Wow, thanks for the feedback @Chrisir, it’s really helpful.
And again, a big thanks for your patience and guidance on what has been a pretty long thread, really appreciate it.
Opt out.
2 Likes
You are welcome!
Well done!
Chrisir
2 Likes
And I’m back @Chrisir !!
I decided to try something else with this project and combine the early project with the one above. What I am now trying to achieve is the following:
- First Column appears on screen using typewriter effect.
- It stays on screen by itself for 5 seconds
- Then second line appears also with typewriter effect (it appears on a different part of the screen.
- Both lines of text then stay on screen for five seconds.
- Then the screen goes blank for 5 seconds and then reiterates through programme.
To start, I have been trying to get:
- the first line to stay for 5 seconds (I can’t get this working - although there is a 5 second gap between texts
- then the second one to appear and stay for 5 seconds (Yes, this works!)
- and then screen clears and a gap of 5 seconds before iterating again (This doesn’t work it just reiterates straight away)
So my main problem seems to be with typeWriter1() and case 4:
full code below and any suggestion/advice would be most welcome.
/* This sketch randomly selects rows from a CSV file
these rows are then printed out to screen using
a 'typewriter' style effect.
I want the text to print out and then stay on screen for 5 seconds.
I then want the screen to stay blank for 5 seconds before starting again.
*/
int state=0; // state of the program
Table table; // table object
int timer; //creates a a timer variable
int counter = 0; //creates a counter variable and sets it to zero
String full; //a string to combine amount + name
String amount; //a string to combine amount + name
String newAmount; // a string with new amount
String newName; // a string ith newNames
void setup() {
// size(1000, 1000); //size
fullScreen();
PFont font; //font
table = loadTable("nameISP.csv", "header");
smooth();
font = createFont("HoeflerText-Italic-48", 48); //creates font
textFont(font, 120); //text font
textAlign(CENTER, CENTER); //aligns text to Center
selectRow(); //calls selectRow fucntion
timer=millis();
}
void draw() {
switch (state) { //this is the start of switch
//this calls typeWriter1
case 0:
// this will be exectued if state = 0
background (0); //background
typeWriter1();
break; // break for case 0
case 1:
//this is the break between typewriter 1 + 2
background (0);
if (millis()-timer > 5000) { //if 5 seconds has passed
timer=millis();
state=2; // move on
}
break; //break for case 1
//this calls typeWriter2
case 2:
background(0); //background
typeWriter2();
break; //break for case 2
//this should keep typewriter2 text on screen for 5 seconds
case 3:
if (millis()-timer > 5000) {
state=4;
}
break;
//this should wait 5 seconds before iteratating again.
case 4:
if (millis()-timer > 5000) {
selectRow();
state=0;
}
break;
}
}
//---------------------------------------------------------------------
// Tyewriter1 pulls the first column, prints it too screen, and waits a few seconds
void typeWriter1() {
text(newAmount.substring(0, counter),
0, 40, width, height); //text to print
if (millis()-timer > 100) { //this is the typewriter effect
counter++; // go to next letter
timer=millis(); // reset timer
}
if (counter > newAmount.length()) { //this if statement resets counter to 0 when text is finished
counter = 0; // reset
state = 1; //go to state one
timer=millis(); // reset timer
}
}
void typeWriter2() {
text(newName.substring(0, counter),
100, 40, width, height ); //text to print
if (millis()-timer > 100) { //this is the typewriter effect
counter++; // go to next letter
timer=millis(); // reset timer
}
if (counter > newName.length()) { //this if statement resets counter to 0 when text is finished
counter = 0; // reset
state = 3;
}
}
void selectRow() {
TableRow row; //Table row object
String amount="", name=""; //two strings representing columns in csv
row = table.getRow((int)random(table.getRowCount())); //print a random row
amount = row.getString("IP"); //a string with amount
name = row.getString("ISP"); // prints name for row
full = amount + " " + name; //combines name and row into new String called full
newAmount = amount;
newName = name;
println (full); //just prints to serial monitor so I can test all is working
}
//
1 Like
You forgot to write this at the end of case 3?
1 Like
Thanks @Chrisir . I tried it
case 3:
if (millis()-timer > 5000) {
timer=millis();
state=4;
}
break;
But it hasn’t changed anything…will keep trying 
1 Like
This is not a useful comment because everyone sees that.
I guess useful comments kind of tell the purpose of a paragraph/ section or give an over all view.
Eg // here we distinguish between different states of the sketch
1 Like
fair comment, to be honest I had put it in there to explain to myself as I went over the code…will avoid in future.
2 Likes
This is missing in typewriter2 !!!
Remark
You copied typewriter1 to typewriter2. I understand why. In general it’s better to write a more abstract version of the function and use it for both cases. Eg you could pass the String and what’s the next state as a parameter
2 Likes
Remember to hit ctrl-t regularly in processing especially prior to posting
Also, You should have empty lines between the case sections not inside them
2 Likes
Yeah, I thought I was being smart, by reusing the same code, as in I thought the logic was the same:
This is missing in typewriter2 !!!
Yes, but even with it in, it is still not changing anything.
In general it’s better to write a more abstract version of the function and use it for both cases. Eg you could pass the String and what’s the next state as a parameter
Could I ask you to elaborate on this, as I’m not sure what you mean, in particular ‘pass the String and what’s the next state as a parameter’
Thanks
1 Like
What distinguishes the 2 functions is the string and the next state we go to.
