Swing Timer not working as planned

Question

I Think this is a Timer issue, first time ive used them and i feel like im doing it wrong.

I have a method that for testings sake, input 6 images and with the help of a timer paints them to a JPanel:

private void drawDice(Graphics2D g2d) throws IOException, InterruptedException {
    image = ImageIO.read(getClass().getResourceAsStream("/1.png"));
    m_dice.add(image);
    image = ImageIO.read(getClass().getResourceAsStream("/2.png"));
    m_dice.add(image);
    image = ImageIO.read(getClass().getResourceAsStream("/3.png"));
    m_dice.add(image);
    image = ImageIO.read(getClass().getResourceAsStream("/4.png"));
    m_dice.add(image);
    image = ImageIO.read(getClass().getResourceAsStream("/5.png"));
    m_dice.add(image);
    image = ImageIO.read(getClass().getResourceAsStream("/6.png"));
    m_dice.add(image);

    time.start();
    for(int i = 0; i < m_dice.size(); i++){
        g2d.drawImage(m_dice.get(i), 700, 400, null, null);
        repaint();
    }

    time.stop();
}

Timer time = new Timer(1000,this); < at the top of the class

The desired output is that all 6 dice images are shown at one second intervals but only "6.png" shows up.

thank you.

Answer 1

I think that you may be unclear on how a Timer works. Suggestions:

• First and foremost -- get rid of the for loop since the Timer's code will replace this.
• Next, if this is being called from paintComponent or other painting method, don't. You never want to read images in from a painting method as that will slow down the method and thus slow down the perceived performance of your GUI, not a good thing.
• Next, read all the images in once in your constructor and save them to an array or ArrayList of images or Icons. My own vote is an ArrayList<Icon> of ImageIcons.
• Easiest way to swap images is to display ImageIcons in a JLabel and simply call setIcon(...) on the JLabel, passing in the newest icon.
• Next in your Timer's ActionListener, have a counter int variable that is initialized to 0.
• In the ActionListener's actionPerformed method, increment the counter variable, and swap images.
• Get the ImageIcon from the ArrayList using the counter as index.
• Call setIcon(...) on your JLabel (again, this is all done inside of the actionPerformed method for the Timer).
• If the counter is >= the number if icons in your ArrayList, 0 the counter. and call stop() on your Timer.

Something like:

int timerDelay = 1000;
new Timer(timerDelay, new ActionListener(){
  int count = 0;

  @Override
  public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
    if (count < IMAGE_COUNT) {
      someLabel.setIcon(icons[count]);
      count++;
    } else {
      // stop the timer
      ((Timer)e.getSource()).stop();
    }

  }
}).start();

For example, this program "rolls" a die by randomly swapping ImageIcons in a JLabel maxCount number of times:

import java.awt.BorderLayout;
import java.awt.Color;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import java.awt.image.BufferedImage;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.net.URL;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;

import javax.imageio.ImageIO;
import javax.swing.*;

@SuppressWarnings("serial")
public class RollDice extends JPanel {
    // nice public domain dice face images. All 6 images in one "sprite sheet" image.
    private static final String IMG_PATH = "https://upload.wikimedia.org/"
            + "wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Dice.png";
    private static final int TIMER_DELAY = 200;
    private List<Icon> diceIcons = new ArrayList<>();  // list to hold dice face image icons
    private JLabel diceLabel = new JLabel(); // jlabel to display images
    private Timer diceTimer; // swing timer

    public RollDice(BufferedImage img) {
        // subdivide the sprite sheet into individual images
        // use them to create ImageIcons
        // and add them to my diceIcons ArrayList<Icon>.
        double imgW = img.getWidth() / 3.0;
        double imgH = img.getHeight() / 2.0;
        for (int row = 0; row < 2; row++) {
            int y = (int) (row * imgH); 
            for (int col = 0; col < 3; col++) {
                int x = (int) (col * imgW);
                BufferedImage subImg = img.getSubimage(x, y, (int)imgW, (int)imgH);
                diceIcons.add(new ImageIcon(subImg));
            }
        }

        // panel to hold roll dice button
        JPanel btnPanel = new JPanel();
        btnPanel.setOpaque(false);
        btnPanel.add(new JButton(new RollDiceAction("Roll Dice")));

        // set the JLabel's icon to the first one in the collection
        diceLabel.setIcon(diceIcons.get(0));

        setLayout(new BorderLayout());
        setBackground(Color.WHITE);
        add(diceLabel);
        add(btnPanel, BorderLayout.PAGE_END);

    }

    public void rollDice() {
        // if the timer's already running, exit this method
        if (diceTimer != null && diceTimer.isRunning()) {
            return;
        }

        // else create a new Timer and start it
        diceTimer = new Timer(TIMER_DELAY, new TimerListener());
        diceTimer.start();
    }

    // ActionListener for the Swing Timer
    private class TimerListener implements ActionListener {
        private int count = 0;  // count how many times dice changes face
        private final int maxCount = 20;

        @Override
        public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
            // once there are max count changes, stop the timer
            if (count >= maxCount) {
                ((Timer) e.getSource()).stop();
            }

            // get a random index from 0 to 5
            int randomIndex = (int) (Math.random() * diceIcons.size());
            // show that random number's dice face
            diceLabel.setIcon(diceIcons.get(randomIndex));
            count++;  // increment the count
        }
    }

    // ActionListener for our button
    private class RollDiceAction extends AbstractAction {
        public RollDiceAction(String name) {
            super(name); // text to show in the button
        }

        @Override
        public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
            rollDice();  // simply call the roll dice method
        }
    }

    private static void createAndShowGui(BufferedImage img) {
        RollDice mainPanel = new RollDice(img);

        JFrame frame = new JFrame("RollDice");
        frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.DISPOSE_ON_CLOSE);
        frame.getContentPane().add(mainPanel);
        frame.pack();
        frame.setLocationByPlatform(true);
        frame.setVisible(true);
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        try {
            URL imgUrl = new URL(IMG_PATH);
            final BufferedImage img = ImageIO.read(imgUrl);
            SwingUtilities.invokeLater(() -> {
                createAndShowGui(img);
            });
        } catch (IOException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
            System.exit(-1);
        }
    }
}