How to: Pause "Game"

[MasteR]

Now, what is the right way to pause a 3d application, this could be pausing an RTS or RPG or even pausing the application whilst the in game menu is opened.

 

What is the logic behind achieving pause and resume functionality?

[Marleys Ghost]

PauseApp() and ResumeApp() will pause and resume the application time.

[MasteR]

PauseApp() and ResumeApp() will pause and resume the application time.

 

int main(int argc, char** argv)
{
Initialize();

// Create a graphics window
Graphics(800,600);

//Load the SDK directory
RegisterAbstractPath("C:\Leadwerks Engine SDK");

// Create a world
if (!CreateWorld())
{
	MessageBoxA(0,"Error","Failed to create world.",0);
	goto exitapp;
}
TBuffer buffer=CreateBuffer(800,600,BUFFER_COLOR0|BUFFER_DEPTH|BUFFER_NORMAL);

// Create a camera
TEntity cam = CreateCamera();
MoveEntity (cam, Vec3(0,0,-5) );

// Create a visual mesh
TEntity mesh = CreateCube();

//Create another mesh to cast a shadow on
TMesh ground=CreateCube();
ScaleMesh(ground,Vec3(10,0.1,10));
PositionEntity(ground,Vec3(0,-2,0));

//Create a spotlight
TLight light=CreateSpotLight();
PositionEntity(light,Vec3(2,2,-2));
RotateEntity(light,Vec3(45,45,0));

// Main program loop
while(!KeyHit(KEY_ESCAPE))
{
	UpdateAppTime();
	PauseApp();

	// Make the visual mesh spin
	TurnEntity (mesh, Vec3(0.0,0.5,0.0));

	// Update timing and physics
	UpdateWorld(AppTime());	

	//Make our render buffer the current buffer
	SetBuffer(buffer);

	//Render the world to the render buffer
	RenderWorld();

	//Make the back buffer the current buffer
	SetBuffer(BackBuffer());

	//Call the RenderLights command, passing our buffer which
	//contains color, depth, and normal data
	RenderLights(buffer);

	//Swap the buffers so we can see what was drawn
	Flip ();
}
exitapp:
Terminate();
return 0;
}

 

This does not pause the application for me. It takes a while to load up and the cube still rotates, slowly, but still rotates.

[Laurens]

I'm just shooting in the dark here but first, I am not sure that PauseApp will also stop objects from loading, and second, I think you need to call PauseApp only once. I think it only pauses updating, but most certainly not the entire code execution.

 

Cheers!

[MasteR]

I'm just shooting in the dark here but first, I am not sure that PauseApp will also stop objects from loading, and second, I think you need to call PauseApp only once. I think it only pauses updating, but most certainly not the entire code execution.

 

Cheers!

 

Now we're getting somewhere,

 

Should pause/resume be performed outside the main loop?

the logic of one solution would be to * every in game objects movement, animation, etc by a value and change that value to 0 when you want the game paused, but surly there is a better way.

[Marleys Ghost]

This does not pause the application for me ..

 

 

well it would not when called there in the main loop, PauseApp() pauses the application time .. then in your code you perform "things" in a loop and then at the start of the loop you update the Apptime! and then pause it again .. call it as a function outside of the main loop .. in Bmax I have used ..

 

Function PauseGame()
PauseApp()
ShowMouse()
SetBlend(BLEND_ALPHA)
DrawText("PAUSED", (GraphicsWidth()/2)-TextWidth("PAUSED")/2, GraphicsHeight()-14)
SetBlend(0)
Flip(0)
WaitKey()
HideMouse()
ResumeApp()	
End Function

 

Simply prints a PAUSED notification ... pauses the app .. waits for a key to be pressed and resumes the app.

[cocopino]

Why don't you just exit the main loop while pausing by jumping into a second loop?

 

int pause = 1;

// Main program loop
while(!KeyHit(KEY_ESCAPE))
{
	UpdateAppTime();

	// Make the visual mesh spin
	TurnEntity (mesh, Vec3(0.0,0.5,0.0));

	while pause
	{
		// paused, do some stuff here
	}


	// Update timing and physics
	UpdateWorld(AppTime()); 

	//Make our render buffer the current buffer
	SetBuffer(buffer);

	//Render the world to the render buffer
	RenderWorld();

	//Make the back buffer the current buffer
	SetBuffer(BackBuffer());

	//Call the RenderLights command, passing our buffer which
	//contains color, depth, and normal data
	RenderLights(buffer);

	//Swap the buffers so we can see what was drawn
	Flip ();
}

[MasteR]

well it would not when called there in the main loop, PauseApp() pauses the application time .. then in your code you perform "things" in a loop and then at the start of the loop you update the Apptime! and then pause it again .. call it as a function outside of the main loop .. in Bmax I have used ..

 

Function PauseGame()
PauseApp()
ShowMouse()
SetBlend(BLEND_ALPHA)
DrawText("PAUSED", (GraphicsWidth()/2)-TextWidth("PAUSED")/2, GraphicsHeight()-14)
SetBlend(0)
Flip(0)
WaitKey()
HideMouse()
ResumeApp()	
End Function

 

Simply prints a PAUSED notification ... pauses the app .. waits for a key to be pressed and resumes the app.

 

understood thanks alot, nice and simple