What am I doing wrong? Cooldown timer (without Timer Node)

ckoshiro

Hi everyone,

Can I have some help on that please?

I'm trying to make a custom timer but I'm having some strange issue: When the timer starts the game freezes until it finish.

Character script example:

extends KinematicBody2D


var move_speed = 100
var direction = Vector2.ZERO

var melee = load("res://melee.gd").new()

var UP_DIR    = Vector2(0, -1)
var DOWN_DIR  = Vector2(0, 1)
var LEFT_DIR  = Vector2(-1, 0)
var RIGHT_DIR = Vector2(1, 0)


func _physics_process(delta):
	melee.process(delta)

	if Input.is_action_pressed("move_up"):
		direction += UP_DIR
	if Input.is_action_pressed("move_down"):
		direction += DOWN_DIR
	if Input.is_action_pressed("move_left"):
		direction += LEFT_DIR
	if Input.is_action_pressed("move_right"):
		direction += RIGHT_DIR
		
	if Input.is_action_just_pressed("melee"):
		melee.start_capability()
		
	move_and_slide(direction * move_speed)
	direction = Vector2.ZERO

Script with the cooldown code:

extends Node2D


var started : bool = false
var capability_duration :  float = 50
var capability_performed : float = 0.0


func process(delta):
    if (started == false):
        return

    while capability_performed <= capability_duration:
        print(capability_performed)
        capability_performed += delta

    started = false
    capability_performed = 0


func start_capability():
    started = true

There is a project to replicate the issue in Github: https://github.com/cassioKenji/godot-cooldown-issue

Thank you all!

TwistedTwigleg

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cybereality

No, that code won't work. It will just get stuck in the while loop, adding the same value of delta over and over and then exit. Honestly, I would recommend using a Timer, since that is what they are there for. If you really want to do it manually (which doesn't make sense to me, but okay) you can remove the while, add delta on every frame and then below set a boolean flag to true once the counter is above a certain number. Then below that check if the flag is true and call another function or do whatever. But I would still use a Timer because it is already there for you.

ckoshiro

@cybereality said: No, that code won't work. It will just get stuck in the while loop, adding the same value of delta over and over and then exit. Honestly, I would recommend using a Timer, since that is what they are there for. If you really want to do it manually (which doesn't make sense to me, but okay) you can remove the while, add delta on every frame and then below set a boolean flag to true once the counter is above a certain number. Then below that check if the flag is true and call another function or do whatever. But I would still use a Timer because it is already there for you.

Thank you @cybereality :) I'll try that.

There is some technical reason for that freezing? I use this approach for several years in every game engine I try and it works like a charm.

mola

Here, good tutorial about timer node or making your own timer:

Nanites

@ckoshiro said: There is some technical reason for that freezing? I use this approach for several years in every game engine I try and it works like a charm.

Your while loop runs at every frame, and while it waits for its condition (capability_performed <= capability_duration) it does nothing but increase capability_performed by delta. So you basically made a timer that actual duration depends on the delta, and while its running nothing else can be processed.

Example:

capability_performed = 0.0 capability_duration = 50.0 delta = 0.05

in that case, the while loop will run for 1000x until the condition of capability_performed > capability_duration is met. while this is going, the game will "freeze" since nothing else is executed (unless you have other threads running).

cybereality

@ckoshiro said: There is some technical reason for that freezing?

Yes, because it is stuck in the while loop, there is no timing code or time delay (for example when using sleep in C++). You are not waiting any amount of time at all. It is just looping in the while, essentially instantly, adding the same number for delta (the delta on the first frame) over and over without any time delay between. I'm unsure how that would work in any language or engine, the logic does not seem to make sense.

ckoshiro

Thanks @Nanites and @cybereality.

I'll look for another solutions. I understand that the logic maybe does not make any sense to you.

cybereality

Well it doesn't make sense logically or mathematically. It's not that I don't understand.

ckoshiro

@cybereality said: Well it doesn't make sense logically or mathematically. It's not that I don't understand.

I think you guys are right. I'm not trying to make any point here. I need to rework my idea.

Thank you guys for the effort, but maybe I'm failing not only to code but to express my ideas (English is not my native language (well, I think it's easy to you to notice that lol))

Thank you all again!

cybereality

Okay, no worries.