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DeveloperX
202192397
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 1626
Location: Decatur, IL, USA
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js71
Wandering DJ
Joined: 22 Nov 2002
Posts: 815
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 Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 3:32 am Post subject: |
[quote] |
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Unplayably fast... Just like the first build. :\
(I've always found walking in place to be a bit annoying too)
Nice graphics though... The minimap is nice.
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DeveloperX
202192397
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 1626
Location: Decatur, IL, USA
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| Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 3:51 am Post subject: |
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| Josiah Tobin wrote: | Unplayably fast... Just like the first build. :\
(I've always found walking in place to be a bit annoying too)
Nice graphics though... The minimap is nice. |
I've been trying to figure out how to get the timing fixed.
And the animation isn't fixed yet.
Once I get those 2 things solved, I can start working on fully integrating the virtual machine..
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Principal Software Architect
Rambling Indie Games, LLC
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Adam
Mage
Joined: 30 Dec 2002
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Location: Australia
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DeveloperX
202192397
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 1626
Location: Decatur, IL, USA
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| Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 5:45 am Post subject: |
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| adam wrote: | Shoudn't this thread be in projects/screenshots?
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Does it really matter?
Went there...read it all....still don't get it.
problems I'm having:
- player either changes frames really fast like he's having a seizure, or doesn't change at all.
- game isn't going to run the same speed on other PCs.
I asked Ninkazu for help, and he told me about the install_int() stuff...and it doesn't work. I don't know what I'm doing, and if anyone wouldn't mind taking some time to show me step by step, I would really appreciate it.
I've been reading different sources for 4 days, I simply cannot figure this out.
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Adam
Mage
Joined: 30 Dec 2002
Posts: 416
Location: Australia
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| Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 6:25 am Post subject: |
[quote] |
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| DeveloperX wrote: | | Does it really matter? |
Yes.
| DeveloperX wrote: |
- player either changes frames really fast like he's having a seizure, or doesn't change at all.
- game isn't going to run the same speed on other PCs.
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Hmmm, very strange. Let me think... You know, the link i gave you solves both these problems.
Let's go a little crazy and try this. Look at the example given examples/chap_09/ex_4_3. http://www.glost.eclipse.co.uk/gfoot/vivace/vivexam.zip.
You need to use the magic of copy and paste to throw this in right up the top of your program.
| Code: | int actual_cycle;
volatile int target_cycle;
volatile int last_fps;
volatile int frame_counter;
void target_incrementor()
{
target_cycle++;
}
END_OF_FUNCTION(target_incrementor);
void count_frames()
{
last_fps = frame_counter;
frame_counter = 0;
}
END_OF_FUNCTION(count_frames); |
Now, we need tis in our intalization:
| Code: | install_timer();
LOCK_VARIABLE(target_cycle);
LOCK_FUNCTION(target_incrementor);
install_int_ex(target_incrementor, BPS_TO_TIMER(30));
LOCK_VARIABLE(last_fps);
LOCK_VARIABLE(frame_counter);
LOCK_FUNCTION(count_frames);
install_int_ex(count_frames, BPS_TO_TIMER(1));
actual_cycle = target_cycle = 0; |
the BPS_TO_TIMER(30) bitty gives you 30 cycles a second.
now your main loop of your game needs to be alterd to look something like this:
| Code: |
// however you chose to loop would be above this line
// do input crap here
draw_one_frame(); /* First do some graphics, */
while (target_cycle > actual_cycle) /* then until up-to-date... */
do_one_game_cycle(); /* ... do game cycles. */
// close main loop below this line |
now, in your draw_one_frame() or whatever you called it, you only do the drawing onto screen. Don't do logic. Right at the end of this function put in frame_counter++;
in do_one_game_cycle() or whatnot, you don't do any screen drawing. Put actual_cycle++; at the end of this function.
You'll probably need to make those integer declerations at the top globals if your code is in more than one file.
I think my name should be listed in the credits for your game.
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Bjorn
Demon Hunter
Joined: 29 May 2002
Posts: 1425
Location: Germany
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| Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 4:46 pm Post subject: |
[quote] |
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| adam wrote: | | DeveloperX wrote: | | Does it really matter? |
Yes. |
Indeed it does, I moved it now. :-)
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Joakim
Tenshi's Bitch (Peach says "Suck it!")
