How to display a timer on the screen

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1

There's probably a better way to do this, but I can't get a live timer that display how long since the game started. Here's what I'm trying

function createTimeDisplay()
    timeSprite = gfx.sprite.new()
    updateTimeDisplay()
    timeSprite:setCenter(0, 0)
    timeSprite:moveTo(170, 4)
    timeSprite:add()
end

function updateTimeDisplay()
    local elapsed_time = pd.getElapsedTime()
    local minutes = math.floor(elapsed_time / 60)
    local seconds = math.floor(elapsed_time % 60)

    gfx.setFont(uiFont)
    local timeText = string.format("Time: %d:%02d", minutes, seconds)
    local textWidth, textHeight = gfx.getTextSize(timeText)
    local timeImage = gfx.image.new(textWidth, textHeight)
    gfx.pushContext(timeImage)
    gfx.drawText(timeText, 0, 0)
    gfx.popContext()
    timeSprite:setImage(timeImage)
end

function pd.update()
	gfx.sprite.update()
	pd.timer.updateTimers()

	if not gameOver then
		updateTimeDisplay()
	end
end

createTimeDisplay()

The timer at the top displays 0:00 and never updates when I thought it would be called in the update loop. I can see that updateTimeDisplay is getting called. Any thoughts?

2

Hello, thats weird, I've copied and tested your code and it works correctly (time updates). Only thing I didn't copy is the gameOver condition. Are you sure gameOver is really false on your end?

import "CoreLibs/graphics"
import "CoreLibs/sprites"

local pd <const> = playdate
local pd_graphics <const> = pd.graphics
local pd_sprite <const> = pd_graphics.sprite

function createTimeDisplay()
    timeSprite = pd_graphics.sprite.new()
    updateTimeDisplay()
    timeSprite:setCenter(0, 0)
    timeSprite:moveTo(170, 4)
    timeSprite:add()
end

function updateTimeDisplay()
    local elapsed_time = pd.getElapsedTime()
    local minutes = math.floor(elapsed_time / 60)
    local seconds = math.floor(elapsed_time % 60)

    pd_graphics.setFont(uiFont)
    local timeText = string.format("Time: %d:%02d", minutes, seconds)
    local textWidth, textHeight = pd_graphics.getTextSize(timeText)
    local timeImage = pd_graphics.image.new(textWidth, textHeight)
    pd_graphics.pushContext(timeImage)
    pd_graphics.drawText(timeText, 0, 0)
    pd_graphics.popContext()
    timeSprite:setImage(timeImage)
end

createTimeDisplay()

function pd.update()
    pd_sprite.update()
    updateTimeDisplay()
end
3

Hmm weird indeed. gameOver is definitely false. I wonder if I'm somehow altering the timer elsewhere, and the actual value is 0:00. I'll have to look into that!