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How to rotate images every tick?

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I’m making a gear simulator and I’ve set it up where you can place the gears, and I have a plan on how you can update each gears rotation speed. I’m going to make a Initialize (method?) where I make the gear that will spin check every point next to it(it’s beta size hasn’t been implemented yet) and then I will add the original gear to a dontSpin list, then make every gear the first one detected spin everything around it, except for gears in dontSpin.
My issue I’m having is how do I rotate the gear Image a bit every tick? I’ve done a bunch of research and tried implementing some things I found but they all rotate it once, and I can’t find a way/I’m not smart enough to know how to make each gear object in the gearList rotate at the rotateSpeed every tick.
If you need more information please message me as I’ve been working on this for like a week and this has been a roadblock for at least 3 days making me lose motivation.
I tried researching multiple different sites and different methods of rotating images and it seemed none were what I needed, they seemed to all be a single rotation. I tried just staring at my code for 15 minutes waiting for it to just pop in my head to no avail. I tried asking on a discord help server, where I was told “just make a method to rotate it, then use it” and I’m not even kidding lmao. I even tried asking a fellow java coder about it, but they had no idea.
Help me stack overflow, you’re my only hope.
Edit: taken down for focusing on 2 problems , so I’ll elaborate on the one problem.
Gear is a class with a Point(x,y), I have a Board class with the bulk of my code, where I have a 10 by 10 ish size grid of squares, the gear and player automatically moves around on these squares.
You can hit a button ‘E’ to add a gear, and ‘Q’ to remove a gear. Every time you add a gear, a new gear is added to the gearList ArrayList. My issue is how to update the gear Images every single tick in the board class.
Here is where the gears are drawn
#Override
public void paintComponent(Graphics g) {
super.paintComponent(g);
// when calling g.drawImage() we can use "this" for the ImageObserver
// because Component implements the ImageObserver interface, and JPanel
// extends from Component. So "this" Board instance, as a Component, can
// react to imageUpdate() events triggered by g.drawImage()
// draw our graphics.
drawBackground(g);
drawScore(g);
for (Gear gear : gearList) {
gear.draw(g, this);
}
player.draw(g, this);
// this smooths out animations on some systems
Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit().sync();
}
This is what that calls
public class Gear {
// image that represents the gear's position on the board
private BufferedImage image;
private BufferedImage newSizeImage;
// current position of the gear on the board grid
private Point pos;
private int rot = 45;
private int rotSpeed = 5;
public Gear(Point gpos) {
// load the assets
loadImage();
// initialize the state
pos = gpos;
}
private void loadImage() {
try {
// you can use just the filename if the image file is in your
// project folder, otherwise you need to provide the file path.
image = ImageIO.read(new File("src/images/gear.png"));
finalImage = rotate(image.getScaledInstance(Board.TILE_SIZE, Board.TILE_SIZE, Image.SCALE_DEFAULT));
} catch (IOException exc) {
System.out.println("Error opening image file: " + exc.getMessage());
}
}
public void draw(Graphics g, ImageObserver observer) {
// with the Point class, note that pos.getX() returns a double, but
// pos.x reliably returns an int. https://stackoverflow.com/a/30220114/4655368
// this is also where we translate board grid position into a canvas pixel
// position by multiplying by the tile size.
g.drawImage(
finalImage,
pos.x * Board.TILE_SIZE,
pos.y * Board.TILE_SIZE,
observer);
}

Removing element from ArrayList Java Processing Boid example

Got this BOID application going in Processing with some steering algorithms.
The boids are stored
in two separate ArrayLists for each colour.
The red boid (predator) has a
pursue function:
class Creature {
int prey = 1;
PVector pursue(ArrayList boids) {
PVector steer = new PVector();
if (prey < boids.size()) {
Creature boid = (Creature) boids.get(prey);
steer = PVector.sub(boid.location, location);
steer.mult(maxpursue);
}
return steer;
}
This function gets the red boids to stand on top of the targeted white boid.
The problem is getting this white boid to disappear when all the red boids are on top of it. (Like shown in the image above)
I can add a new boid or predator with the following, but i cannot remove?:
void mousePressed() {
if (mouseButton == LEFT){
Creature predator = new Creature(mouseX, mouseY, 2);
planet.boids.add(predator);
} else if (mouseButton == RIGHT) {
Creature boid = new Creature(mouseX, mouseY, 1);
planet.boids.add(boid);
planet.boids.remove(boid); // This line does not work?
}
}

The code you posted doesn't make a ton of sense. You want to remove an existing Boid, so why on earth are you creating a new one and then immediately removing it?
You haven't posted an MCVE, so I can only answer in a general sense, but here's what you need to do:
Step 1: Refactor your code so that it makes more sense. Comment every single line if you have to, just to be sure you know exactly what the code is doing. But you shouldn't be doing things like adding a new Boid and then removing it in the very next line. Break your problem down into smaller steps, and make sure each step works perfectly by itself before trying to mix it with other funtionality.
Step 2: Create a function that takes a single white Boid and the List of red Boids, and returns true if that white Boid should be removed. Test this function by itself using hard-coded values in a standalone example sketch.
Step 3: Iterate over your white Boids and call the function you created in step 2 for each one. If the function returns true, then remove that white Boid. You might want to use an Iterator for this step.
If you get stuck on one of those steps, then post an MCVE along with a specific question, and we'll go from there. It's hard to answer general "how do I do this" type questions, but it's much easier to answer specific "I tried X, expected Y, but got Z instead" type questions- especially if we have an MCVE we can actually run on our own machines instead of some disconnected snippets.

