Custom User Events

Implementing a Pause/Resume System with Custom Events

How can I use custom events to implement a pause/resume system in my game?

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Implementing a pause/resume system using custom events in SDL2 is a great way to manage game state. Here's how you can do it:

Step 1: Define Custom Events

First, let's define our custom events for pausing and resuming:

#pragma once
#include <SDL.h>

namespace UserEvents {
const inline Uint32 PAUSE_GAME{
    SDL_RegisterEvents(1)};
const inline Uint32 RESUME_GAME{
    SDL_RegisterEvents(1)};
}

Step 2: Create a Game State Manager

Next, we'll create a simple game state manager:

#include "UserEvents.h"
#include <SDL.h>

class GameStateManager {
private:
  bool isPaused{false};

public:
  void TogglePause() {
    isPaused = !isPaused;
    SDL_Event event;
    event.type = isPaused
                   ? UserEvents::PAUSE_GAME
                   : UserEvents::RESUME_GAME;
    SDL_PushEvent(&event);
  }

  bool IsPaused() const { return isPaused; }
};

Step 3: Handle Custom Events in Main Loop

Now, let's modify our main game loop to handle these events:

#include "GameStateManager.h"
#include "UserEvents.h"
#include <SDL.h>
#include <iostream>

int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
  SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_EVERYTHING);
  GameStateManager gameState;
  SDL_Event event;
  bool quit{false};

  while (!quit) {
    while (SDL_PollEvent(&event)) {
      if (event.type == SDL_QUIT) {
        quit = true;
      } else if (event.type == SDL_KEYDOWN &&
                 event.key.keysym.sym ==
                 SDLK_p) {
        gameState.TogglePause();
      } else if (event.type ==
                 UserEvents::PAUSE_GAME) {
        std::cout << "Game Paused\n";
        // Pause game logic here (e.g., stop
        // timers, music, etc.)
      } else if (event.type ==
                 UserEvents::RESUME_GAME) {
        std::cout << "Game Resumed\n";
        // Resume game logic here
      }
    }

    if (!gameState.IsPaused()) {
      // Update game state
      // Render game
    } else {
      // Render pause menu
    }
  }

  SDL_Quit();
  return 0;
}

This system allows you to pause and resume the game using the 'P' key. When the game is paused, the main update and render loop is skipped, effectively freezing the game state.

By using custom events, you can easily extend this system. For example, you could add a SHOW_PAUSE_MENU event to display a pause menu, or a SAVE_GAME_STATE event to save the game when pausing. This event-driven approach provides a flexible and extensible way to manage your game's pause/resume functionality.

This Question is from the Lesson:

Custom User Events

Discover how to use the SDL2 event system to handle custom, game-specific interactions

Answers to questions are automatically generated and may not have been reviewed.

This Question is from the Lesson:

Custom User Events

Discover how to use the SDL2 event system to handle custom, game-specific interactions

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