{{tag>dragonscript behavior}}
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[[:start|Start Page]] >> [[main|DragonScript Scripting Language]] >> [[abstractions#behavior_elementsquick_and_easy_development|Behavior Elements: Quick and Easy Development]] >> **ECBehaviorBehaviorTreeTimer**
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  * [[behaviors_use_cases|Behaviors Explained: By Use-Case]]
  * [[behaviors_a_to_z|Behaviors Explained: From A to Z]]

====== ECBehaviorBehaviorTreeTimer ======

Behavior element behavior adding timer support to behavior tree support.

Behavior adds behavior tree actions and conditions to an [[behavior_behaviortree|ECBehaviorBehaviorTree]] allowing behavior trees to start and wait for multiple independent timers.

====== Instance Counts ======

This behavior can be added multiple times to an element for each ECBehaviorBehaviorTree. Each instance creates an own set of behavior tree action and conditions and timers.

====== Element Class Properties ======

Element class properties have the prefix ''behaviorTreeTimers.'' or ''behaviorTreeTimers({id}).'' if id is not empty.

====== Events ======

This behavior has no events.

====== Behavior Tree Actions ======

This behavior adds these behavior tree actions.

===== timer.start =====

Starts a timer. As parameter use ''timeout'' to set the seconds until the timer elapses or ''timeout.lower'' and ''timeout.upper'' to randomly select seconds between a lower and upper limit (inclusive). Optionally use parameter ''timer'' to select the timer. ''timer'' is a string identifier you can freely choose. If absent empty string is used as timer identifier. The timer is created if absent. This action immediately returns and does not require a rule identifier.

This is an example of using this action:
<code xml>
<action name='timer.start'>
  <parameter name='timeout'>1.5</parameter>
  <parameter name='timer'>myTimer</parameter>
</action>
</code>

This is an example of using this action with random timeout:
<code xml>
<action name='timer.start'>
  <parameter name='timeout.lower'>1.5</parameter>
  <parameter name='timeout.upper'>2.5</parameter>
  <parameter name='timer'>myTimer</parameter>
</action>
</code>

===== timer.stop =====

Stops a timer. Optionally as parameter use ''timer'' to select the timer matching an identifier used in a previous action ''timer.start''. This action immediately returns and does not require a rule identifier.

This is an example of using this action:
<code xml>
<action name='timer.stop'>
  <parameter name='timer'>myTimer</parameter>
</action>
</code>

===== timer.wait =====

Waits for a timer to elapse. Optionally as parameter use ''timer'' to select the timer matching an identifier used in a previous action ''timer.start''. The action keeps running until the timer elapsed. If the timer is absent the action immediately returns.

This is an example of using this action:
<code xml>
<action name='timer.stop' id='waiting'>
  <parameter name='timer'>myTimer</parameter>
</action>
</code>

====== Behavior Tree Conditions ======

This behavior adds these behavior tree conditions.

===== timer.running =====

Determines if timer is running and has not elapsed yet. Optionally as parameter use ''timer'' to select the timer matching an identifier used in a previous action ''timer.start''.

This is an example of an action that can only run if the timer ''myTimer'' is running:
<code xml>
<action name='myAction' id='doing something'>
  <parameter name='timer'>myTimer</parameter>
  <condition>timer.running</condition>
</action>
</code>

===== timer.finished =====

Determines if timer is not running or has elapsed. Optionally as parameter use ''timer'' to select the timer matching an identifier used in a previous action ''timer.start''.

This is an example of an action that can only run if the timer ''myTimer'' is running:
<code xml>
<action name='myAction' id='doing something'>
  <parameter name='timer'>myTimer</parameter>
  <condition>timer.finished</condition>
</action>
</code>

====== Required Behaviors ======

  * [[behavior_behaviortree|ECBehaviorBehaviorTree]]

====== Optional Behaviors ======

This behavior does not support optional behaviors.

====== Persistency ======

This behavior does support element class to be persistable (setPersistable).

====== API Documentation ======

#@LinkApiDocDEDS2_HTML~classDragengine_1_1Scenery_1_1ECBehaviorBehaviorTreeTimer.html,ECBehaviorBehaviorTreeTimer~@#.

Since DragonScript Module Version ''1.0''

====== Use Cases ======

  * Allow timers to be used in behavior trees.

====== Element Class Example ======

This example defines an element which can use timers in behavior trees.

<code>
class MyElement extends BehaviorElementClass
  public var ECBehaviorBehaviorTree behaviorTree
  public var ECBehaviorBehaviorTreeTimer behaviorTreeTimer
  func new()
    behaviorTree = ECBehaviorBehaviorTree.new(this)
    behaviorTreeTimer = ECBehaviorBehaviorTreeTimer.new(this, behaviorTree)
  end
end
</code>

====== Behavior Factory ======

Using element class supporting adding behaviors the behavior can be added like this:
<code xml>
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>
<elementClass name='MyClass' class='GenericBehaviorElement'>
  <behavior type='ECBehaviorBehaviorTree'/>
  
  <behavior type='ECBehaviorBehaviorTreeTimer'>
    <!-- optional: use behavior tree with id instead of empty string -->
    <string name='behaviorTree'>second</string>
    
    <!-- set element properties. omit property prefix if used inside behavior tag -->
    <string name='.name'>value</string>
  </behavior>
  
  <!-- for adding multiple behaviors use unique identifiers -->
  <behavior type='ECBehaviorBehaviorTreeTimer' id='second'/>
</elementClass>
</code>

====== Live Examples ======

  * [[https://github.com/LordOfDragons/deexamples|DEExamples Repository]]