View source for Tutorials:Lua:Setup Auto Attach

== How to setup a Lua auto attach script ==

'''On the Cheat Engine main form press ''Ctrl+Alt+L''''' to open the cheat table Lua script form.

Now let's add the Lua script to auto attach to the process.

<pre>getAutoAttachList().add("Tutorial-i386.exe")</pre>

yep, that's probably all you need, it's what Cheat Engine generates for the trainers it makes. However, if you need more control for some reason, you can do it yourself with a timer and '''openProcess'''

<!-- <pre>PROCESS_NAME = 'Tutorial-i386.exe'
--------
-------- Auto Attach
--------
local autoAttachTimer = nil ---- variable to hold timer object
local autoAttachTimerInterval = 1000 ---- Timer intervals are in milliseconds
local autoAttachTimerTicks = 0 ---- variable to count number of times the timer has run
local autoAttachTimerTickMax = 5000 ---- Set to zero to disable ticks max
local function autoAttachTimer_tick(timer) ---- Timer tick call back
        ---- Destroy timer if max ticks is reached
	if autoAttachTimerTickMax > 0 and autoAttachTimerTicks >= autoAttachTimerTickMax then
		timer.destroy()
	end
        ---- Check if process is running
	if getProcessIDFromProcessName(PROCESS_NAME) ~= nil then
		timer.destroy() ---- Destroy timer
		openProcess(PROCESS_NAME) ---- Open the process
	end
	autoAttachTimerTicks = autoAttachTimerTicks + 1 ---- Increase ticks
end
autoAttachTimer = createTimer(getMainForm()) ---- Create timer with the main form as it's parent
autoAttachTimer.Interval = autoAttachTimerInterval ---- Set timer interval
autoAttachTimer.OnTimer = autoAttachTimer_tick ---- Set timer tick call back
</pre> -->
<!--
  Monokai style, no clue what the original was...
  had to manually add "white-space:pre;" to the style list to get line breaks
 -->

<p class="hljs" style="white-space:pre; display: block; overflow-x: auto; padding: 0.5em; background: rgb(39, 40, 34); color: rgb(221, 221, 221);">PROCESS_NAME = <span class="hljs-string" style="color: rgb(166, 226, 46);">'Tutorial-i386.exe'</span>
<span class="hljs-comment" style="color: rgb(117, 113, 94);">--------</span>
<span class="hljs-comment" style="color: rgb(117, 113, 94);">-------- Auto Attach</span>
<span class="hljs-comment" style="color: rgb(117, 113, 94);">--------</span>
<span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(249, 38, 114); font-weight: 700;">local</span> autoAttachTimer = <span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(249, 38, 114); font-weight: 700;">nil</span> <span class="hljs-comment" style="color: rgb(117, 113, 94);">---- variable to hold timer object</span>
<span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(249, 38, 114); font-weight: 700;">local</span> autoAttachTimerInterval = <span class="hljs-number">1000</span> <span class="hljs-comment" style="color: rgb(117, 113, 94);">---- Timer intervals are in milliseconds</span>
<span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(249, 38, 114); font-weight: 700;">local</span> autoAttachTimerTicks = <span class="hljs-number">0</span> <span class="hljs-comment" style="color: rgb(117, 113, 94);">---- variable to count number of times the timer has run</span>
<span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(249, 38, 114); font-weight: 700;">local</span> autoAttachTimerTickMax = <span class="hljs-number">5000</span> <span class="hljs-comment" style="color: rgb(117, 113, 94);">---- Set to zero to disable ticks max</span>
<span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(249, 38, 114); font-weight: 700;">local</span> <span class="hljs-function"><span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(249, 38, 114); font-weight: 700;">function</span> <span class="hljs-title" style="color: rgb(166, 226, 46); font-weight: 700;">autoAttachTimer_tick</span><span class="hljs-params">(timer)</span></span> <span class="hljs-comment" style="color: rgb(117, 113, 94);">---- Timer tick call back</span>
        <span class="hljs-comment" style="color: rgb(117, 113, 94);">---- Destroy timer if max ticks is reached</span>
	<span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(249, 38, 114); font-weight: 700;">if</span> autoAttachTimerTickMax &gt; <span class="hljs-number">0</span> <span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(249, 38, 114); font-weight: 700;">and</span> autoAttachTimerTicks &gt;= autoAttachTimerTickMax <span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(249, 38, 114); font-weight: 700;">then</span>
		timer.destroy()
	<span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(249, 38, 114); font-weight: 700;">end</span>
        <span class="hljs-comment" style="color: rgb(117, 113, 94);">---- Check if process is running</span>
	<span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(249, 38, 114); font-weight: 700;">if</span> getProcessIDFromProcessName(PROCESS_NAME) ~= <span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(249, 38, 114); font-weight: 700;">nil</span> <span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(249, 38, 114); font-weight: 700;">then</span>
		timer.destroy() <span class="hljs-comment" style="color: rgb(117, 113, 94);">---- Destroy timer</span>
		openProcess(PROCESS_NAME) <span class="hljs-comment" style="color: rgb(117, 113, 94);">---- Open the process</span>
	<span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(249, 38, 114); font-weight: 700;">end</span>
	autoAttachTimerTicks = autoAttachTimerTicks + <span class="hljs-number">1</span> <span class="hljs-comment" style="color: rgb(117, 113, 94);">---- Increase ticks</span>
<span class="hljs-keyword" style="color: rgb(249, 38, 114); font-weight: 700;">end</span>
autoAttachTimer = createTimer(getMainForm()) <span class="hljs-comment" style="color: rgb(117, 113, 94);">---- Create timer with the main form as it's parent</span>
autoAttachTimer.Interval = autoAttachTimerInterval <span class="hljs-comment" style="color: rgb(117, 113, 94);">---- Set timer interval</span>
autoAttachTimer.OnTimer = autoAttachTimer_tick <span class="hljs-comment" style="color: rgb(117, 113, 94);">---- Set timer tick call back</span></p>

'''Set the process name to the process you are attaching to''', use the full process name from the process list.

'''Launch the process''' then '''click ''execute script'' in the cheat table Lua script form'''.

[[File:Tutorials.Lua.AutoAttachScript.01.png|border]]


You should see the process name at the top of the Cheat Engine form.

[[File:Tutorials.Lua.AutoAttachScript.02.png|border]]


Now when ever the cheat table is opened Cheat Engine will attempt to run the ''cheat table Lua script'' which will start the auto attach timer. By default Cheat Engine will ask to run the ''cheat table Lua script''.

Note: You can change what Cheat Engine does with the ''cheat table Lua script'' in the Cheat Engine ''general settings''.