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Plantregrowth

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

Overview​

PlantRegrowth implements a centralized, batched update system for plant regrowth mechanics across the world. It tracks per-prefab internal timers using InternalTimes, periodically checks entities that own this component during scheduled buckets, and spawns nearby instances of the configured product prefab if growth conditions (e.g., terrain, proximity, spacing) are satisfied. It supports seasonal and moon-phase modifiers via TimeMultipliers, and handles save/load state serialization to preserve timing across sessions.

Usage example​

local inst = CreateEntity()
inst:AddTag("plant")
inst:AddComponent("plantregrowth")
inst.components.plantregrowth:SetRegrowthRate(1800) -- 30 minutes base
inst.components.plantregrowth:SetProduct("pinecone")
inst.components.plantregrowth:SetSearchTag("tree")
inst.components.plantregrowth:ResetGrowthTime()

Dependencies & tags​

Components used: None identified
Tags: Adds plant (via the prefab string in TrySpawnNearby), checks structure and wall as blockers; reads tags like "tree" and "plant" indirectly via searchtag and prefab.

Properties​

PropertyTypeDefault ValueDescription
regrowthratenumbernilBase time (in seconds) required for regrowth; used with variance in ResetGrowthTime.
productstringnilPrefab name to spawn on successful regrowth; defaults to self.inst.prefab if nil.
searchtagstringnilTag used when counting existing entities in the spawn area.
nextregrowthnumber0Internal timestamp when regrowth is allowed.
fiveradiusnumbernilCached radius around this plant for regrowth checks; computed lazily.
skip_plant_checkbooleannilIf true, bypasses Map:CanPlantAtPoint check during spawn.

Main functions​

ResetGrowthTime()​

  • Description: Sets nextregrowth to the current internal time for this plant’s prefab plus a random variance (±20% of regrowthrate). Used to initialize or reset the regrowth window.
  • Parameters: None.
  • Returns: Nothing.

SetRegrowthRate(rate)​

  • Description: Sets the base regrowthrate and registers this instance into the global batched update system. If the current internal time has already exceeded nextregrowth, it immediately resets the timer.
  • Parameters: rate (number) - base regrowth duration in seconds.
  • Returns: Nothing.

SetProduct(product)​

  • Description: Specifies the prefab to spawn during regrowth. If unset, the instance's own prefab is used.
  • Parameters: product (string) - prefab name.
  • Returns: Nothing.

SetSearchTag(tag)​

  • Description: Specifies the tag used when counting nearby entities during regrowth (via TheSim:FindEntities).
  • Parameters: tag (string) - tag to filter entities in spawn area.
  • Returns: Nothing.

SetSkipCanPlantCheck(bool)​

  • Description: If true, skips the Map:CanPlantAtPoint check during GetSpawnPoint, allowing regrowth on non-plantable terrain (e.g., some structures).
  • Parameters: bool (boolean).
  • Returns: Nothing.

OnRemoveFromEntity() / OnRemoveEntity()​

  • Description: Removes this instance from the global batched update buckets and cancels the global update task if no instances remain.
  • Parameters: None.
  • Returns: Nothing.

TrySpawnNearby()​

  • Description: Checks if regrowth is due; if so, attempts to find a valid nearby spawn location using GetSpawnPoint. If a location is found and the area is not overcrowded (fewer than 5 matching entities), spawns the product prefab at that location.
  • Parameters: None.
  • Returns: Nothing.
  • Error states: Returns early without resetting the timer if nextregrowth has not been reached; resets the timer on failure even if spawn fails.

OnSave()​

  • Description: Returns a table containing the remaining regrowth time (nextregrowth - InternalTimes[prefab]) for serialization.
  • Parameters: None.
  • Returns: Table with regrowthtime key, or nil if empty.

OnLoad(data)​

  • Description: Restores nextregrowth using the loaded remaining time and current InternalTimes[prefab].
  • Parameters: data (table | nil) - data returned from OnSave.
  • Returns: Nothing.

GetDebugString()​

  • Description: Returns a human-readable string with current fiveradius and remaining regrowth time. If fiveradius is not yet computed, it is lazily initialized first.
  • Parameters: None.
  • Returns: string - formatted debug info (e.g., "fiveradius: 6.42 regrowth time: 420.00" or "NO GROWTH HERE").

Events & listeners​

  • Listens to: onremovefromentity — triggers OnRemoveFromEntity.
  • Listens to: onremoveentity — triggers OnRemoveEntity.
  • Pushes: None identified.