an axe	Workable
MINE	Break with a pickaxe	Workable
HAMMER	Dismantle with a hammer	Workable
ATTACK	Deal damage	Combat
LIGHT	Light on fire	Lighter
USE	Use an item	UseableItem
DEPLOY	Place in the world	Deployable
HARVEST	Collect resources	Harvestable
COOK	Cook on fire	Cookable
REPAIR	Fix damaged item	Repairable
STORE	Put into container	Container
EQUIP	Wear or hold	Equippable
OPEN	Open container	Container

Entity State and Interactions

Entity state affects available interactions:

• Burning: Usually prevents standard interactions
• Frozen: Many interactions disabled until thawed
• Sleeping: Can enable special interactions
• Building: Different interactions during construction
• Damaged: May enable repair actions
• Charged: Special interactions for electrical items

Interaction-Related Components

Several components define interaction properties:

Component	Key Interaction Properties
Inspectable	description, nameoverride, getstatus
Inventoryitem	cangoincontainer, nobounce, canbepickedup
Workable	workable, workleft, workaction, onwork
UseableItem	canuse, onuse, inuse
Equippable	equipslot, isequipped, onequip
Activatable	inactive, inactive_name, active_name
Tradable	goldvalue, tradefor, acceptsstacks

Custom Interaction Handlers

Games and mods can define custom interaction handlers through component methods:

-- Example of custom interaction handler
function MyComponent:GetActionVerb(actiontype)
    if actiontype == "EXAMINE" then
        return "Analyze"  -- Custom examine verb
    elseif actiontype == "ACTIVATE" then
        return self.activated and "Deactivate" or "Activate"
    end
    return nil -- Fall back to default
end

function MyComponent:CustomInteract(doer)
    -- Custom interaction logic here
    self.inst:PushEvent("interacted_with", {doer = doer})
    return true
end

Controller Support

Interaction properties handle different input methods:

• Mouse/Keyboard: Direct clicking on entities
• Controller: Auto-targeting nearby entities
• Action Wheel: When multiple actions are available
• Action Prioritization: Determining which action to perform

-- Example controller targeting priority
function MyComponent:TranslateControllerUse()
    if self.canuseontargets then
        return "INTERACT"  -- Higher priority for controller users
    end
    return nil
end

Common Interaction Events

Entities trigger several interaction-related events:

• onactivate - When activated
• ondeactivate - When deactivated
• onpickup - When item is picked up
• ondrop - When item is dropped
• onputininventory - When placed in inventory
• onremoved - When removed from inventory
• onopen - When container is opened
• onclose - When container is closed
• onbuilt - When structure is built

See also

• Inspectable Component - For entity examination
• Workable Component - For work-based interactions like chopping and mining
• Inventoryitem Component - For pickup and inventory interactions
• Equippable Component - For wearing and wielding items
• Trader Component - For trading interactions
• Container Component - For storage interactions
• ActionHandler System - For the action handling system