Looping music - not looping - GameCreators Forum

Author

Message

bodmcn

15

Years of Service

User Offline

Joined: 6th Oct 2010

Location:

Posted: 21st Nov 2010 04:51

Link

Have started creating the menu for the game with some music playing in the background before starting.

The LOOP MUSIC command though only plays once then stops; have looked around the forums but have not actually come across an explanation.

Can anyone let me know if there is anything I am missing? The initial code snippet is below:

+ Code Snippet

//
//  Display the main game menu
//
function displayMenu()

    //  Play the intro music
    loop music mscIntro
    
    set text size 50
    center text centreX, 50, "Rong"
    center text centreX, 120, "Any key to start..."
    sync; sync
    wait key
    
    stop music mscIntro
    cls
endfunction

Back to top

Profile PM

Hodgey

16

Years of Service

User Offline

Joined: 10th Oct 2009

Location: Australia

Posted: 21st Nov 2010 09:01

Link

Hi, I'm not an expert on DBPro's sound commands (I've only played around with them once or twice) but you could try this:

+ Code Snippet

If music looping(mscIntro) = 0 then loop music mscIntro

Hope this helps

A clever person solves a problem, a wise person avoids it - Albert Einstein

Back to top

Profile PM Email

baxslash

Valued Member

Bronze Codemaster

19

Years of Service

User Offline

Joined: 26th Dec 2006

Location: Duffield

Posted: 21st Nov 2010 11:26

Link

The command is bugged. When using the "music" commands (as opposed to "sound") you have to check the length of your track and see if the sound has finished manually. Rubbish I know, example:

+ Code Snippet

sync on
sync rate 60

load music "song.mp3",1
play music 1
`if it is one minute long exactly
playing=timer()+60000

do
	cls
	if timer()>playing
		center text screen width()/2,100,"Time remaining: "+str$(playing-timer())
	else
		center text screen width()/2,100,"Song is finished!"
	endif
	sync
loop

Back to top

Profile PM Email

Sasuke

20

Years of Service

User Offline

Joined: 2nd Dec 2005

Location: Milton Keynes UK

Posted: 21st Nov 2010 21:01

Link

This happens because your program is suspended, so DBP can't make an internal check (which I believe only accrue at the end of a loop) to see if the music has stopped. You can test this by doing this:

+ Code Snippet

sync on : sync rate 0

load music "xxx.mp3",1
loop music 1

sync
wait key // wait till music has finished then press a key

do
    // the music will start loop again
    sync
loop

A dream is a fantasy, if you achieve that fantasy it was never a dream to begin with.

Back to top

Profile PM Email

Neco

18

Years of Service

User Offline

Joined: 13th Jul 2008

Location: Waterloo, Wisconsin USA

Posted: 21st Nov 2010 21:06

Link

Sorry, but I've never seen this used before
From the original snippet....

+ Code Snippet

sync; sync

Might not have to do with your problem, but wonder if that is also an error.

Old Skool Games - Bringing the gaming past to the present

Back to top

Profile PM Website

Dabbler

19

Years of Service

User Offline

Joined: 3rd Mar 2007

Location: Minnesota

Posted: 21st Nov 2010 21:12

Link

I think the sound and music commands only update within a sync. I have had this problem before.

Try this:

+ Code Snippet

sync on : sync rate 0 :
color backdrop rgb(0,0,128) : hide mouse
set text font "arial" : set text size 12 : set text transparent

centreX=screen width()/2

load music "music triumph.mp3",1:`  <--load your music here
loop music 1
holdMenu(centreX)
end

function holdMenu(centreX)
   repeat
      center text centreX, 50, "Rong"
      center text centreX, 120, "Any key to start..."
      sync
   until scancode()<>0
endfunction

I hope it helps.

Whatever...

Back to top

Profile PM

bodmcn

15

Years of Service

User Offline

Joined: 6th Oct 2010

Location:

Posted: 23rd Nov 2010 00:06

Link

Thanks for all the replies. I will check it out as soon as I get home.

The double synching

+ Code Snippet

sync; sync

was the only way I could get the screen to show the text before the wait key.

Back to top

Profile PM

Green Gandalf

VIP Member

21

Years of Service

User Offline

Joined: 3rd Jan 2005

Playing: Malevolence:Sword of Ahkranox, Skyrim, Civ6.

Posted: 23rd Nov 2010 13:20

Link

You won't see anything until TWO syncs have been performed - but you only need the extra sync ONCE at the start of your program. That's why my demos usually start with something like this:

+ Code Snippet

set display mode desktop width(), desktop height(), 32
sync on: sync rate 60: sync

I put the extra sync there so I don't forget it later.

I don't understand why it's needed. I'm told it's something to do with "double buffering". Such arcane issues are beyond me - I've just learnt to live with it.

Back to top

Profile PM Email

bodmcn

15

Years of Service

User Offline

Joined: 6th Oct 2010

Location:

Posted: 23rd Nov 2010 23:57

Link

Oh excellent thanks.

Back to top

Profile PM

Mobiius

Valued Member

23

Years of Service

User Offline

Joined: 27th Feb 2003

Location: The Cold North

Posted: 24th Nov 2010 19:42

Link

Quote: "I'm told it's something to do with "double buffering""

that's correct. Double buffered screens are so called as the GFX card (Or whatever) holds two copies of the previous 2 screens. So when you sync the screen, what you actually see is an image from 3 frames ago. They used to do it to increase the speed at which screens were rendered to the display by always having a copy of the displayable screen in memory.

As for the music looping, I'd strongly suggest torrey's (free) enhanced audio plugin. it's much better at handling looping music as well as providing numerous enhanced functions.

My signature is NOT a moderator plaything! Stop changing it!

Back to top

Profile PM Email Website

Sorry your browser is not supported!

DarkBASIC Professional Discussion / Looping music - not looping