I need help with this script. I want to make it so that when you press the space key the light gets brighter then gets dark again. Here is what I have so far.

This is a breakdown of how your script is running.

Update is called every 'frame'.

Check if space has just been pressed (not being held).

intensity = 5 ....

intensity = 20 ....

so Immediately, you have changed the value twice.

You want something that can remember 2 types of 'state' (a condition that can remember on/off)

There is something called a boolean that is a variable type, it can hold a value called true or false.

So now there is something that you can use, and check it's state, like a light switch (but yours is a touch-lamp) =]

Up is ON (true) , down is OFF (false)

Here's how to write a boolean : var myLightSwitch : boolean = false;

Then, to change it in the script : myLightSwitch = false;

So now before changing the switch you have to check "am i on or off (true or false)?"

this can be confusing at first, but is very easy.

normally an if would look like : if (myLightSwitch == true) { do stuff;}

but for true what you will see written is : if (myLightSwitch) { do stuff;} . this is the same as saying myLightSwitch == true

for false what you will see written is : if (!myLightSwitch) { do stuff;} . Note the ! mark this is like saying if( Not myLightSwitch is true )

SO put it all together (make a new script, copy-paste the following code, check the comments in the script) :

 #pragma strict

 // Declare Variables
 public var myLightSwitch : boolean = false; // public, so you can see it in the Inspector
 private var theIntensity : int; // private, so you can Not see it in the Inspector


 function Start() 
 {
     // Assign values to Variables
     theIntensity = 0;
     if (myLightSwitch == true) // check if myLightSwitch was changed to true in the Inspector at start
     {
         theIntensity = 1; // light is on
     }
     light.intensity = theIntensity;
 }


 function Update() 
 {
     if (Input.GetKeyDown(KeyCode.Space))
     {
         // check if light is On or Off
         if (myLightSwitch) // if (TRUE), light is ON. ** Remember that (!myLightSwitch) means if (FALSE)
         {
             theIntensity = 0; // light off
             light.intensity = theIntensity;
             myLightSwitch = false; // change boolean to now false (off)
         }
         else // did not fill the condition set in the above if statement (no it wasn't true)
         {
             theIntensity = 1; // light on
             light.intensity = theIntensity;
             myLightSwitch = true; // flip the switch !
         }
     }
 }

hope this helps =]