Spawn Primitive Function Reference

Spawn Primitive Function Reference (CreateUnit / CreateVehicle / CreateTeam)

Source-verified 2026-06-21 against then-current master cf2a6d6a4; current origin/master is 0139a346, so recheck cited paths before current-head claims. Paths relative to Missions/[55-2hc]warfarev2_073v48co.chernarus/ unless noted. Arma 2 OA 1.64.

Three wrappers in Common/Functions/ form the sole authoritative path for spawning AI units and vehicles at runtime. Direct engine calls (createUnit, createVehicle, createGroup) appear elsewhere only for player-side construction or editor stubs. All town AI, static defense, and factory-bought AI funnels through these three functions.

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WFBE_CO_FNC_CreateUnit

File: Common/Functions/Common_CreateUnit.sqf

Signature

[_type, _team, _position, _side, _global, _special] Call WFBE_CO_FNC_CreateUnit

Parameters

#	Name	Type	Default	Notes
0	_type	String	(required)	CfgVehicles class name
1	_team	Group	(required)	Target group; may be grpNull (function will attempt createGroup)
2	_position	Array	(required)	[x,y,z] world position
3	_side	Side or Number	(required)	Either a SIDE value or a numeric side ID; both forms accepted
4	_global	Bool	true	Whether to run global client init (setVehicleInit + processInitCommands)
5	_special	String	"FORM"	Engine createUnit placement mode ("FORM", "NONE", "CAN_COLLIDE", etc.)

Return value

Object — the created unit, or objNull on failure.

Group handling

If _team is grpNull on entry, a new group is created via createGroup _sideValue (Common_CreateUnit.sqf:32). If the provided group has live units but its leader is not local, a fresh local fallback group is created and a WARNING is logged (Common_CreateUnit.sqf:33-38). If group creation still yields grpNull, the function exits with objNull and a WARNING (Common_CreateUnit.sqf:42-45).

Skill resolution

The unit's skill is read from missionNamespace getVariable _type (selecting index QUERYUNITSKILL). If that variable is nil, the fallback is WFBE_C_UNITS_SKILL_DEFAULT (Common_CreateUnit.sqf:47-48). Skill is applied immediately after creation (Common_CreateUnit.sqf:57).

Loadout special-cases

Condition	Action	Source
side _unit == east and unit lacks "NVGoggles"	addWeapon "NVGoggles"	Common_CreateUnit.sqf:59-61
_type == "Ins_Soldier_AT" (Insurgent AT)	Removes three PG7VL magazines and RPG7V; adds M47Launcher_EP1 and two Dragon_EP1 magazines	Common_CreateUnit.sqf:63-72
_type == "MVD_Soldier_AT" (OPFOR AT)	Removes two PG7VL and one OG7; adds two PG7VR magazines	Common_CreateUnit.sqf:74-81

Global init decision tree

Evaluated only when _global == true (Common_CreateUnit.sqf:83).

Context	_globalInitMode	Behavior
Running on a Headless Client (isHeadLessClient == true)	"hcSkipped"	No setVehicleInit broadcast. Prevents marker/action loop spawns on every JIP client for pure AI offload units.
Server/client, side is NOT WFBE_DEFENDER_ID (or WFBE_ISTHREEWAY is true), and WFBE_C_UNITS_TRACK_INFANTRY > 0	"vehicleInit"	setVehicleInit + processInitCommands with Common\Init\Init_Unit.sqf
Server/client, side is NOT defender, WFBE_C_UNITS_TRACK_INFANTRY <= 0, group leader is a player	"localPlayerInit"	[_unit, _side] ExecVM 'Common\Init\Init_Unit.sqf' (local only, no broadcast)
Server/client, side is NOT defender, WFBE_C_UNITS_TRACK_INFANTRY <= 0, leader is AI	"trackOffNoPlayer"	No init at all
Side is WFBE_DEFENDER_ID and WFBE_ISTHREEWAY == false	"defenderSkipped"	No init; mirrors HC skip rationale for defender AI

The _globalInitMode string is recorded in the PerformanceAudit log for every unit creation when PerformanceAuditEnabled is true (Common_CreateUnit.sqf:115-119).

Event handlers attached at creation

• Killed: calls WFBE_CO_FNC_OnUnitKilled (spawned) with the side ID baked in at creation time (Common_CreateUnit.sqf:125).

