The Switch Guide

The Switch Guide​

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Introduction To Switches​

First off you will need to understand what switches are. Switches are things made in Forge that allow players to interact with them to do different functions. For example, some functions of switches include; openable doors, dumpster cannons, vehicle dispensers, and moving heavy objects. They are called switches because they almost always need an player to interact with them to activate them (switch them on).

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Switch Categories​

Most, if not all, switches fall into 3 main categories; Flow switches, Damage Switches, and Supply Switches. Each category has different characteristics:

Flow Switches - Switches that aid or restrict a player from going from point A to point B. These include such switches as doors, elevators, catapults, and switches that involve the use of teleporters.
FLOW SWITCH FORUM

Damage Switches - Switches that causes harm to a player. The damage inflicted on the player can range from slightly draining their shields to completely killing them. Damage switches include switches like dumpster cannons, fusion coil trip wires, and shield-draining doors.
DAMAGE SWITCH FORUM

Supply Switches - Switches that aid a player. These switches provide a player with things like weapons, vehicles, equipment, and power-ups.
SUPPLY SWITCH FORUM

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Switch Techs​

There are many different techs that people use to create switches. Techs are usually different ways of activating a switch. Here are the primary techs that are used:

Wire (Touch) Tech - When an object is undisturbed for several seconds, the game's physics engine and collision detection system ignore it. Such ignored objects are not affected by Grav Lifts, Man Cannons, or even gravity itself. If, however, these objects are touched or hit by some force (be it a player, a bullet, an explosion, or anything else), then they stop being ignored, and Grav Lifts, Man Cannons, and gravity once again begin to affect them.
MORE ABOUT WIRE TECH - EXAMPLE OF WIRE TECH

Min/Max Tech - Min/max tech gets its name from Forge Objects' Run-Time Minimum and Run-Time Maximum settings which allow the switch to work. A min/max switch is basically a mechanism that relies on the destruction of an object; when the object is destroyed, the Run-Time Minimum setting forces a different instance of the object to spawn elsewhere. The most commonly-used objects in min/max switches are Fusion Coils, Grav Lifts, and Pallets, because they are all easily broken.
MORE ABOUT MIN/MAX TECH - EXAMPLE OF MIN/MAX TECH

Roller Tech - Roller tech is the use on cylindrical or spherical objects such as barrels or propane tanks to move heavy objects that would otherwise be immovable to a player such as barriers or dumpsters.
MORE ABOUT ROLLER TECH - EXAMPLE OF ROLLER TECH

RB Tech - RB tech is the use of the Xbox controller's right bumper (RB) to flip an offset vehicle. The movement of this vehicle is usually used ro activate a touch switch.
EXAMPLE OF RB TECH

Magnetism Tech - Magnetism tech is quite simple. Magnet switches take advantage of a useful trait of Grav Lifts: a Grav Lift, in addition to lifting objects above it, will also affect objects immediately below it. Man Cannons have the same property, but the pull below a Man Cannon's base isn't as strong.
EXAMPLE OF MAGNETISM TECH

Resistance Tech - Resistance tech is the use of a custom power-up (Invisiblity and Overshields work as well) or Machine Gun Turret/Plasma Turret to restrain an object until it is picked up or broken. The most common example of resistance tech is a dumpster with a man cannon behind it pushing it forward and a custom power-up in front of it holding it back. When the custom power-up is picked up by a player the dumpster is unrestrained and goes flying (a.k.a. dumpster cannon).
EXAMPLE OF RESISTANCE SWITCH

Regen Tech - Regen tech uses the the regenerator to activate a touch sensitive switch. For example, if a player throws a regenerator near the wire of a wire switch the wire will be jolted activating the switch. This can also be used to bring inactive objects up through the floor as shown by Goatnuts420's Regen Roller switch.
MORE ABOUT REGEN TECH - EXAMPLE OF REGEN TECH

Key Card Tech - Key card tech is the use of a power drain (radar jammer works too but takes a while) thrown/inserted into the switch to cause fusion coils or propane tanks to explode. Pieces of equipment like the power drain remove themselves from play with a small explosion after their effect is done. This small explosion is enough to set off fusion coils and other explosive objects causing a larger explosion which may be used for activating a min/max switch among other things.
MORE ABOUT KEY CARD TECH - EXAMPLE OF KEY CARD TECH

Hinge Tech - Hinge tech is the use of gravity lifts and pallets to create a hinge motion of the pallet. It works by gravity lifts pulling on pallets that are wedged in a corner to give the pallet something to hinge on. Whatever way you place the gravity lift is where the pallet will end up after it is moved/pushed through.
MORE ABOUT HINGE TECH - EXAMPLE OF HINGE TECH

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Additional Info​

- Another minor tech is the gravity rotator which can be seen HERE
- Foundry's "Bridge" object is thin enough for vibrations to pass through it.
- Sandbox's "Column, Damaged Small" object is the only object that is susceptible to Gravity Lift's effects without letting the Gravity Lift go through it.
- Most switches are created on either Foundry or Sandbox, as both maps have a lot of space to work with and a good selection of objects to use in switches.
- Although you might not realize it, all switches involve at least one movable object.
- Certain objects, including teleporters and weapon holders, are immovable objects which vehicles can pass through unaffected.
- Unlike man cannons, gravity lifts don't work with delayed spawn switches because they effect the objects as soon as they spawn.

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More Resources​

Forge Dictionary
Official Switches
Other Switches
Switch Dictionary
Switch Discussion
Switch Maps
Switch Tutorial Map
Switches Forum​

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Credits​

Goatnuts420 - Ferretness - Adelyss
l Zero Fox l - Zombiedude101
H3ARTIFICER.COM
(If you were missed let me know)​

 

Thanks guys this guide took me a while. As for the switch article on Halopedia, it's a work in progress but I think I'll finish it today.