Hi, this is my first attempt at writing code. The goal seemed quite modest but I’m getting bogged down. I’m reading tabular data from a csv file, and writing to the screen one row of the table at the time. What I’d like to do at this point is write the first row at the top, wait a specified amount of time, then write the next, and so forth. I’ve tried using frameRate, and millis below but it’s getting me tied in knots! Any help getting past this obstacle, and onto the next, would be appreciated.
Table table;
PFont f;
int previousDisplayTime;
int deltaTime;
Setup() runs only once, so it and only draws all at once when the code is completed.
draw() on the contrary is a loop that draws, when not specifically determined by frameRate(), or including timers, around 60 times per second. So the executing code with the timer you have to put there, in draw(). Reading the links provided above is really necessary to give you a more detailed explanation.
Simplify it, understand it and then integrate code.
Try writing just a timer first.
Your example did not display text to screen as is.
This is a first pass at your efforts and formatted as an example of how to post code and do some debugging:
Table table;
PFont f;
int previousDisplayTime;
int deltaTime;
void setup()
{
//f = createFont(“Arial”,16,true); //Replaced
//textFont(f,18); //Replaced:
textSize(18);
fill(0);
//fullScreen(); //Replaced:
size(400, 400);
background (255);
//Integer vertical = 25; //Why did you do this? Replaced:
int vertical = 25;
table = loadTable ("data.csv", "header");
line(width/2,0,width/2,height);
deltaTime = 2000;
previousDisplayTime = 0;
println("d1");
//if (millis() > previousDisplayTime + deltaTime) //Try this uncommented
{
for (int i=0; i<table.getRowCount(); i++)
{
for (int j=0; j<table.getColumnCount(); j++)
{
text(table.getInt(i,j), width/2-70+j*40,vertical);
}
vertical = vertical+30;
}
}
println("d2");
}
data.csv:
c1,c2
1,1
2,2
3,3
I then added a draw(), moved some code and was able to integrate a timer.
Your timer is not working yet.
Use some println() statements to see what your timer is doing.
Comment code with a // to help debugging; see my example.
This forum has plenty of timer examples to search for if you need some insight; I encourage you to try this on your own first.
Thank you for your suggestions. The reason I wrote the code in the Setup() section is that the concept of 2 loops (getting values from tabular data) within a loop (Draw()) is really confusing to me. I’ll give it a try, and likely will return with more issues
Thanks glv, I appreciate your help with this. I took your advice and completed started from scratch. The code now does everything I want it to do in the most simple way I can come up with, except the timing part. I’m playing with both millis() and your last suggestion of getting rid of a loop in draw() and using frameRate(). So far, no go. I’ll post my latest efforts sometime tomorrow for some more wisdom from the community. I’m spent now
data2.csv contains 2 columns of numbers and any number of rows.
The code actually does what I want, except for the timing. It reads from data2.csv, then sends one row at a time to the screen and formats. You’ll note that I added noLoop() to the setup(), as the looping in draw() is killing me. I want the code to go through the tabular data once and write to screen each row one at a time. Without the noLoop() the font gets darker as the code is run repeatedly in draw(). I’ve tried the different strategies proposed, the commented section is my last attempt (failure). The delay is added at the begining but then the rows all appear at the same time. I’m lost!
By the way, you’ve been extremely patient with me, and I am appreciative.
If you do not clear the background at the start of each loop() if will continue to paint over it (keep adding to canvas) and start to do this. It does not draw perfectly over each frame with each cycle of draw() and appears to get darker.
Read this to understand:
It takes a while to grasp the flow of setup() and draw() for new programmers.
You just have to work through this.
If I clear the background will I loose the last row printed to screen? I need the rows to cumulate one at the time from the bottom of the screen to the top. I may be misunderstanding a lot here.
Regarding delay vs timer, I considered that a delay of a specific time is a timer. I’m not sure how these are different conceptually but of course I believe you that they are different in code. I’ll keep thinking about this…
int sec = 1;
int y;
void setup()
{
size(300, 300);
frameRate(1);
background(255);
}
void draw()
{
//background(255); //Try with and without background()
println("f: ", frameCount);
//for (int y=0; y<5; y++) //rows
{
for (int x=0; x<5; x++) //columns
{
//println(x,y);
String s = str(x) + ", " + str(y); //x and y in a string for text()
//text
fill(0);
textSize(16);
textAlign(CENTER, CENTER);
text(s, 50*x+50, 50*y+50); //Spacing and offset
///point
stroke(255, 0, 0);
strokeWeight(2);
point(x*5, y*5);
}
}
y++; //Will keep incrementing each draw() cycle; needs some code to set a limit.
println("y: ", y);
if (y>=5)
{
y = 0;
noLoop();
}
}
Example 2 with frameRate timer and a background
int sec = 1;
int y;
int yLimit = 0;
void setup()
{
size(300, 300);
//frameRate(1); //Default is 60 when this is commented
background(255);
}
void draw()
{
background(255); //Try with and without background()
println("f: ", frameCount);
if (frameCount%60 == 0) //This is the modulo operator
{
yLimit++;
println(yLimit);
if (yLimit>=5)
{
noLoop();
}
}
for (int y=0; y<yLimit; y++) //rows
{
for (int x=0; x<5; x++) //columns
{
//println(x,y);
String s = str(x) + ", " + str(y); //x and y in a string for text()
//text
fill(0);
textSize(16);
textAlign(CENTER, CENTER);
text(s, 50*x+50, 50*y+50); //Spacing and offset
///point
stroke(255, 0, 0);
strokeWeight(2);
point(x*5, y*5);
}
}
//y++; //Will keep incrementing each draw() cycle; needs some code to set a limit.
//println("y: ", y);
//if (y>=5)
// {
// y = 0;
// noLoop();
// }
}
Delays should not be used in draw():
Use a timer and time events to update as required.
Try to integrate a millis() timer.
Use println() statements to see variables as code is executed.
Timer examples:
Note: timer = millis() should also be in setup() in Amnon examples above; if you use a println() to see value you will see why.
Thanks again. I think I’ll put this aside for a few weeks and come back to it when my mind is a little clearer. I have 120 term papers to correct and I’m not looking forward to it…