Early-exit and null handling

All failure paths log a WARNING via WFBE_CO_FNC_LogContent and return objNull:

Failure	Log tag	Source
Group is null after all fallbacks	WARNING	Common_CreateUnit.sqf:42-45
Engine createUnit returned null (group/unit limit)	WARNING	Common_CreateUnit.sqf:52-55

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WFBE_CO_FNC_CreateVehicle

File: Common/Functions/Common_CreateVehicle.sqf

Signature

[_type, _position, _side, _direction, _locked, _bounty, _global, _special] Call WFBE_CO_FNC_CreateVehicle

Parameters

#	Name	Type	Default	Notes
0	_type	String	(required)	CfgVehicles class name
1	_position	Array or Object	(required)	[x,y,z] or an object (converted via getPos)
2	_side	Side or Number	(required)	SIDE value or numeric side ID
3	_direction	Number	(required)	Heading in degrees
4	_locked	Bool	(required)	Passed directly to lock
5	_bounty	Bool	true	When true, attaches killed and hit event handlers for score/bounty
6	_global	Bool	true	Whether to run global client init
7	_special	String	"FORM"	Engine createVehicle placement mode

Return value

Object — the created vehicle, or objNull on failure.

Post-creation steps (in order)

1. If _position is an Object, it is converted to getPos _position before use (Common_CreateVehicle.sqf:15).
2. Engine createVehicle [_type, _position, [], 7, _special] is called (Common_CreateVehicle.sqf:18). Clearance radius is hard-coded to 7 metres.
3. If the result is objNull, a WARNING is logged and objNull is returned (Common_CreateVehicle.sqf:21-24).
4. Tank and APC variants: Common\Functions\Common_ModifyVehicle.sqf is invoked (Common_CreateVehicle.sqf:26). This attaches a per-class HandleDamage rearmor handler that reduces incoming damage by a type-specific percentage. Air vehicles: Common_ModifyAirVehicle.sqf is commented out (Common_CreateVehicle.sqf:29-31).
5. All vehicles: Common\Functions\Common_AddVehicleMarking.sqf is invoked first (Common_CreateVehicle.sqf:35), then Common\Functions\Common_AddVehicleTexture.sqf (Common_CreateVehicle.sqf:41).
6. Velocity is set:
   • _special != "FLY": setVelocity [0,0,-1] (grounding nudge) (Common_CreateVehicle.sqf:35).
   • _special == "FLY": setVelocity [50 * (sin _direction), 50 * (cos _direction), 0] (forward launch velocity of 50 m/s in the given heading) (Common_CreateVehicle.sqf:37).
7. setDir _direction (Common_CreateVehicle.sqf:39).
8. Lock applied if _locked is true (Common_CreateVehicle.sqf:41).
9. Bounty event handlers attached if _bounty is true: killed → WFBE_CO_FNC_OnUnitKilled, hit → WFBE_CO_FNC_OnUnitHit (Common_CreateVehicle.sqf:42-45).

Global init decision tree

Evaluated only when _global == true (Common_CreateVehicle.sqf:47).

Context	_globalInitMode	Behavior
Running on HC (isHeadLessClient == true)	"hcSkipped"	No broadcast
Side is NOT WFBE_DEFENDER_ID (or three-way active)	"vehicleInit"	setVehicleInit + processInitCommands with Common\Init\Init_Unit.sqf
Side is WFBE_DEFENDER_ID (two-way game)	"defenderSkipped"	No init

Note: CreateVehicle has no trackOffNoPlayer branch — that path exists only in CreateUnit.

Map combat-marker Fired EH

Attached after global init, independently, when both conditions are true:

• _global == true
• WFBE_C_MAP_ICON_BLINKING_ENABLED == 1 (default 0)

_vehicle addEventHandler ["Fired", {
    _u = _this select 0;
    _u Call WFBE_CL_FNC_SetMapIconStatusInCombat;
}];

Common_CreateVehicle.sqf:80-86

Town AI vehicles created with _global == false (delegated to HC) never receive this EH, keeping them marker-light.

Passing _bounty = false

Callers that own the vehicle's scoring lifecycle (e.g. player-constructed defenses managed by another handler) can pass false to suppress the bounty EH pair. CreateTeam always passes true when invoking CreateVehicle (Common_CreateTeam.sqf:104).

