I7: Switching Animate Property

Just to be on the safe side - If I want to turn an inanimate object into an animate one, am I right to assume that I need to remove the inanimate object from play and replace it with a new, animate one?

Not necessarily, I think.
I suppose you could define the I6 animate attribute in I7 and toggle it for a person at will:

A person can be animate or inanimate. A person is usually animate. The animate property translates into I6 as "animate".

It still might be easier to do the switch, though, especially if other things about that object are changing (presumably at least the description, and probably responses to many actions).

Yeah, I chose the switch. It works, that’s what counts. Thanks!

Using the switch is the traditional method for bring an inanimate object to life, but you don’t use it yourself. You have to instruct Igor to “Throw the switch!” (And watch out for those angry pitchfork-toting villagers.)

(Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)

Robert Rothman