Help with object names and setTimerOn ()
by Shawn C. · in Torque Game Builder · 01/19/2006 (12:03 pm) · 9 replies
I'm trying to figure out the proper way to use setTimerOn and its callback onTimer. I have a few sprites and I want them to pulsate in size, as if they are breathing. So I set a periodic timer for each.
If I use the following, I get the desired effect, but this can't be the best way to call onTimer (), because assume I will have other different sprites or objects, each with their own timers and code to execute.
What should my function declaration look like? Certainly it won't be t2dSceneObject. How do I reference my sprite object specifically?
Thanks.
function CreateMySprite ()
{
%sp = new t2dStaticSprite() { scenegraph = t2dScene; };
%sp.setImageMap(imMySprite);
%sp.setTimerOn (1000);
}If I use the following, I get the desired effect, but this can't be the best way to call onTimer (), because assume I will have other different sprites or objects, each with their own timers and code to execute.
function t2dSceneObject::onTimer (%this)
{
...do something with my sprite
}What should my function declaration look like? Certainly it won't be t2dSceneObject. How do I reference my sprite object specifically?
Thanks.
#2
so when you do your comparison, you will have to do
if(%this.Name=="myPlayer")
because %this=="myPlayer" may resolve to be false... i dont reemmber if it is ALWAYS that way, or just under certain conditions.
-Jason
01/19/2006 (12:56 pm)
PS: important note: in torquescript, what %this is is actually just a string variable containing the ID (number) of the object. for example %this=="1284";so when you do your comparison, you will have to do
if(%this.Name=="myPlayer")
because %this=="myPlayer" may resolve to be false... i dont reemmber if it is ALWAYS that way, or just under certain conditions.
-Jason
#3
01/19/2006 (1:11 pm)
Jason, I appreciate the reply. I am curious though how %obj.setTimerOn () differs from schedule () in its functionality?
#4
Minor correction: it would be
to do a string comparison.
01/19/2006 (1:27 pm)
Quote:
PS: important note: in torquescript, what %this is is actually just a string variable containing the ID (number) of the object. for example %this=="1284";
so when you do your comparison, you will have to do
if(%this.Name=="myPlayer")
because %this=="myPlayer" may resolve to be false... i dont reemmber if it is ALWAYS that way, or just under certain conditions.
Minor correction: it would be
if(%this.Name $= "myPlayer")
to do a string comparison.
#5
use $= for string comparisons in torquescript!
01/19/2006 (2:10 pm)
@Stephen: oh yeah, i forgot about that.. that is a subtle but very very important correction :)use $= for string comparisons in torquescript!
#6
logically, i think it would be better to implement your own timing mechinism and have that checked during the OnWorldUpdate() callback, but again.. i'm not a torquescript expert so I dont know how much faster an implementation such as this would be (if faster at all)
and obviously, implementing this yourself is more work.. .setTimer() is a quick/easy callback eh.
01/19/2006 (2:13 pm)
@Shawn: i'm not sure the exact reason behind .setTimer() but i think it's just added for usability purposes (meaning it is not any better to do that)logically, i think it would be better to implement your own timing mechinism and have that checked during the OnWorldUpdate() callback, but again.. i'm not a torquescript expert so I dont know how much faster an implementation such as this would be (if faster at all)
and obviously, implementing this yourself is more work.. .setTimer() is a quick/easy callback eh.
#7
- Melv.
01/20/2006 (12:50 am)
The advantage of "setTimer()" (apart from a simpler syntax) is that it's a periodic timer unlike using "schedule" which is a one-shot timer, unless of course you reschedule in the callback.- Melv.
#8
01/22/2006 (2:32 am)
I'd add that the advantage of schedule() is that you can set a particular function for a particular object, so that function doesn't need to test which object is being referenced, as you must do in the onTimer() callback. So in part it's a matter of style, but I'd guess there's a little more overhead for comparing the name of the object multiple times versus rescheduling the callback. 
Torque Owner Jason Swearingen
to call different code for different objects, you need to hardcode the torquescript equivlant of a switch statement.
Sorry i am not a torquescript user, so i cant give you exact syntax (I wrote and use a c# wrapper of t2d)
but the psudocode for what you need to do:
function t2dSceneObject::onTimer (%this) { switch(%this.Name) { case "myPlayer": playerTimerCallback(%this); break; case "enemy": enemyTimerCallback(%this); break; default: otherTimerCallback(%this); break; } }the switch statement is in C# syntax, though if torquescript doesnt have switches, you can easily do the same thing with a bunch of IF statements.
Hope this helps you out,
good luck!
-Jason