Timer

Availability: Server and Client (identical API)

The Timer API provides scheduling for delayed and repeating callbacks.

Timer.Delay / Timer.Timeout

Schedule a one-time callback after a delay.

local timer_id = Timer.Delay(5.0, function()
    Log("5 seconds have passed!")
end)

-- Timer.Timeout is an alias
local timer_id = Timer.Timeout(2.5, function()
    Log("2.5 seconds later...")
end)

Parameters:

seconds (number) - Delay in seconds
callback (function) - Function to call

Returns: integer - Timer ID for cancellation

Timer.Interval

Schedule a repeating callback.

local timer_id = Timer.Interval(1.0, function()
    Log("Every second!")
end)

-- Stop after 10 seconds
Timer.Delay(10.0, function()
    Timer.Clear(timer_id)
end)

Parameters:

seconds (number) - Interval in seconds
callback (function) - Function to call each interval

Returns: integer - Timer ID for cancellation

Timer.Clear

Cancel a scheduled timer.

local timer_id = Timer.Delay(10.0, function()
    Log("This won't run")
end)

Timer.Clear(timer_id)

Parameters:

id (integer) - Timer ID from Delay/Timeout/Interval

Returns: boolean - True if timer was cancelled

Global Time Functions

GetWorldTime

Get the time in seconds since the server started.

local world_time = GetWorldTime()
Log("Running for " .. world_time .. " seconds")

GetDeltaTime

Get the time since the last tick.

Server.Subscribe("Tick", function(dt)
    -- dt is the same as GetDeltaTime()
    local delta = GetDeltaTime()
end)

Examples

Countdown

local function countdown(seconds, on_complete)
    local remaining = seconds

    local timer_id
    timer_id = Timer.Interval(1.0, function()
        remaining = remaining - 1
        Server.Broadcast("Countdown: " .. remaining)

        if remaining <= 0 then
            Timer.Clear(timer_id)
            on_complete()
        end
    end)
end

countdown(10, function()
    Server.Broadcast("GO!")
end)

Debounced Save

local pending_save = nil

function save_player_data(player)
    -- Cancel any pending save
    if pending_save then
        Timer.Clear(pending_save)
    end

    -- Schedule save after 2 seconds of no changes
    pending_save = Timer.Delay(2.0, function()
        DB.SetAsync("players", tostring(player:GetId()), {
            score = player:GetValue("score"),
            inventory = player:GetPrivateValue("inventory")
        })
        pending_save = nil
    end)
end

Respawn Timer

Character.Subscribe("Destroy", function(char)
    local player_id = char:GetPlayer()
    if player_id then
        Timer.Delay(5.0, function()
            local player = Player.GetByID(player_id)
            if player and player:IsValid() then
                local new_char = Character.Spawn(Vec3(0, 0, 100))
                player:Possess(new_char)
            end
        end)
    end
end)

Game Phase Timer

local game_phase = "lobby"
local phase_timer = nil

function start_game()
    game_phase = "playing"
    Events.BroadcastRemote("PhaseChange", { phase = "playing" })

    -- End game after 5 minutes
    phase_timer = Timer.Delay(300, function()
        end_game()
    end)
end

function end_game()
    game_phase = "ended"
    Events.BroadcastRemote("PhaseChange", { phase = "ended" })

    -- Return to lobby after 30 seconds
    Timer.Delay(30, function()
        game_phase = "lobby"
        Events.BroadcastRemote("PhaseChange", { phase = "lobby" })
    end)
end

Timer

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