Pausing Game

johncc

I have examined the Wiki about pausing the game but am still unsure how to do so. I am fairly new to GameSalad and don't understand alot of the lingo.

Can anyone explain clearly step by step how to pause a game?

(I only have one moving actor)

Thanks!

jonmulcahy

Step 1: Create an attributed called Pause
Step 2: Create a rule in your actor that contains everything you currently have in it. Change the rule to say "attribute game.Pause = 0". Doing this basically says, when the attribute Pause is 0, do everything below. You would need to create a rule like this for every moving actor you have
Step 3: Create a Pause button. This is just a baisc actor with a touch rule:
"when actor receives touch"
Change Attribute game.Pause to (game.Pause+1)%2

This will make it so when you hit the pause button, game.Pause changes to 1, basically pausing the game. When you hit it again, it changes game.Pause back to 0, allowing everything to move again.

I just implemented this in my game last night, and I had 30+ moving actors. what a royal pain

I'd throw together a basic project, but I'm at work right now. I'm sure tshirtbooth will do it later on though

johncc

Thank you! It finally worked! You are great!

venon_it

yessssss, thanksssss for guide, when uploaded a sample project this is the best idea!!

thanksss

venon_it

sorrry, but when i have a game in pause and push a HOME Button iphone, when i re-open the my game ( in iphone ) the game resumes from the pause?

Thanksss

venon_it

ahhh, ok, but in version 1.0 GS it is inserted ??

you have a solution for this moment?

Thankss

venon_it

ok thankss,

i have another question, in your example ( pausegame.zip ) you insert a cube rotation, but if i want to insert the cube moves right and left loop?

craps

I am trying to work through the pause learning curve. Do I create a "boolean" attribute and name it "pause". Then check the box under value or do I use a different attribute?

Do I create the pause attribute for the "pause" button?

The problem I am having is that the "pause" attribute does not show up under the editor -

change attribute.game.pause

Thanks

scitunes

you should be able to name any attribute anything you want and it should show up under game in the expression editor.

craps

Should attributes be made in the main game window - attributes - that way they show up whenever needed?

scitunes

game attributes made in the main window can be accessed in all actors. self attributes made in the window within an actor are only accessible to that actor.

firemaplegames

A pause attribute should be a global game attribute that all the actors in the game should have access to and be able to listen to.

Click on the Attributes tab above the actor library, and click the [+] to add a new game attribute. Call it something like "gameIsPaused" (without quotes) and make it of type Boolean. Leave it unchecked.

(Unchecked means false)

craps

1. Global attribute made - GameIsPaused-unchecked-boolean
2. Rule - attribute.game.GameIsPaused...is...false
3 Under this rule is my animation
4. Pause button - actor receives event.touch.pressed
5. Change attribute.game.GameIsPaused TO (game.GameIsPaused+1)%2

Touching the pause button does nothing.
Does the +1 change the attribute to TRUE?
What does the %2 doe?

Thanks.

firemaplegames

No, (game.GameIsPaused+1)%2 will keep toggling an integer between 0,1,0,1,0,1, etc...

That uses the modulus [%] math function.

If you want to use it, you'll need to rebuild your attributes/Rules like this:

1. Global attribute made - GameIsPaused-Integer-set initially to 0
2. Rule - attribute.game.GameIsPaused...is...0
3 Under this rule is my animation
4. Pause button - actor receives event.touch.pressed
5. Change attribute.game.GameIsPaused TO (game.GameIsPaused+1)%2

So instead of looking for true/false you will be checking for 0/1

0 = false
1 = true

If that is too confusing, you can keep it true/false by changing your pause button Rule.

In pause button, make two nested Rules, like this:

Rule
When all conditions are valid
Actor receives event.touch.pressed
-----Rule
-----When all conditions are valid
-----attribute game.GameIsPaused = false
----------Change Attribute game.GameIsPaused To: true
-----Otherwise
----------Change Attribute game.GameIsPaused To: false

quantumsheep

Let's pause for a sec and try and work out why such a simple fiction has been made so complicated...

*hic*

JGary321

easy for me

craps

FireMapleGames -

I tried everything you told me. But I still have a question or two. Do I type the words true and false in the box following the change attribute?

---------Change Attribute game.GameIsPaused To: true
-----Otherwise
----------Change Attribute game.GameIsPaused To: false

Also do I have to put anything on the animation scene too?

iPhoneDevForMe

When dealing with boolean values (true/false)

0 = False

Any number greater than 0 = True

Simply put,

Change attribute game.isPaused to 1 to say true. Otherwise 0 for false

For your case you want to toggle between 1 and 0. To do this use the % symbol.

So using the expresion editor, add game.isPaused, then type the rest into the expresion editor to get (game.isPaused+1)%2
and then click the check mark

firemaplegames

@craps: yes, you need to type true and false into the expression editor.

I'm not sure what you mean by animation scene, but if you mean the Scene window where you drag all your assets, then no, you don't need to put anything there.

quantumsheep

JGary321 said:
easy for me

You always say that.

Nobody likes a showoff. And you know I'm right, anyway

QS

craps

What did I do wrong?

[IMG]http://i44.tinypic.com/2vb0uol.png[/IMG]

craps

What did I do wrong?

craps

craps said:
What did I do wrong?

http://tinypic.com/r/2vb0uol/5

craps

craps said:
http://tinypic.com/r/2vb0uol/5

This is under the pause actor and in the game attributes I made a boolean GameIsPaused unchecked box.

Thanks

firemaplegames

That looks correct to me.

That should toggle the global game attribute game.GameIsPaused between either true or false.

Is it not working?

craps

No and here is the global attribute

http://i40.tinypic.com/iwn80z.jpg

craps

craps said:
No and here is the global attribute

http://i40.tinypic.com/iwn80z.jpg

I made a pause actor and place the pause png file on it - then applied those rules.

http://i43.tinypic.com/ojl2c2.png

Man I must be thick headed.

craps

craps

firemaplegames

All your images look correct to me.

Try this:

Drag a Display Text behavior into the pause button - outside of those Rules. Instead of "Hello World", change it to display game.GameIsPaused (from the drop-down menu)

I just tried it here and it works fine. Those Rules successfully toggle that attribute between true and false.

Let me know if that is working. Does the text change correctly?

craps

I cant take it anymore!
I tried it and no go.

http://i42.tinypic.com/rkv4f7.png

From the drop down menu the text does not show up - correct?