How To reset a timer if using a Time.timeSinceLevelLoad

Questions & Answers
1

Hi guys my first post here so im hoping i have given enough information on this post

My question is im making a tile match game in c# in unity i have everything made up but when i run out of time i.e. a game over function when i go to replay the game the timer Time.timeSinceLevelLoad has already been counting and already counted past the 0 time mark so it keeps setting off the game over function. - main area of error is lines 65 to 80 this is where the timer gets changed and edited to allow for aditional time when a match is given or a wrong match is lost (adjustTime), keepSeconds sends a time to keep for the score board results.

here is my code for my timer sorry there is alot of commenting and comment out of functions its for a uni project and they require me to put alot in. if you want to try this code to see hot the timer counts down atm, just add it to a empty game object and do a UI slider and place the slider into the slider request in the required spot in the inspector.

using UnityEngine;
using System.Collections;
using UnityEngine.UI;

public class Timer : MonoBehaviour 
{
	private Text timeText; //if i want the time displayed in text
	private float startTime = 120f; // sets how much time the player has to start with
	private float startWith;
	public static float Seconds;
	public static float keepSeconds;
	//private float roundedSeconds;
	//private string txtSeconds;
	//private string txtminutes;
	public static int countSeconds;
	/*
	changed bellow line to go from a private to public static so i can trigger the timer on and off
	with the TileGenerator script in the matchTwo card section lines 102, 105, 119 and 124.
	
	**UPDATE**
		Changed it back to the private as this function was not working as intended as the timer once 
		it goes back Time.time over rides what i was wanting to happen.. Fix bellow 
	*/ 
	public static bool stopTimer = false;
	/* timer to add and subtract time need to pull the Time.time into a float var so you can change
	*/ 
	private float adjustTime = 0; // sets the adjustTime back to 0 so it dosnt take on previouse tries at the game
	public static int timeAdjustBy = 5; // how much to add or take time from\
	public Slider timerBarSlider;  //reference for slider
	public float playerTime = 0f;
	public float guiTime;
	public static float timeOnLevel;

	// Use this for initialization
	void Awake () 
	{
		startTime = 120f;
		startWith = startTime;
		timeText = gameObject.GetComponent<Text> ();
		timerBarSlider.maxValue = startWith; // sets how much time is displayed on the bar when full i.e. 120
		timerBarSlider.minValue = 0; // sets the lowest amount of the slider i.e. 0 = end of time
		timerBarSlider.wholeNumbers = false; // allows the timer to slide down instead of jumping around
	}
	// Update is called once per frame
	void Update () 
	{

		if (stopTimer == false) // runs only while the bool for stopTimer is false which its auto set to above in the declaring
		{

			if (Seconds >= startTime) // if the seconds is greater than or equal to the start time i.e. 120 then run this
			{
				adjustTime -= 5f;// was some how giving a +5 to the seconds so by taking this off i have adjusted that error
				Seconds = startWith;
			}
			adjustTime = (float)countSeconds;// adjusts the time according to if a correct answer or wrong answer given.
			// the (float) converts it from a int to a float so it can change the time accordingly
			//float guiTime = Time.time - startTime; //original line

			/*
			 * The line bellow is starting the timer from the start of the scene loading up
			 * as i had a problem the timer was actually running from once you loaded the menu
			 * or starting of the game this little change also helped with the restarting
			 * of the level as it reset the timer back to what it should have been
			 * */
			//guiTime = Time.timeSinceLevelLoad - startTime; //takes 120 and subtracts the time since level loaded
			guiTime = Time.timeSinceLevelLoad - startTime; //takes 120 and subtracts the time since level loaded
			Seconds = adjustTime - (guiTime); // Seconds = the time above ie 120 - Time since level loaded and takes any time i have given or taken off to adjust the time
			keepSeconds = Time.timeSinceLevelLoad - adjustTime;
		}

		if (Seconds <= 0) // if the time = 0 or less then the game is over and the player looses run this loop
		{

			playerTime = guiTime;
			Debug.Log ("The timer is over!"); // sends a message to teh debug console
			Application.LoadLevel ("timeUp"); // load this level upon end of game
			stopTimer = true; // stops the timer and there for the top if loop
		}

