Despawnfader

Based on game build 714014 | Last updated: 2026-03-03

Overview

DespawnFader handles the visual fading-out of an entity and ensures its removal after the fade completes. It supports both master and client simulation, synchronizing the fade progress across the network via net_tinybyte. When activated (e.g., via FadeOut()), the entity's opacity fades linearly over time, and the entity is either removed on the master or ceases updating on clients once faded.

Usage example

local inst = CreateEntity()
inst:AddComponent("despawnfader")
inst.components.despawnfader:FadeOut()
-- The entity will fade out visually and be removed after ~1 second

Dependencies & tags

Components used: AnimState, persists, replica.despawnfader._fade Tags: Adds NOCLICK during fading; removes the entity entirely when fade completes.

Properties

Property	Type	Default Value	Description
fadeval	number	0	Current fade progress, ranging from 1 (fully opaque) to 0 (fully transparent).
updating	boolean	false	Whether the component is currently being updated via StartUpdatingComponent.
_fade	net_tinybyte	net_tinybyte(inst.GUID, ...)	Networked value representing fade progress, synced as an integer scaled by 7.

Main functions

FadeOut()

• Description: Initiates the fade-out sequence: sets fade progress to full, starts updates, disables click interaction, and disables persistence.
• Parameters: None.
• Returns: Nothing.
• Error states: No-op if already fading (i.e., updating is true); otherwise begins the fade and transition.

OnUpdate(dt)

• Description: Runs each frame during fading; updates opacity based on fadeval, syncs progress on master, and removes the entity when fade completes.
• Parameters: dt (number) — Delta time in seconds since last frame.
• Returns: Nothing.
• Error states: On clients, stops updating when fadeval <= 0; on master, removes the entity instance.

OnRemoveFromEntity()

• Description: Cleans up event listeners on the client side when the component is removed.
• Parameters: None.
• Returns: Nothing.

Events & listeners

• Listens to: fadedirty — triggers manual recalculation of fadeval on clients when the networked value changes (via _fade update).
• Pushes: None.