instantiate box runtime

SteveZX81

I'm wondering if I'm the only one who had to google 'instantiate'. Would be nice to know I'm not the only dumb one here. ;)

chucky831

@SteveZX81 I'm using this function, the problem is that I have to instantiate a box every few seconds. The problem is that I should save each box in a variable in order to be able to manipulate it. I don't know if it can be done in this case

chucky831

@SteveZX81 unfortunately on google I find little about it programming with fuze

Dave

Why not use an array variable to store the properties for all of your boxes, then use the box() function inside a for loop to draw them? This way you can manipulate each box.

// initialise an array of structures - create properties for the boxes, initalise values at 0 as we'll set them to random in a for loop below
array boxes[10] = [
    .x = 0,
    .y = 0,
    .width = 0,
    .height = 0,
    .colour = 0
]

// give the properties a random value for each 
for i = 0 to len( boxes ) loop
    boxes[i].x = random( gwidth() )
    boxes[i].y = random( gheight() )
    boxes[i].width = random( 100 )
    boxes[i].height = random( 100 )
    boxes[i].colour = {random(1.0), random(1.0), random(1.0), 1} // an RGBA vector with random red, green and blue channels and "1" for alpha
repeat


// main loop
loop
    clear()
    
    for i = 0 to len( boxes ) loop
        boxes[i].y += 1 // this will move all boxes down the screen, for instance
        box( boxes[i].x, boxes[i].y, boxes[i].width, boxes[i].height, boxes[i].colour, false )
    repeat

    update()
repeat

Dave

Another method is to use the Fuze shape functions. This will allow you to store a shape in a variable and use various functions to manipulate it.

Check out these help pages:

https://fuzearena.com/help/view/createBox
https://fuzearena.com/help/view/setShapeLocation
https://fuzearena.com/help/view/drawShape

chucky831

@Dave to manipulate them I had created a data structure. All I need is to instantiate the box every few seconds in update without sleep() function

Dave

So you're looking to create boxes every few seconds rather than begin the program with all of them? Sounds like a function to populate a field in that array of structs would be good for it.

Maybe add a .active property to the structure too to keep track of the boxes which are active:

array boxes[10] = [
    .x = 0,
    .y = 0,
    .width = 0,
    .height = 0,
    .colour = 0,
    .active = false
]

A function to make one could look like this:

function makeBox()
    for i = 0 to len( boxes ) loop
        if !boxes[i].active then
            boxes[i].x = where you want the box on the x axis
            boxes[i].y = where you want the box on the y axis
            boxes[i].width = whatever you want the width as
            boxes[i].height = whatever you want the height as
            boxes[i].colour = {random(1.0), random(1.0), random(1.0), 1}
            boxes[i].active = true // don't forget to set the active flag so it isn't overwritten
        endif
    repeat
return void

You could call this function every few seconds using a % in the main loop.

frame = 0

loop
    clear()
    
   // make a box every 3 seconds
    if frame % 240 == 0 then
        makeBox()
    endif

    for i = 0 to len( boxes ) loop
        box( boxes[i].x, boxes[i].y, boxes[i].width, boxes[i].height, boxes[i].colour, false )
    repeat

    update()
    frame += 1
repeat

Retrocade_media

@chucky831 make a self made timer?

//This will be every one second (not counting delta time) assuming we stay at 60 frames per second
BoxTimer = 60

Loop
    If BoxTimer > 0 then
        BoxTimer -= 1
    Endif

    If BoxTimer <= 0 then
        BoxTimer = 60
        //Do your other stuff here
    Endif
Repeat

Retrocade_media

I should note, Daves method is gonna be better in the long run. However, my method works from the frame you decide to launch it, if you add a variable to stop and start it

chucky831

@Retrocade_media I did such a thing
//pseudo code

loop

for i=0 to 10 loop
if(time > delay) then
box(....)
endif

repeat
update()
repeat

doing so rightly the falling pits get stuck. This is what I don't understand how to deal with fuze.
I should generate boxes indefinitely only that I don't find a way to do it with fuze
Thanks for your help

PB____

I might have misunderstood the question, but here is my attempt of answering it anyway:

If you draw the box on an image (using setDrawTarget and createImage), then create a sprite that has the created image as the image. And set the properties of the sprite to implement the behavior you want (for example falling down).

This way you could keep creating sprite, but you'd still need to keep track of the sprites you've created, to also remove them when you're done with it.

I know @pianofire had implemented a linked-list solution somewhere. That might be a useful data structure for this scenario, to remove sprites from the linked list after the sprite has been removed from screen with removeSprite

EDIT:
if you mean to draw static boxes, than you could choose not to call clear(), that way you do not need to keep track of the boxes at all. They just get drawn to the framebuffer (or an image you created, if you also need to draw things that do need to be cleared).

spikey

@Dave I just recently wondered if creating a box shape before the main loop, storing it in a variable and then just moving is better or if its ok to call box() in every loop iteration. I was worried that calling box() in every mainloop iteration would allocate new memory that is never released again. But seeing your example I am confident to use the box() function more often, it could save me some lines.

chucky831

@PB____ I can add an object to an array like:

boxes = obj

it does not give me an error but it gives me the length of the array equal to 0

spikey

@chucky831 you can do boxes[len(boxes)] = obj, means you need to give the next item in the array as the index. Here if there are 3 items already in boxes as an example, boxes[0], boxes[1] and boxes[2], then len(boxes) is equal to 3. and boxes[3] = obj will add the 4th item. or you use the len() function directly as I did at the beginning of my comment.