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WFBE_CO_FNC_CreateTeam

File: Common/Functions/Common_CreateTeam.sqf

Signature

[_list, _position, _side, _lockVehicles, _team, _global, _probability] Call WFBE_CO_FNC_CreateTeam

Parameters

#	Name	Type	Default	Notes
0	_list	Array or String	(required)	Array of class names (template); a bare String is auto-wrapped into [_list]
1	_position	Array	(required)	[x,y,z] spawn position
2	_side	Side	(required)	SIDE value (not numeric ID)
3	_lockVehicles	Bool	(required)	Passed as _locked to each CreateVehicle call
4	_team	Group	(required)	Existing group or grpNull; if null a new group is created
5	_global	Bool	true	Forwarded to every CreateUnit and CreateVehicle call
6	_probability	Number	-1	0–100 spawn probability per template entry; -1 disables probabilistic skipping

Return value

A 4-element Array: [_units, _vehicles, _team, _crews]

Index	Content
0	Array of infantry Object values successfully created
1	Array of vehicle Object values successfully created
2	The Group actually used (may differ from the input _team if a new group was created)
3	Array of crew Object values mounted into vehicles

Common_CreateTeam.sqf:173

Callers must read index 2 for the actual group rather than relying on the input parameter, since HC delegation may produce a new group (Common_CreateTownUnits.sqf:37).

Probability gating

When _probability != -1, the first template entry in _list is always spawned (_firstDone guard). Each subsequent entry is only spawned if random 100 <= _probability (Common_CreateTeam.sqf:87-89). Common_CreateTownUnits.sqf calls with _probability = 90 (Common_CreateTownUnits.sqf:33).

Template iteration

forEach _list processes each class name in order (Common_CreateTeam.sqf:85-163):

• Infantry (_x isKindOf 'Man'): delegates to WFBE_CO_FNC_CreateUnit with the team and _global flag forwarded. Null results increment _perfSkipped (Common_CreateTeam.sqf:93-102).
• Vehicles: delegates to WFBE_CO_FNC_CreateVehicle with direction 0, _lockVehicles, bounty true, and _global (Common_CreateTeam.sqf:104). If the vehicle is null, the template entry is skipped. If not null, crew is assigned:
  • Crew class is resolved by vehicle kind: isKindOf 'Man' → WFBE_%1SOLDIER, isKindOf 'Air' → WFBE_%1PILOT, else → WFBE_%1CREW (where %1 is the side string) (Common_CreateTeam.sqf:111).
  • allowCrewInImmobile true and addVehicle _vehicle are called before any crew is created (Common_CreateTeam.sqf:114-115).
  • Roles iterated: "driver", "gunner", "commander" — each only filled if emptyPositions _crewRole > 0 (Common_CreateTeam.sqf:119,145).
  • Each crew unit receives a HandleDamage EH (the inline _rearmor closure) that reduces damage from autocannon rounds (B_20mm_AA, B_23mm_AA, B_25mm_HE, B_25mm_HEI, B_30mm_AA, B_30mm_HE) by 20% (Common_CreateTeam.sqf:68-82,142).
  • If zero crew were successfully created, the vehicle is immediately deleteVehicle'd and a WARNING is logged (Common_CreateTeam.sqf:148-152).

Group-cap saturation path (TOWN_GROUP_COUNT diagnostic)

If createGroup _side returns grpNull (Arma's per-side group limit is reached), the function exits immediately before spawning any units or vehicles. The exit path:

1. Counts all current groups on this machine by side using allGroups + forEach (Common_CreateTeam.sqf:31-55).
2. Emits a WARNING log line prefixed TOWN_GROUP_COUNT create_failed containing: machine type (SERVER/CLIENT/HC), side, per-side group count, total group count, and per-side breakdown (Common_CreateTeam.sqf:57).
3. Returns [[], [], _team, []] — an empty result tuple (Common_CreateTeam.sqf:65).

The same TOWN_GROUP_COUNT diagnostic (prefixed town_empty) fires in Common_CreateTownUnits.sqf:73-101 when a town activates with zero units and zero vehicles created.

Interpreting TOWN_GROUP_COUNT in logs: a create_failed entry means the machine creating town AI has hit the engine side group cap. The per-side count in the log identifies which side is saturated. This is the primary group-leak signal. See AI-Headless-And-Performance for cap values and mitigation patterns.

