Help with multi-button HUD communication?

Hi -

I'm trying to script an object that will receive commands from a 4-button HUD. Button 1 turns the object invisible, buttons 2-4 rez an object multiple times at slow, medium, and fast rates. My question is - in the script below, I'm not sure how to move from one button push to the next. Will the "while" loops hear the listen message and stop the rezzing of objects the way I have it written? Do I need to stop the "while" loop, or will it stop by itself when the next listen event happens?


default
{
state_entry()
{
llListen(333,"button",NULL_KEY,""; // listen on channel 333 for the HUD buttons.
}

listen( integer channel, string name, key id, string message )
{
if ( message == "stop" )
{
llSetAlpha(0.0,ALL_SIDES); //make it invisible

}
else if (message == "slow"
{
llSetAlpha(0.2,ALL_SIDES); /make it visible
while (message == "slow"
{
llRezObject("thing",llGetPos() + <0, 0, -0.005>, ZERO_VECTOR, ZERO_ROTATION, 1);
llSleep(llFrand(3.0));
}
}

else if (message == "medium"
{
llSetAlpha(0.2,ALL_SIDES); //make it visible
while (message == "medium"
{
llRezObject("thing",llGetPos() + <0, 0, -0.005>, ZERO_VECTOR, ZERO_ROTATION, 1);
llSleep(llFrand(2.0));
}
}

else if (message == "fast"
{
llSetAlpha(0.2,ALL_SIDES); // make it visible
while (message == "fast"
{
llRezObject("thing",llGetPos() + <0, 0, -0.005>, ZERO_VECTOR, ZERO_ROTATION, 1);
llSleep(llFrand(0.5));
}
}
}
}

Here is a little example script that shows what you need to do:

// Create 4 prim and then link them together. Drop this in the root prim


integer prim_num;
string prim_name;
vector color;

say(){
	llOwnerSay( "Prim name: " + prim_name +
		", link #" + (string)prim_num + " touched." );
}
params(){
	llSetPrimitiveParams([PRIM_COLOR, ALL_SIDES, color, 0.6]);
	say();
}

default {
	touch_start( integer n ) {
		prim_num = llDetectedLinkNumber(0);
		prim_name= llGetLinkName(prim_num);
		if(prim_num == 1){
			color = <1, 1, 1>;
			params();
			llOwnerSay("I am also the Root Prim");
		}
		if(prim_num == 2){
			color = <0, 0, 1>;
			params();
		}
		if(prim_num == 3){
			color = <0, 1, 0>;
			params();
		}
		if(prim_num == 4){
			color = <1, 0, 0>;
			params();
		}
	}
}

Thanks - I suspected the while loop wouldn't hear the next event, but it seems odd that there isn't another way to do it that doesn't use a timer.

No it isn't a gun, and the physical objects I rez have a die on collision with the ground or other objects, so they won't stick around for long.

Sorry I read that question wrong

default
{
	state_entry()
	{
		llListen(333,"button",NULL_KEY,""); // listen on channel 333 for the HUD buttons.
	}

	listen( integer channel, string name, key id, string message )
	{
		if ( message == "stop" )
		{
			llSetAlpha(0.0,ALL_SIDES); //make it invisible
			llSetTimerEvent(0.0);
		}
		else{
			llSetAlpha(0.2,ALL_SIDES); //make it visible
			if (message == "slow")
			{
				llSetTimerEvent(llFrand(3.0));
			}

			else if (message == "medium")
			{
				llSetTimerEvent(llFrand(2.0));
			}

			else if (message == "fast")
			{
				llSetTimerEvent(llFrand(1.0));
			}
		}
	}
	timer()
	{
		llRezObject("thing",llGetPos() + <0, 0, -0.005>, ZERO_VECTOR, ZERO_ROTATION, 1);
	}
}

BUT>>>>>>>>>>>>> I'm not sure you understand the concept of llFrand correctly. In a case like this there is an even chance that calling "fast" will actually end up being slower then "slow". If instead you are trying to do something like a random number between 2-3 seconds then look back at the wiki and it will show how to use llFrand to get a number in a range. You might even end up with a random number generated that is going to be spitting out objects every 0.0001 seconds or so.

Once you get it working like you want, I would suggest bringing it to an empty island and checking script/total ms time when running this. It could end up being pretty unfreindly to a sim.

