Real time in games

[J@ckWhiteIII]

Hey, I just wanted to ask if there's an EASY way of using real time in games (like an event that happens 10 seconds after a button was clicked). I don't want delay, I just want (for example) a counter that counts from 0 to 10 (in seconds). have searched for it on this forum and read the date help. I hope someone can help me.
Thank you in advance

[kenmo]

Look up ElapsedMilliseconds().... just record the time when a trigger occurs (such as a mouse click) and compare it with the current time as you go on.

Pseudo-code:

Code: Select all

Repeat
  If MouseClicked
    StartTime = ElapsedMilliseconds() ; record start time
  EndIf

  If StartTime > 0 ; if there is an active countdown
    If ElapsedMilliseconds - StartTime > 3 * 1000 ; wait 3 seconds (3000 ms)
      PlaySound(Alert)
      StartTime = 0 ; disable timer again
    EndIf
  EndIf
Forever

[shadow]

Or just use the built in Timer library

Edit:
Sorry, have mixed that with an other programming language. The PureTools have a timer library.
Another way is to use AddWindowTimer if you have one.
http://www.purebasic.com/documentation/ ... timer.html

[J@ckWhiteIII]

@kenmo: I never hear a sound :/

...I added an own sound, of course...

[Sirius-2337]

@kenmo: I never hear a sound :/

...I added an own sound, of course...

Yes, that is because 'MouseClicked' never gets #True and because '(' and ')' are missing after the 2nd 'ElapsedMilliseconds'.

Try this Code

Code: Select all

OpenWindow  (0, 0, 0, 400, 300, "Timer", #PB_Window_SystemMenu | #PB_Window_ScreenCentered)
CanvasGadget(0, 0, 0, WindowWidth(0), WindowHeight(0))

Repeat
  
  Select WindowEvent()
    
    Case #PB_Event_CloseWindow
      End
      
    Case #PB_Event_Gadget
      If EventGadget() = 0 And EventType() = #PB_EventType_LeftClick
        StartTime = ElapsedMilliseconds()
      EndIf
    
  EndSelect
  
  StartDrawing(CanvasOutput(0))
    
    If StartTime
      
      Box(0, 0, OutputWidth(), OutputHeight(), $FFFFFF)
      DrawText(5, 10, Str(ElapsedMilliseconds() - StartTime) + " ms", $000000, $FFFFFF)
      DrawText(5, 30, Str((ElapsedMilliseconds() - StartTime) / 1000) + " Seconds", $000000, $FFFFFF)
      
      If ElapsedMilliseconds() - StartTime > 3 * 1000 ; wait 3 seconds (3000 ms)
        StartTime = 0 ; disable timer again
        Circle(200, 50, 28, Random($FAFAFA))
      EndIf
      
    EndIf
    
  StopDrawing()
  
  Delay(10)
  
ForEver

[J@ckWhiteIII]

That works much better

This is how I'm using it:

Code: Select all

Procedure CountDown ()
  If StartTime > 0 ; if there is an active countdown
    If ElapsedMilliseconds () - StartTime > 3 * 1000 ; wait 3 seconds (3000 ms)
      PlaySound(1)
      StartTime = 0 ; disable timer again
    EndIf
  EndIf
EndProcedure

If circlex < 0
    StartTime = ElapsedMilliseconds() ; record start time
    PlaySound (0)
    circlex = 320
    circley = Random (480)
    pseudomovex = movex
    pseudomovey = movey
    movex = 0
    movey = 0
    Score2 + 1
    CountDown ()
    movex = pseudomovex
    movey = pseudomovey
  EndIf

[Nubcake]

That works much better

This is how I'm using it:

Code: Select all

Procedure CountDown ()
  If StartTime > 0 ; if there is an active countdown
    If ElapsedMilliseconds () - StartTime > 3 * 1000 ; wait 3 seconds (3000 ms)
      PlaySound(1)
      StartTime = 0 ; disable timer again
    EndIf
  EndIf
EndProcedure

If circlex < 0
    StartTime = ElapsedMilliseconds() ; record start time
    PlaySound (0)
    circlex = 320
    circley = Random (480)
    pseudomovex = movex
    pseudomovey = movey
    movex = 0
    movey = 0
    Score2 + 1
    CountDown ()
    movex = pseudomovex
    movey = pseudomovey
  EndIf

Why not make the CountDown a thread ?

