Timed Run Troubles

[Rodak]

I am making a sequence where YOU (the main character's name in Videogamedrome) has to run through an environment in a timed manner.

So I made a timer bar that shrinks to nothing in 300 (300 frames is the VFX editor's limit without looping or stringing effects together).

I got that to display without difficulty. I even placed refresh points along the way to reset the timer bar (the whole course can be done in one cycle, but I placed an item which, if you stop to pick up will waste enough time that you need to run back to the start to renew the timer and then make for the end).

My problem is this... I can't make an event that will simply count the frames needed for the 300 frames and then do whatever. I need this event to be interruptible so that I can reset the timer event at the same time as the VFX bar.

I tried all the obvious things like wait commands (which can't be interrupted) and repeat loops waiting one frame, checking for a flag, stopping if on or going to the top if off. And more.

I could not get any of it working. I must be doing something stupid.

The problem is similar to those situations I have heard people refer to when the character is underwater and must get somewhere without running out of air.

But now I gotta spend most of today doing yard work. I'm finally getting the last remnants of storm damage to trees taken care of now that I have a branch leaning on my neighbors roof.

I am not going to get to use my day off to figure this out like I wanted, so any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm uploading a demo late tomorrow afternoon so there might be time to get this working for the occasion. Because of this "urgency" (I really can't think of a better word even thought that one is too strong... it's only a game!) I posted this at the pavilion too. I'll check both so feel free to respond at either.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

Peace.

[NASH7777]

<My problem is this... I can't make an event that will simply count the frames needed for the 300 frames and then do whatever. I need this event to be interruptible so that I can reset the timer event at the same time as the VFX bar.>

Easy, set an action script that will work like this.
forced Loop
~Wait 5
~variable FRAMES=Frames+5
~If Frames>=300
~~to end
~loop end
<w-e conditions for after time runs out.

You could use Wait 1 and +1 but I find the game works better with increments like 5. Then when you refresh the timer set the variable of Frames back to 0 and the timer loop will still be working. Also if you need to access content script data after the time runs out. Put an indirect effect that will do this after a step where the timer is maxed out.

[Rodak]

OK, it's lunch break time over here on the East coast and I thought I'd see if anybody saw this yet. Thanks for responding.

I tried something similar with flags, but I was waiting only one frame.

I'll definitely give this a try and let you know how it goes.

Meanwhile, I get to play Destructo-Man-With-A-Chainsaw some more. I want to finish this before it rains over here this afternoon.

Peace.

[Doan the Nado]

To reset the timer using Nash's method, all you have to do is temporarily remove the event that displays the timer, set the frames variable to 0, and then duplicate the event to any location on the map (if you used a 2D VFX). That will cause the VFX to disappear, the timer to reset, and then the event will begin again from the beginning, starting the VFX off from the top again.

[Rodak]

Doan comes through again!

That's it! I never thought of using temp removal and Duplicate together.

You have no idea how much this is going to help in every script I need to restart.

I have been using Apply Together followed by Calling the same script that is running and Force Script End. That works fine, but has a limited number of times you can loop it like that before the game hiccups and wipes all the VFX from the map together with exiting the script.

If using VFX characters (like I am in this effort) this leaves you in a real picklement.

Thanx!