Using output_time to synchronize inputs to game

[Clipstaed]

At https://www.consoletuner.com/wiki/index.php?id=t2:output_time it says, "This time information can help synchronize inputs, combos and macros with the game frame rate." Can anyone give a simple example that shows this synchronization idea?

I am having trouble with getting a combo to work well on a NTSC console, but I don't know how to use output_time to improve it. Right now I am trying to use:

Code: Select all

#define frames(a) ((int16)(round(16.68335 * (fix32)a)))
wait(frames(1));

to space button presses out by console frames instead of milliseconds, but it doesn't seem to help.

[Clipstaed]

Does someone know something about this? The problem is that the example from the documentation page does not seem to work:

Code: Select all

main {
    if(get_val(BUTTON_2)) {
        if(output_time() == 0) {
            macro_run("Example.gmk");
        }
    }
}

I think what output_time() is supposed to mean is "how much time has gone since console polled for input?" I can see how this can be useful to synchronize with a console which polls for input aligned with a game framerate (though why the game framerate would be the same to the console poll rate is another mystery.)

But this idea can't seem to be experimented because most of the time when you press the button, nothing happens. Rather than "wait until output_time() is 0 so we are always aligned, then go!", it seems to ask "is output_time() at 0? no? i guess just do nothing, haha" and most inputs are ignored.

get_actual(), get_val(), is_active(), check_active(), event_active() all seem to have the same result. Most inputs are ignored because output_time() is not 0, though rarely everything aligns and the input can happen.

How can it be correctly used?

[Scachi]

Hold down the button until the macro starts or add a flag on event_active to start it and reset the flag when output_time is 0.

Untested code:

Code: Select all

bool start;
 
main {
    if(event_active(BUTTON_2)) start = TRUE;
 
    if (start && output_time() == 0) {
        start = FALSE;
        macro_run("Example.gmk");
    }
}