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Call-site summary

Caller	Function called	Notable arguments
Common_CreateTownUnits.sqf:33	CreateTeam	_probability=90, _global=true
Common_CreateTeam.sqf:95	CreateUnit	_global forwarded from team level
Common_CreateTeam.sqf:104	CreateVehicle	direction 0, bounty true, _global forwarded
Common_CreateTeam.sqf:120	CreateUnit	crew creation, same _global
Common_CreateUnitForStaticDefence.sqf:76	CreateUnit	no _global arg (defaults true)

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Shared behaviors across all three functions

PerformanceAudit integration

All three functions record a PerformanceAudit entry when PerformanceAudit_Record is non-nil and PerformanceAuditEnabled is true:

Function	Audit event name	Key fields logged
CreateUnit	"createunit"	type, side, global, trackInf, init mode, leaderPlayer, isMan
CreateVehicle	"createvehicle"	type, side, global, init mode, bounty, locked, special, isAir, isTank, isCar
CreateTeam	"createteam"	side, global, templates, infantry, vehicles, crews, skipped, groupNull

HC skip rationale

Both CreateUnit and CreateVehicle check !isNil "isHeadLessClient" && {isHeadLessClient} before any setVehicleInit call. When this is true, global init is skipped entirely. This prevents the Init_Unit.sqf client setup — which adds map markers, action menu entries, missile EHs, and AAR tracking — from being broadcast via setVehicleInit and re-executing on every JIP client for pure AI units that have no player-visible marker need.

Side ID normalization

Both CreateUnit and CreateVehicle accept either a SIDE value or a numeric side ID and normalize via WFBE_CO_FNC_GetSideID / WFBE_CO_FNC_GetSideFromID. CreateTeam expects a SIDE value and calls GetSideID immediately (Common_CreateTeam.sqf:7).

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What Init_Unit.sqf does (client side)

Common/Init/Init_Unit.sqf is the script invoked by the setVehicleInit broadcast. Key client-only effects:

• Waits for commonInitComplete and clientInitComplete before proceeding (Init_Unit.sqf:18,33).
• Adds NVGoggles to east units lacking them (mirrors CreateUnit's server-side patch) (Init_Unit.sqf:46-48).
• Adds Airlift action if WFBE_UP_AIRLIFT > 0 (Init_Unit.sqf:52-55).
• Adds repair/build/camp/HQ actions to repair trucks (Init_Unit.sqf:56-69).
• Adds Low Gear toggle to tanks and cars; Push action to ships; HALO and Cargo Eject to air transports (Init_Unit.sqf:71-93).
• Attaches countermeasure EH for WFBE_C_MODULE_WFBE_FLARES (vanilla only) (Init_Unit.sqf:96-109).
• Attaches AAR tracking for enemy aircraft when WFBE_C_STRUCTURES_ANTIAIRRADAR > 0 (Init_Unit.sqf:111-116).
• Attaches missile masking EH for tanks, cars, and air (Init_Unit.sqf:208-213).
• Creates a per-side map marker (type, color, size, and refresh rate vary by vehicle kind and side match) (Init_Unit.sqf:144-196).
• Attaches combat blinking Fired EH when WFBE_C_MAP_ICON_BLINKING_ENABLED == 1 (Init_Unit.sqf:186-192).

All of this runs only on the matching player's client (sideID == _sideID, exit at Init_Unit.sqf:142) after a hard sleep 2 (Init_Unit.sqf:34). This is why broadcasting it for every town AI unit via setVehicleInit causes client CPU spikes.

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Continue Reading

• Factory-And-Purchase-Systems-Atlas — how player buy paths invoke CreateUnit/CreateVehicle for purchased AI
• Towns-Camps-And-Capture-Atlas — town activation lifecycle and how Common_CreateTownUnits.sqf feeds into this page's functions
• AI-Headless-And-Performance — HC delegation topology, per-side group caps, and interpreting TOWN_GROUP_COUNT log lines
• Variable-And-Naming-Conventions — WFBE_C_*, WFBE_UP_*, and side ID constant conventions referenced throughout
• Construction-And-CoIn-Systems-Atlas — static defense creation via Common_CreateUnitForStaticDefence.sqf