So we have to clearify this when we want to unify the two.
We could move the state line out of the function two both respectively case sections
We could pass the String as parameter
[quote=“OptOut, post:64, topic:12889”]
void typeWriter1() {
[/ quote]
void typeWriterNew(String stringLocal) {
and then use stringLocal in the function
When we call the function typeWriterNew use 2 different variables as parameter: newAmount and newName
2 Likes
No background in case 1
2 Likes
Prior to using the timer you need to reset it using timer=millis(); every time
You forgot this twice
Does it work now?
If not please post your entire code
2 Likes
I just spent 3 days trying to fix/find that 
2 Likes
Not using background() command makes the text less crisp optically.
Alternatively you would text() out the text after background() in this case section.
2 Likes
I’ve just checked again and from what I can see timer is reset each time.
/* This sketch randomly selects rows from a CSV file
these rows are then printed out to screen using
a 'typewriter' style effect.
I want the text to print out and then stay on screen for 5 seconds.
I then want the screen to stay blank for 5 seconds before starting again.
*/
int state=0; // state of the program
Table table; // table object
int timer; //creates a a timer variable
int counter = 0; //creates a counter variable and sets it to zero
String full; //a string to combine amount + name
String amount; //a string to combine amount + name
String newAmount; // a string with new amount
String newName; // a string ith newNames
void setup() {
// size(1000, 1000); //size
fullScreen();
PFont font; //font
table = loadTable("nameISP.csv", "header");
smooth();
font = createFont("HoeflerText-Italic-48", 48); //creates font
textFont(font, 120); //text font
textAlign(CENTER, CENTER); //aligns text to Center
selectRow(); //calls selectRow fucntion
timer=millis();
}
void draw() {
switch (state) {
//this calls typeWriter1
case 0:
// this will be exectued if state = 0
background (0); //background
typeWriter1();
break; // break for case 0
case 1:
//this is the break between typewriter 1 + 2
if (millis()-timer > 5000) { //if 5 seconds has passed
timer=millis();
state=2; // move on
}
break; //break for case 1
//this calls typeWriter2
case 2:
background(0); //background
typeWriter2();
break; //break for case 2
//this should keep typewriter2 text on screen for 5 seconds
case 3:
if (millis()-timer > 5000) {
timer=millis();
state=4;
}
break;
//this should wait 5 seconds before iteratating again.
case 4:
if (millis()-timer > 5000) {
timer=millis();
selectRow();
state=0;
}
break;
}
}
//---------------------------------------------------------------------
// Tyewriter1 pulls the first column, prints it too screen, and waits a few seconds
void typeWriter1() {
text(newAmount.substring(0, counter),
0, 40, width, height); //text to print
if (millis()-timer > 100) { //this is the typewriter effect
counter++; // go to next letter
timer=millis(); // reset timer
}
if (counter > newAmount.length()) { //this if statement resets counter to 0 when text is finished
counter = 0; // reset
state = 1; //go to state one
timer=millis(); // reset timer
}
}
void typeWriter2() {
text(newName.substring(0, counter),
100, 40, width, height ); //text to print
if (millis()-timer > 100) { //this is the typewriter effect
counter++; // go to next letter
timer=millis(); // reset timer
}
if (counter > newName.length()) { //this if statement resets counter to 0 when text is finished
counter = 0; // reset
state = 3;
timer=millis(); // reset timer
}
}
void selectRow() {
TableRow row; //Table row object
String amount="", name=""; //two strings representing columns in csv
row = table.getRow((int)random(table.getRowCount())); //print a random row
amount = row.getString("IP"); //a string with amount
name = row.getString("ISP"); // prints name for row
full = amount + " " + name; //combines name and row into new String called full
newAmount = amount;
newName = name;
println (full); //just prints to serial monitor so I can test all is working
}
//
1 Like
when it works now, all timers are reset correctly
Almost!
Now first line appears for 5 seconds as does second…however I would like for there to be a blank screen after the second line appears - so a five second blank screen between iterations.
I tried to introduce another state to acheive this, but it just keeps the second line on screen for longer:
void draw() {
switch (state) {
//this calls typeWriter1
case 0:
// this will be exectued if state = 0
background (0); //background
typeWriter1();
break; // break for case 0
case 1:
//this is the break between typewriter 1 + 2
if (millis()-timer > 5000) { //if 5 seconds has passed
timer=millis();
state=2; // move on
}
break; //break for case 1
//this calls typeWriter2
case 2:
background(0); //background
typeWriter2();
break; //break for case 2
//this should keep typewriter2 text on screen for 5 seconds
case 3:
if (millis()-timer > 5000) {
timer=millis();
state=4;
}
break;
// trying to create a 5 second delay before iterations
case 4:
if (millis()-timer > 5000) {
timer=millis();
state=5;
}
break;
//this should wait 5 seconds before iteratating again.
case 5:
if (millis()-timer > 5000) {
timer=millis();
selectRow();
state=0;
}
break;
}
}
Also, If I wanted to keep the first line on screen for the whole iteration, would I need to implement a boolean?
Thanks again.
Okay, both typewriter need a timer=millis();
when you want to show a blank screen use background() in this case section
When you want a message to stay on the screen: just have a text() command in all appropriate case sections
1 Like
So simple, so obvious …yet so frustratingly difficult to do!
I won’t say goodbye this time (learnt my lesson last time) but for now, I think I’m good 
Thanks again @Chrisir
1 Like