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 64
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| Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 6:27 pm Post subject: |
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The speed of a game should not depend on the framerate. Here is the solution to a timing system that will update your game logic a constant number of times per second, but draw to the screen as often as possible.
| Code: | // Update objects a specified number of times (50 times per second)
updates = (get_microseconds() - lasttime) / 20;
if( updates > 0 )
{
for (i=0; i<updates; i++)
{
// Update your game logic here (move stuff etc.)
}
lasttime += updates * 20;
}
// Draw stuff to the screen here
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get_microseconds() is a psudo function, which should of course be a timer that returns the number of elapsed microseconds (since the computer or the engine started, or some other point in time).
It updates 50 times per second because the constant used is 20. That is, 1 sec / 20 = 1000 microseconds / 20 = 50 times per second. If you change this, be sure to change the constant 20 in both places.
lasttime, i and updates should be integers of course.
Be sure to reset lasttime before entering your game loop like this:
lasttime = get_microseconds();
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white_door
Icemonkey
Joined: 30 May 2002
Posts: 243
Location: New Zealand
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| Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 7:34 pm Post subject: |
[quote] |
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| Quote: | | but draw to the screen as often as possible. |
what is the point of redrawing the screen at times when nothing has changed?
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Joakim
Tenshi's Bitch (Peach says "Suck it!")
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 64
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| Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 7:50 pm Post subject: |
[quote] |
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It's a lot of fun!
No actually, you're quite right about that lol.
Here's the modified version:
| Code: | // Update objects a specified number of times (50 times per second)
updates = (get_microseconds() - lasttime) / 20;
if( updates > 0 )
{
for (i=0; i<updates; i++)
{
// Update your game logic here (move stuff etc.)
}
lasttime += updates * 20;
// Draw stuff to the screen here instead
}
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Bjorn
Demon Hunter
Joined: 29 May 2002
Posts: 1425
Location: Germany
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| Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 7:51 pm Post subject: |
[quote] |
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I explained Allegro's timer functions to DeveloperX tonight, at least how to limit the maximum speed of the game. If the PC can't keep up, it would still need to skip frames and I'll explain that later. I'm trying not to give too much sample code, he should be able to write it himself.
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Joakim
Tenshi's Bitch (Peach says "Suck it!")
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 64
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| Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 7:55 pm Post subject: |
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Well this is really simple and easy to understand, and it's library independant, so it might prove more useful in the long run. Either way, I'm glad white_door pointed out my waste of CPU time redrawing the same scene. Thanks buddy! :)
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Bjorn
Demon Hunter
Joined: 29 May 2002
Posts: 1425
Location: Germany
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| Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 8:34 pm Post subject: |
[quote] |
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| Joakim wrote: | | Well this is really simple and easy to understand, and it's library independant, so it might prove more useful in the long run. Either way, I'm glad white_door pointed out my waste of CPU time redrawing the same scene. Thanks buddy! :) |
I agree your way is really simple too, both methods are rather simple, but if you've never done either before, either can be daunting to understand. :)
Btw, there's no reduction in CPU time waste if you just keep looping in the while instead of redrawing the screen. The only advantage not redrawing the screen has, is that you'll jump in the next logic update as soon as possible, instead of lagging behind a bit because you were busy redrawing the previous screen. Not sure if this would be noticable though.
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white_door
Icemonkey
Joined: 30 May 2002
Posts: 243
Location: New Zealand
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| Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 9:26 pm Post subject: |
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If you actually care enough to reduce cpu usage, when not redrawing you'll have to yield your timeslice to the OS. I don't see it as a major issue though, since people expect games to eat up all the cpu time.
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Joakim
Tenshi's Bitch (Peach says "Suck it!")
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 64
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| Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2004 4:23 pm Post subject: |
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The truth is, I don't care if I take up the entire processing time hehe. But the problem you pointed out is the issue here, as a 3D game might use quite a lot of ms to render to the screen, which might be noticable if programmed like my first example.
I guess...
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