Jesse;

If I understand your script correctly, it only rezzes one copy of the item per listen event, at a random time after the HUD button click. That isn't what I'm looking for. I'm trying to start rezzing copies as soon as the button is clicked, and reset the speed after the next click. The randomness is in seconds between rezzing instances.

I realize that the llFrand can cause frequent repeats- my next job is to implement the min/max constraint for that function. Right after I figure out why rezzing a physical object from an attachment makes me dance all over the place like a demented puppet.

One thing at a time

Once a timer event is declared and started, it keeps repeating at the set frequency until it is stopped by using llSetTimerEvent(0.0) or changed to a different frequency by declaring a different value in the llSetTimerEvent.

Try this, just put this script in a prim and then touch the button on your hud or since I took out "button" you can just type in /333 fast for example and you will see how it works:

default
{
	state_entry()
	{
		llListen(333,"",NULL_KEY,""); // listen on channel 333 for the HUD buttons.
	}

	listen( integer channel, string name, key id, string message )
	{
		if ( message == "stop" )
		{
			llSetAlpha(0.0,ALL_SIDES); //make it invisible
			llSetTimerEvent(0.0);
		}
		else{
			llSetAlpha(0.2,ALL_SIDES); //make it visible
			if (message == "slow")
			{
				llSetTimerEvent(10.0);
			}

			else if (message == "medium")
			{
				llSetTimerEvent(3.0);
			}

			else if (message == "fast")
			{
				llSetTimerEvent(1.0);
			}
		}
	}
	timer()
	{
		llOwnerSay("timer");
	}
}

And to get it to rez immediately and then continue the timing instead of waiting on the timer the first time you use the neTimed example in the wiki:

http://www.cheesefactory.us/lslwm/timer.htm

Hang in there, you will get it. Keep on posting what you have as you progress and we will keep you on track.

I tried it out and it does what you said, but there is no way to include a random interval in the timer - i.e. something like llSetTimerEvent(llFrand(f) + 1.0); won't work since as you say, this keeps the same repeat frequency until it is called again. For my script, I need the random timing.

Unless I include llSetTimerEvent in a loop to call it over and over again, but I don't think that's a good idea since it would really load up the event queue. Hmmm, how to do this?

I really appreciate the help!

Call llSetTimerEvent with a new randomly-generated interval at the end of each timer event handler. Then again, depending on how much of a differential you want in the interval, a "static" timer value might be good enough, as the actual interval between events can vary quite a bit, depending on server load.

No, that won't work, but it won't load up the event queue, either. You'll just stay in the loop and never reach the next timer event. Calling llSetTimerEvent doesn't add another event to the queue, it just resets the interval until the next timer event is raised (or cancels it altogether).

I figured it out! Right now it only works well for the "fast" setting. Modifying Jesse's script to add a random element to the time event:

default
{
state_entry()
{
llListen(333,"",NULL_KEY,""; // listen on channel 333 for the HUD buttons.
}

listen( integer channel, string name, key id, string message )
{
if ( message == "stop" )
{
llSetAlpha(0.0,ALL_SIDES); //make it invisible
llSetTimerEvent(0.0);
}
else{
llSetAlpha(0.2,ALL_SIDES); //make it visible
if (message == "slow"
{
llSetTimerEvent(10.0);
}

else if (message == "medium"
{
llSetTimerEvent(3.0);
}

else if (message == "fast"
{
llSetTimerEvent(1.0);
}
}
}
timer()
{
integer n;
float f = llFrand(5.0);

if (llRound(f) == n)
{
llOwnerSay("timer";

}
n = n + 1;

if (n > 5)

n = 0;

}
}

if you want a timer with a random interval why not this?

//-- in globals
float your-range-here = 2.0; //-- example value, change to suit
float your-min-calc-time = 3.0; //-- example value, change to suit

//-- in start triggering code
llSetTimerEvent( llFrand( your-range-here ) + your-min-calc-time );

//-- in change rate code
your-range-here = some-value;
your-min-calc-time - some-other-value;

timer(){
llSetTimerEvent( llFrand( your-range-here ) + your-min-calc-time );
//--do stuff
}

make sure to figure you minimum calc time as TotalDelays + overhead

using that you can change both your range and you minimum values for different results

Void;

Is resetting the llTimerEvent frequency every second or two a bad thing lag-wise? If not, your method would work well for me.