Problem with returning a Type

So I'm in the middle of a school project that I have to hand next month.
Anyway, I have created 3 Types- one for 3D modeling, one for the levels in the game and another one for the enemies(which are, creatively, called "Aliens")

Code:

---

Public Type m3Solid
    nVerts As Integer
    Verts() As m3Point
    nFaces As Integer
    Faces() As m3Face
End Type

Public Type m3Level
    Num As Integer
    noAliens As Integer
    AA() As m3Alien
End Type

Public Type m3Alien
    Body As m3Solid
    Dome As m3Solid
    aLoc As m3Location
End Type

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As you can see, in m3Level there is an array of Aliens, and the aliens are build as m3Solid. (m3Location is another type which represents where the aliens will spawn)
I have two functions that create the alien, but my problem is that when I return the alien from one function to the other, it's like it was "reseted".
Here are my two functions:

Code:

---

Public Function SysInit(w As Double, ByVal h As Double) As m3Alien
    Dim r As Double
    Dim s As m3Alien
    r = 30
    s.Body = m3GetPrizm(r * 1.4, h / 5, 20)
    s.Dome = m3GetHalfSphere(r, 20)
   
    m3SolidApply s.Body, m3Translate(0, -h / 5, 0)
    MsgBox s.Body.nVerts
    SysInit = s
End Function

Public Function createAlien(ByRef loc As m3Location, ByRef obj As Object)
    Dim i As Integer
    Dim a As m3Alien
    For i = 1 To getCurLevel.noAliens
        getCurLevel.AA(i) = Alien.SysInit(30, 45)
        MsgBox getCurLevel.AA(i).Body.nVerts
        sendShips locs(getRandomInt), getCurLevel.AA(i), obj
        'checkWhereAlien obj
    Next i
    setCurLevel lvls(getCurLevel.Num)
End Function

---

I've created two MsgBox to see what happens when the alien is being returned. In the first MsgBox the value is 40, in the second it's 0.
I don't know what is wrong because everything seems fine to me.

By the way, I hope you can understand this without all the code. If you want I can paste here the entire code.

Code:

---

Public Function createAlien(ByRef loc As m3Location, ByRef obj As Object)
    Dim i As Integer
    Dim a As m3Alien
    For i = 1 To getCurLevel.noAliens
        getCurLevel.AA(i) = Alien.SysInit(30, 45)
        MsgBox getCurLevel.AA(i).Body.nVerts
        sendShips locs(getRandomInt), getCurLevel.AA(i), obj
        'checkWhereAlien obj
    Next i
    setCurLevel lvls(getCurLevel.Num)
End Function

---

What kind of object is the Alien in that code?

I think this is the ticket... Changes highlighted in blue

Code:

---

Public Function createAlien(ByRef loc As m3Location, ByRef obj As Object)
    Dim i As Integer
    Dim a As m3Alien
    For i = 1 To getCurLevel.noAliens
        a.SysInit(30, 45)
        getCurLevel.AA(i) = a
        MsgBox getCurLevel.AA(i).Body.nVerts
        sendShips locs(getRandomInt), getCurLevel.AA(i), obj
        'checkWhereAlien obj
    Next i
    setCurLevel lvls(getCurLevel.Num)
End Function

---

From what I gather from the presented piece of code, Alien.SysInit doesn't exist (as SysInit is just a function)
If I understand it correctly, you should use:

Code:

---

Public Function createAlien(ByRef loc As m3Location, ByRef obj As Object)
    Dim i As Integer
    Dim a As m3Alien
    For i = 1 To getCurLevel.noAliens
        getCurLevel.AA(i) = SysInit(30, 45)
        MsgBox getCurLevel.AA(i).Body.nVerts
        sendShips locs(getRandomInt), getCurLevel.AA(i), obj
        'checkWhereAlien obj
    Next i
    setCurLevel lvls(getCurLevel.Num)
End Function

---

Alien is the module which contains the two functions and the m3Alien type declaration.
I wrote Alien.SysInit because I also have Ship.SysInit (Dumb, I know)

If that's the case you may want to use classes.
I'll post an example soon.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TheBigB

If that's the case you may want to use classes.
I'll post an example soon.

---

I prefer not to use classes because we I never learned about them.
But if there is no other way then please explain how to use them.
Thanks.

Ok so I think I found the problem, but I don't know how to fix it.
I changed the code to: (changes in red)

Code:

---

Public Function createAlien(ByRef obj As Object)
    Dim i As Integer
    Dim a As m3Alien
    For i = 1 To getCurLevel.noAliens
        a = Alien.SysInit(30, 45)
        MsgBox a.Body.nVerts
        getCurLevel.AA(i) = a
        MsgBox getCurLevel.AA(i).Body.nVerts
        sendShips locs(getRandomInt), getCurLevel.AA(i), obj
        'checkWhereAlien obj
    Next i
    setCurLevel lvls(getCurLevel.Num)
End Function

---

Now I have 3 MsgBox, one in the SysInit and the other two here.
At the first two the value is 40, and in the third the value is 0.
So clearly the problem is with the array.