ID by Name (Flowgraph Node)

Overview

• Node Name: ID by Name
• Category: simple
• File: extensions/flowgraph/nodes/scene/idByName.lua

Looks up a scene object's numeric ID by its string name. One of the most commonly used utility nodes in flowgraphs.

Pin Schema

Input Pins

Output Pins

Behavior

• work() - Each frame:
  1. If the name pin is connected, reads from it; otherwise uses self.data.name (hardcoded).
  2. Calls scenetree.findObject(name) to look up the object.
  3. If found, caches the ID and outputs it with exist = true.
  4. If not found, outputs exist = false.
• onClientEndMission() / onClientStartMission() / _executionStarted() - Clears the cached ID so it's re-resolved.
• drawMiddle() - Shows the object name and resolved ID in the editor.

Internals

• self.data.name - The hardcoded object name (editable in node properties)
• self.objID - Cached resolved ID (cleared on mission transitions)

Key Dependencies

• scenetree.findObject(name) - Finds a scene object by string name
• obj:getID() - Returns the numeric ID of the found object

How It Works

This is the standard "name to ID" resolver for flowgraphs. Most scene nodes work with numeric object IDs, so this node bridges the gap by looking up objects by their human-readable names. The ID is cached for performance but cleared on mission start/end to handle scene changes. Supports both hardcoded names (via node data) and dynamic names (via pin).

Example Usage

-- Look up a trigger zone by name
-- Hardcode name = "missionTrigger01" in node properties
-- Or wire a dynamic name from another node
-- Wire objID output to Get Object Field, Show/Hide, or other scene nodes
-- Check exist output before using the ID

Additional Methods

C:init()

Initializes the node, setting up pins and default properties.

See Also

• Collection Marker (Flowgraph Node) - Related reference
• Custom Lua Command (Flowgraph Node) - Related reference
• Get Object Field (Flowgraph Node) - Related reference
• FlowGraph Guide - Guide