java game loop. a little help to beginner

#Override
public void run() {
while (running) {
currentState.update();
prepareGameImage();
// next line draws image(frame) to the screen
currentState.render(gameImage.getGraphics());
repaint();
}
// End game immediately when running becomes false.
System.exit(0);
}
private void prepareGameImage() {
if (gameImage == null) {
gameImage = createImage(gameWidth, gameHeight);
}
Graphics g = gameImage.getGraphics();
g.clearRect(0, 0, gameWidth, gameHeight);
}
this is a snippet of game loop. a little explanation from the book about how it works. In prepareGameImage() we prepare an off-screen image by creating and initializing the gameImage variable with a width of gameWidth and a height of gameHeight. (i dont get how this works --->) Next, on every frame, we clear this image using a rectangle of equal size to clear all images that have been drawn to the screen in the previous frame. This ensures that images from the previous frame do not bleed into the current frame. Every frame starts anew.
what i dont understand is last 2 lines of the snippet. value of gameImage.getGraphics(); gets stored inside of Graphics variableg. method g.clearRect(0, 0, gameWidth, gameHeight); should only affect variable g and should not affect value generated by gameImage.getGraphics(); could you explain how does the last 2 lines of code do the task - "images from the previous frame do not bleed into the current frame" :( :(
thanks

gameImage.getGraphics();
only passes the refference(does not make a copy) to the internal Graphics of the gameImage.
Lets say that gameImage is an instance of some class A that has a private variable of the type Graphics G.
And has a method for accessing that variable:
public Graphics getGraphics(){
return this.G;
}
as you can se... by calling the getGraphics, you only have a reference(pointer) to the graphics.

The "Graphics" element is something global to your program. It is managing all of your graphics, no matter where they are. But since it is this global thing, you can't just use a variable you define like, say, a String, but must get it from an existing object that has a reference to it. For example, every Image has a reference to the graphics object. The variable g you have is a reference to this element now and it can be used. This reference is then used in the next line to clear out the whole screen and previously created images so they do not bleed into the current frame.
(Note: This explaination may not be 100% accurate, but that's how it made me understand it in the first place.)

Graphical Components

I have done a program that numerically solves a set of differential equations which describes how an "arbitrary" illness move in an isolated and constant population, it was a programming assignment from a class I took a while ago. What I've done to extend it is to add some graphical components that can pause, reset and "play" the simulation, as well as some components that allows me to change some constants in the equations.
All this was an exercise in programming as I find it to be fun and exciting and want to become better.
However, at the moment I'm stuck, what I want to do now is to make a very simple form of animation of it. I want to visualize the data I get for the number of infected, susceptibles and resistants in a grid as points. I managed to create the grid and have an idea of how to place the dots.
The problem I have is how to draw the dots as the program is working, I can draw one dot in the grid but only as the grid is created, that's it. I need to be able to create a dot at a specific place in the grid, this goes on until the number of dots reaches a finite number, say 30. At that points I want to have the first dot, the one the left, removed, all the dots shifted to the left and place the new dot at the furthest right of the grid, the whole thing is then repeated.
I think I will be able to figure it out with some help/hints about the paintComponent() method and whether I need to use repaint() method at all, I can't get my head around these for some reason. I've read through my course literature on Java, but despite the extensive sections where he explains most of the different graphical components he does not say that much about those methods, only that you don't call for the paintComponent() method, it is done automatically.
If there is something unclear let me know and I'll try to clarify it.
Thanks in advance.
//
Fox Mulder

