Timer hit by Deactivate Trigger Question

[SYN_Matthias]

For those of you who are mission editor gurus, I'm just trying to clarify.

If a timer trigger in the process of counting is hit by a deactivate trigger, does:

1. The counting on the timer PAUSE and then RESUME counting from where it left off if/when an activate trigger hits it

2. The counting is CANCELED in progress (reset to 0) and if/when an activate trigger hits it, the timer does not automatically restart, it only allows the timer to be restarted from scratch through whatever mechanism started the timer in the first place?

I'm hoping for number 2 (and I've been building that way) but I fear that some of the bugs I've experienced with previous logic circuits I build is because it's number 1.

[Waxworks]

Neither I'm afraid, a deactivate trigger won't affect a timer if it has already started. It took a while for me to get the hang of this!

As a standard workaround, I use a second 1s timer trigger after the main timer, then this second trigger can be deactivated, so that it works like your second option, except that the first trigger has to run to its end for this method. There are other workarounds.

[SYN_Matthias]

Holy crap, that explains a LOT. I should have asked this about... eight months ago?

Quick Perkins, back to the white board! We have circuits to completely redesign and check for bugs!
*Running feet and cries of terror*
*Perkins has fled the laboratory*

Well, it's a good thing I enjoy doing this. I just haven't figured out if it's because I'm clinically insane or I like pain. Perhaps both? Thank you!

[SYN_Vander]

Uh, are you sure Waxworks???

My answer would be 2). It says so in the official ME manual doesn't it? A LOT of my missions are based on this assumption, ie I decative a timer if another event happens and I have to cancel the timer. Although somtimes I deactivate the following MCU.

I may have some editing to do...:)

[Waxworks]

No, I'm not sure, nor can I find the post where I got this notion from, though its possibly from study of posts about the artillery logic, where you have many deactivate timers. If you have routines that work, don't fix them because I posted that they shouldn't!

However, when I had problems with other routines they could often be traced to an attempt to deactivate a timer after it had started, rather than having a 'primer' timer and then a 1s 'fire' timer. Though this method requires an extra 1s timer, at least you will then know that the flaw isn't with the deactivate/activate part of the routine?

[SYN_Matthias]

Ok, then I'll test this theory out when I get home and report back (unless someone else does it first - 4 more hours to go here).

Should be a piece of cake to set up a quick long delay timer that should not fire a flare if it gets hit by a deactivate trigger. In fact, I'll set it up to test all 3 theories just to be sure, And then we'll know!

Least I can do considering I kicked this hornets nest to start.

[SYN_Matthias]

And the answer confirmed via testing is:

When the deactivate hits the active counting timer the timer freezes but does not reset!

When it reactivates the timer RESUMES counting from where it left off!

Yep I have some rebuilding to do...

Timer Test.rar

Here's a zipped mission you can use to test and confirm yourselves. Use the rear gun in the DFW. Right truck kill starts a 1 min countdown to a flare from the D8. Middle truck kill deactivates that timer trigger. Left truck kill reactivates that timer trigger. The D8 always shoots the flare T seconds after the third truck is killed, where T = 1 minute - time between 1st and 2nd truck destruction. After the left truck is killed all three come back healed 1 minute later so you can repeat the test.

And by all means if you can poke a hole in the validity of that test please do. I want to make sure I've got it figured out exactly right!

Update: I've also used the same mission by killing center truck 2, then right truck, and then killing left truck to confirm that a logic signal which hits a deactivate timer is completely lost. (which at least matches with my expectations)

[SYN_Vander]

Thanks Matthias. So at least the timer does stop when you deactivate it. That was my main concern. :) But it will not reset the timer, which is odd a I'm sure it said so on the ME manual. I will have to look it up again....