		/*/DISPLAY TIMER
		roundedSeconds = Mathf.CeilToInt (Seconds);
		txtSeconds = (roundedSeconds % 60f).ToString("00");
		txtminutes = (roundedSeconds / 120f).ToString("00");
		timeText.text = "Remaining Time: " + txtminutes + ":" + txtSeconds; // Added in the : to seperate the Mins from the seconds
		*///Debug.Log ("Remaining Time: " + txtminutes + txtSeconds);

		//Timer Slider Bar
		timerBarSlider.value = Seconds;
	}

}

i’m just wondering if there is a way to reset the timer ((Time.timeSinceLevelLoad) or a work around i can do. but what i can only see is its a read only and you cant reset it… unless i have missed something) so when the game is run from the menu scene with out quitting the game and restarting it? or would i be best off making my own timer and how would i do this just making my own timer thing i can work out what functions to rename etc if someone just puts in a sample code or something in a comment.

Aim of the level sequences

WIN

  • Menu → (click start) loads level → (Matched all the pairs) congratulations sceen → Menu scene → replay level(start) ( timer dosnt reset runs off what is left - need to fix)

Loose

  • Menu → (click start) loads level → (Time Ran out) game over scene → Menu scene → replay level(start) ( timer dosn’t reset runs off what is left - need to fix)

Things i have tried

  • Time.time.SinceLevelLoad = 0
  • a float taking the time and deducting the time already played
  • Making my own timer ( didn’t have success in this one - never counted and don’t know why)
  • keeping the time in a don’t destroy object to deduct from Time.timeSinceLevelLoaded ( timer stopped working on this as it continuously reset the timer back to 120 ( playable time))
  • have done a Debug.Log in the timer to get it to print the time
  • placed the script on a timerManager which is a empty game object

Thank you again in advance

regards Mykel (Michael) Williams.

2

First of all, your file is quite bloated with things you do not need for your timer and which complicate understanding your code. I think just the essential code without changelogs and variables in comments would be much easier to read.

Second: There is no “clean” way to reset Time.timeSinceLevelLoad except for reloading the whole scene. You propably do not want that…

Third: Since you are going for static variables, let’s go the whole way: Use a Singleton. In case you are not aware: A Singleton is a class that has a single, static instance that can be accessed from where you want. Singletons usually prevent multiple Instances by making their constructor private and calling it from a static getter method that checks for an already existing instance. In Unity, you have to delete the surplus of Instances. A code for a timer singleton with basic functionality looks like this:

 using UnityEngine;
 using System.Collections;
 
 public class Timer : MonoBehaviour 
 {
	// Static Instance of this Timer (since you seem to want a single Timer)
	private static Timer m_instance;
	 
    private float m_startTime; // sets how much time the player has to start with
	private float m_timePassed;
	 
	public float RemainingSeconds;
 
    public bool IsTicking;

 
    // Use this for initialization
    void Awake () 
    {
		// Another timer exists, kill this one
		if(m_instance != null && m_instance != this)
		{
			Destroy(this);
		}
		else
		{
			// assign Singleton
			m_instance = this;
		}
		
		// Init Timer
		m_startTime = 120f;
		m_timePassed = 0f;
		
		RemainingSeconds = startTime;
		
		IsTicking = true;
    }

    //Update is called once per frame
    void Update () 
    {
		
        if (IsTicking) // already a bool no check for true needed
        {
			// add frame time to passed time
			m_timePassed += Time.deltaTime;
			
			RemainingSeconds = m_startTime - m_timePassed;
		
			// Clamp time to start time
			if (RemainingSeconds >= m_startTime)
            {
				RemainingSeconds = m_startTime;
            } 
			
			// No time left
			if(RemainingSeconds <= 0)
			{
				// This is Game Over
				RemainingSeconds = 0;
				m_stopTimer = true;
				return;
			}
        }
    }
	
	// Use this Method to access your timer
	public static Timer Get()
	{
		// failsafe
		if(m_instance = null)
		{
			GameObject go = new GameObject();
			m_instance = go.AddComponent<Timer>();
		}
		return m_instance;
	}
	
	// Reset your time
	public void ResetTimer()
	{
		m_timePassed = 0;
	}
	
	// If you want to substract time, use a negative value
	public void AddTime(float _seconds)
	{
		m_timePassed -= _seconds;
	}
 }

So if you want to know your remaining time you call Timer.Get().RemainingSeconds; and to reset your timer, call Timer.Get().ResetTimer();

On a side note: You do not need to explicitly cast an int into a float. This cast works implicitly :).