I think I will be able to figure it out with some help/hints about the paintComponent() method and whether I need to use repaint() method at all, I can't get my head around these for some reason.
Basically, say you create a custom component by extending JPanel. When you #Override the paintComponent() method, it get implicitly called for you, so you never have to call it. So what ever you paint inside the method, gets drawn on your surface. For example
public class DrawingPanel extends JPanel {
#Override
protected void paintComponent(Graphics g) {
super.paintComponent(g);
g.fillOval(x, y, 10, 10);
}
}
When you call repaint() you are basically causing the paintComponent method to be call implicitly. So to answer your question, Yes you will need to call it if you want to animate, as you will need to update some kind of variable (like the x and y) in the paintComponent() method, to see any change in the drawing.
You can see more at Performing Custom Painting
Not to handle the actual animation, you'll want to use a javax.swing.Timer. You can see more at How to use Swing Timers. Here's the basic construct
Timer ( int delayInMillis, ActionListener listener )
where delayInMillis is the time to delay between ticks(in this case animations) and the ActionListener listens for "ticks". Each tick, the actionPerformed of the ActionListener is called. There, you can put the code to update any variables you use for animation.
So for example you update the x and y, in the actionPerformed, then call repaint()
public class DrawingPanel extends JPanel {
int x = 50;
int y = 50;
public DrawingPanel() {
Timer timer = new Timer(40, new ActionListener(){
#Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
x += 5;
y += 5;
repaint();
}
});
timer.start();
}
#Override
protected void paintComponent(Graphics g) {
super.paintComponent(g);
g.fillOval(x, y, 10, 10);
}
}
Now this was just a simple example. But in your case you want to animate a scatter plot. So what you can do is have a list of Points and in the actionPerformed you can add pull points from that list and push them into another list that is to be drawn. So say you have this
List<Point> originalPoints;
List<Point> pointsToDraw;
...
#Override
protected void paintComponent(Grapchics g) {
super.paintComponent(g);
for (Point point : pointsToDraw) {
g.fillOval(point.x - 5, point.y - 5, 10, 10);
}
}
Basically all the points in pointsToDraw list will be drawn. Initially it will be empty. And in the timer, you can add to the list, until the originalPoints list is exhausted. For example.
List<Point> originalPoints;
List<point> pointsToDraw;
private int currentIndex = 0;
public DrawingPanel(List<Point> originalPoints) {
this.originalPoints = originalPoints;
pointsToDraw = new ArrayList<>();
Timer timer = new Timer(40, new ActionListener(){
#Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
if (currentIndex == originalPoints.size() - 1) {
((Timer)e.getSource()).stop();
} else {
pointsToDraw.add(originalPoints.get(currentIndex));
currentIndex++;
}
repaint();
}
});
timer.start();
}
So basicall you just keep a current index. When the index reaches the size of the original list, you stop the timer. Otherwise you just pop from the originalPoints and push to the pointsToDraw. For every point you add the pointsToDraw, a repaint() is called, and there will be another point for the paintComponent to draw a circle with.
The END
UDPATE
I just reread your question, and I think I have have misunderstood it. If you want all the points drawn, then basically just have one list. And draw all the points initially. with each tick, just remove the first index, advance all the rest up an index, and add a new one to the end. Though this is the implementation of a LinkedList so you may just want to use that

Slick2d, How can i draw a string on screen for a few seconds?

I've been trying to figure this out, all I want to do is be able to draw a string for longer than just a frame, but when I call it in the method I want it to flash up then disappear immediately, any advice would be appreciated :) I'm using something like this:
g.drawString("You got a Key!", 100, 100);
I'm doing this in a method which is called after an Item is picked up
public void addItemFound(Graphics g){
ip.mainInventory[ip.getFirstEmptyStack()] = getItemStackFound();
System.out.println(this.getItemFound() + " added");
g.drawString("You Got a Key!", 100, 100);
}
That's the full method if you were interested :) Thanks!Also apologies for the dumb question, i'm a newbie to this :P

I believe that the best way to do this project would be to draw the scene at regular intervals e.g. 10 milliseconds using a Thread.sleep(). This way, you can simply add a variable to show the message for, say, 100 loops (1 second) like this:
private LinkedList<String> drawStringList= new LinkedList<>();
private LinkedList<Integer> drawStringTimeout= new LinkedList<>();
private LinkedList<Integer[]> drawStringPos= new LinkedList<>();
public void addText(String stringToWrite, int posX, int posY, int timeOut) {
drawStringList.add(stringToWrite);
int[] pos = new int[2];
pos[0] = posX;
pos[1] = posY;
drawStringPos.add(pos);
drawStringTimeout.add(timeOut);
}
private void mainLoop() {
...items to be drawn here...
for(int i=0;i<drawStringList.size();i++){
g.drawString(drawStringList.get(i),drawStringPos.get(i)[0],drawStringPos.get(i)[1]);
drawStringTimeout.set(i,drawStringTimeout.get(i)-1);
if(drawStringTimeout.get(i)<=0) {
drawStringList.remove(i);
drawStringTimeout.remove(i);
drawStringPos.remove(i);
}
}
try { Thread.sleep(10); } catch (Exception e) {}
}
In this code, you must add the string you want to draw to drawStringList, add the number of loops you want it to stay for to drawStringTimeout and add the position you would like to draw it in to drawStringPos as an array (you could use a point if you wanted to). I have made a method to do this.

I don't know what Dan300 is trying to tell you to do but that's way, way, way over complicated. Slick2D works on gamestates:
http://slick.ninjacave.com/javadoc/org/newdawn/slick/state/GameState.html
The gamestate has a method called render(). The render() is called every single cycle of the loop to update your screen with drawing information. If you want to draw the text on the screen for a longer time you should be drawing the text somewhere within the stack space of this render() function.
What is happening now is you have a function with one specific purpose that only exists every so briefly: add an item to the player. The game comes across this statement and when adding an item within that 1 cycle the text will be drawn. But the next cycle when the player isn't picking up an item it won't come by that drawString statement and you won't have your string on your screen longer than 1 game cycle.