Timer #

This feature is part of the Plugin_Variables plugin. Make sure Plugin_Variables is enabled when using it.

In dialogue you sometimes need to wait a fixed amount of time before acting—for example, “do something if there is no input from the user for a certain time” or “synchronize motion and audio playback.” For this purpose, MMDAgent-EX provides a countdown timer for wait handling.

The countdown timer notifies the end of the interval and finishes by outputting the TIMER_EVENT_STOP message after the time specified in the arguments has elapsed.

Note that the timer resolution is 0.1 seconds. Values smaller than 0.1 s cannot be specified. Counting is done in 0.1-second steps, so differences of a few tens of milliseconds may occur.

Messages to start or cancel a timer:

• TIMER_START Message to start a new timer
• TIMER_CANCEL Message to cancel a running timer

Messages emitted when the timer state changes:

• TIMER_EVENT_START When a timer is started
• TIMER_EVENT_STOP When a timer expires
• TIMER_EVENT_CANCELLED When a timer is cancelled or reconfigured

Basic usage #

Start a new timer with the TIMER_START message. The argument (count down alias) is the name of the timer to start, and (value) is the timer duration in seconds.

TIMER_START|(count down alias)|(value)

If a timer with the same name is already running, the old timer is first cancelled (emitting TIMER_EVENT_CANCELLED), and then a new timer with the same name is started (emitting TIMER_EVENT_START).

When a timer is started, a TIMER_EVENT_START message is emitted.

TIMER_EVENT_START|(count down alias)

The timer counts down in the background, decreasing its value every 0.1 seconds. When the specified time elapses and the value reaches 0, the timer ends. At that time, a TIMER_EVENT_STOP message is emitted and the timer is removed.

TIMER_EVENT_STOP|(count down alias)

Cancel #

To interrupt a timer before it finishes, use the TIMER_CANCEL message.

TIMER_CANCEL|(count down alias)|(value)

TIMER_CANCEL will emit TIMER_EVENT_CANCELLED whether or not the specified timer exists.

TIMER_EVENT_CANCELLED|(count down alias)