[J@ckWhiteIII]

Because I don't understand threads yet. But if you can explain it in a more simple way than the manual...
How would using a thread make it work better?

And this code doesn't work properly...the ball (circlex/circley) keeps moving during the 3 seconds

By the way, i changed the code a bit, i'm gonna post the most recent code tomorrow

[Thorium]

Why not make the CountDown a thread ?

Because you get unnecessary overhead.
The easiest way to do it and the way any game does it is what kenmo described.

[J@ckWhiteIII]

Code: Select all

Procedure CountDown ()
  If Blocky ; if there is an active countdown
    If ElapsedMilliseconds () - StartTime > 3 * 1000 ; wait 3 seconds (3000 ms)      
      StartTime = 0 ; disable timer again
      PlaySound(0)
      movex = pseudomovex
      movey = pseudomovey
    EndIf
  EndIf
EndProcedure

If circlex < 0
    StartTime = ElapsedMilliseconds() ; record start time
    PlaySound (0)
    circlex = 320
    circley = Random (480)
    pseudomovex = movex
    pseudomovey = movey
    movex = 0
    movey = 0
    Score2 + 1
    CountDown ()
  EndIf

Code as it is now...But still now sound.

[IdeasVacuum]

...must have something to do with the Load Sound? Make it a Global if not already and use Enumeration so that it does not have the same ID as another item.

[J@ckWhiteIII]

Hm..Checked the sound, it's initialized and it has a unique ID now. But still, no sound/the circle doesn't move (seems like the countdown doesn't work) :/

[IdeasVacuum]

...Debug is your friend

[J@ckWhiteIII]

Okay...Did that now, haven't got any helpful results. So, I'm gonna re-write that part of the code

[kenmo]

Debug didn't help? Debug always helps! Use it to make sure variable values are what you expect, and also print out some text statements just to make sure the right parts of code are being run as you expect.

I don't know what the problem with the sound is, but that was just an example to show you how to manage a simple timer. Here is a fully-working example:

Code: Select all

Background.i = #Black
BallY.i = 150
BallDir.i = 1

If InitSprite() And InitMouse()
  If OpenWindow(0, 0, 0, 400, 300, "Left-click to set timer, right-click to exit", #PB_Window_ScreenCentered)
    If OpenWindowedScreen(WindowID(0), 0, 0, WindowWidth(0), WindowHeight(0), 0, 0, 0)
      Repeat
        ExamineMouse()
        
        ; Red screen when clicked
        If (MouseButton(1))
          Background = #Red
          StartTime = ElapsedMilliseconds()
        EndIf
        
        ; Blue screen after timeout
        If (StartTime > 0)
          If (ElapsedMilliseconds() - StartTime) > 2*1000
            Background = #Blue
            StartTime = 0
          EndIf
        EndIf
        
        ; Move ball
        If (BallDir > 0)
          BallY + 1
          If BallY > 290
            BallDir = -1
          EndIf
        Else
          BallY - 1
          If BallY < 10
            BallDir = 1
          EndIf
        EndIf
        
        ; This is a cheap trick so the window won't lock up...
        While WindowEvent() : Wend
        
        ; Draw screen
        ClearScreen(Background)
        If StartDrawing(ScreenOutput())
          Circle(OutputWidth()/2, BallY, 10, #White)
          StopDrawing()
        EndIf
        
        FlipBuffers()
        Delay(16)
      Until MouseButton(2)
      HideWindow(0, #True)
      Delay(250)
    EndIf
  EndIf
EndIf