# Timer Explanation **URL:** \ **Category:** flash\ **Created:** [August 28, 2015, 7:42am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/timer-explanation/633693 "2015-08-28T07:42:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zamboolah\_Wigi\_Wigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8dc957/32.png) [@Zamboolah\_Wigi\_Wigi](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Zamboolah_Wigi_Wigi)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 7:42am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/timer-explanation/633693/1 "2015-08-28T07:42:49Z")
Hello, I have limited knowledge to ActionScripts and wanted to have a timer that stops for a moment, then continues to play on the timeline. I found this that works but I really don’t understand the whole thing. All I do is replace some values and hope they don’t screw up along the way. Can someone explain to me how this script works that I found in the web? ``` stop(); sec = 1; fn = new Number(_root._currentframe); _global.fwd = function() { fn = new Number(_root._currentframe); sec--; if (sec == 0) { gotoAndPlay(fn + 1); clearInterval(countDown); sec = 1; } } countDown = setInterval(fwd, 1000); ``` Thank you so much! ---
**Author:** ![zeke\_chan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/f14d63/32.png) [@zeke\_chan](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/zeke_chan)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 3:54pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/timer-explanation/633693/2 "2015-08-28T15:54:38Z")
Hey there Let’s start with the last line: ``` countDown = setInterval(fwd, 1000); ``` The setInterval is used to start a timer and there are 2 arguments here: - fwd : which is the function that will be called once the timer has reached the preset time - 1000 : which is the amount of time passed in miliseconds to call the fwd function. 1000 miliseconds is 1 second The setInterval is assigned to the countDown variable so it can be used to clear or remove the timer. Which is what you get in the line: ``` clearInterval(countDown); ``` Back to the top: ``` sec = 1 ``` This is used to keep track of the time left in seconds. ``` fn = new Number(_root._currentframe); ``` This is used to keep track of the current frame on the timeline where the playhead is. There is no need to convert it into a number as the \_currentframe value s already a number. ``` _global.fwd = function() { ``` The \_global keyword is used to ensure you can call the fwd function from anywhere in your Flash movie. ``` sec--; ``` This basically changes the current sec value by -1. It is the same as: ``` sec = sec - 1; if (sec == 0) { ``` This checks to see if the value of sec has the value of 0. This line and the previous line is redundant because the setInterval only runs after 1 second. ``` gotoAndPlay(fn + 1); ``` Goes to the next frame in the timeline and continue playing. There is a simpler way to write this script: ``` stop(); _global.fwd = function() { gotoAndPlay(_root._currentframe + 1); clearInterval(countDown); } countDown = setInterval(fwd, 1000); ``` Hope that helps 😄 ---
**Author:** ![krilnon](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/krilnon/32/34_2.png) [@krilnon](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/krilnon)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2015, 1:01am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/timer-explanation/633693/3 "2015-08-29T01:01:04Z")
Some further boiling down: ```javascript stop() setTimeout(gotoAndPlay, 1000, _currentframe + 1) ``` (I guess, depending on where the code was placed in the .fla, you might still need the `_root.`, but you often wouldn’t.) ---
**Author:** ![Zamboolah\_Wigi\_Wigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8dc957/32.png) [@Zamboolah\_Wigi\_Wigi](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Zamboolah_Wigi_Wigi)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2015, 12:32pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/timer-explanation/633693/4 "2015-08-29T12:32:07Z")
Hi @krilnon zeke\_chan appreciate the time. I’m not going to pretend I understand what you just wrote. hehehehehehe it’s a lot to swallow for a beginner like me. I forgot to add this to my question which is my only concern: changing the first code which is ``` sec = 1; ``` does the job right? I want it to pause for 1 second and play. but I also change the other set located after ``` gotoAndPlay(fn + 1); clearInterval(countDown); sec = 1; ``` or is there no need to do that? ---
**Author:** ![krilnon](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/krilnon/32/34_2.png) [@krilnon](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/krilnon)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2015, 5:53pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/timer-explanation/633693/5 "2015-08-29T17:53:39Z")
The thing that controls how long to pause for is the number `1000`… but I’m not sure what you’re asking now. ---
**Author:** ![Zamboolah\_Wigi\_Wigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8dc957/32.png) [@Zamboolah\_Wigi\_Wigi](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Zamboolah_Wigi_Wigi)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 5:26pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/timer-explanation/633693/6 "2015-08-30T17:26:58Z")
Hi Krilnon, What I’m currently doing right now is if I want to have a 3 second stop, I do this: ``` stop(); sec = 3; fn = new Number(_root._currentframe); _global.fwd = function() { fn = new Number(_root._currentframe); sec--; if (sec == 0) { gotoAndPlay(fn + 1); clearInterval(countDown); sec = 3; } } countDown = setInterval(fwd, 1000); ``` notice I changed this one ----\> `sec = 1` to `sec = 3` ---
**Author:** ![krilnon](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/krilnon/32/34_2.png) [@krilnon](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/krilnon)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 7:39pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/timer-explanation/633693/7 "2015-08-30T19:39:04Z")
Oh. In that case, you don’t need to change the second one. ---
**Author:** ![Zamboolah\_Wigi\_Wigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8dc957/32.png) [@Zamboolah\_Wigi\_Wigi](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Zamboolah_Wigi_Wigi)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 12:56am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/timer-explanation/633693/8 "2015-09-01T00:56:50Z")
appreciate the time 😄 thank you