Animation with 5 picture boxes using VB.NET

Hello!

I'm trying to create an animation with 5 picture boxes (labeled picturebox0 - picturebox4) but I have a specific order I want them to display. I made 5 picture boxes, added images to them, and stack them on top of each other.

I want the order to show this:
picturebox 0, 1, 4, 3, 2, 4, 2, 3, 1, 3... etc

The code I have using if-else statements which would work if I wanted to repeat the same display pattern but I need to manually right the pattern... How would I do that? I have at timer set to change the pictures every 2.5 seconds.

Code:

---

Private Sub Timer3_Tick(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Timer3.Tick
        System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(1000)
        If PictureBox0.Visible = True Then
            PictureBox0.Visible = False
            PictureBox1.Visible = True
        ElseIf PictureBox1.Visible = True Then  'up arrow displayed
            PictureBox1.Visible = False
            PictureBox4.Visible = True
        ElseIf PictureBox4.Visible = True Then 'left arrow displayed
            PictureBox4.Visible = False
            PictureBox3.Visible = True
        ElseIf PictureBox3.Visible = True Then 'down arrow displayed
            PictureBox3.Visible = False
            PictureBox2.Visible = True
        ElseIf PictureBox2.Visible = True Then 'right arrow displayed
            PictureBox2.Visible = False
            PictureBox4.Visible = True
        ElseIf PictureBox4.Visible = True Then 'left
            PictureBox4.Visible = False
            PictureBox2.Visible = True
        ElseIf PictureBox2.Visible = True Then 'right
            PictureBox2.Visible = False
            PictureBox3.Visible = True
        ElseIf PictureBox3.Visible = True Then 'down
            PictureBox3.Visible = False
            PictureBox2.Visible = True
        ElseIf PictureBox1.Visible = True Then 'up
            PictureBox1.Visible = False
            PictureBox3.Visible = True
        ElseIf PictureBox3.Visible = True Then 'down
            PictureBox3.Visible = False
            PictureBox2.Visible = True
        ElseIf PictureBox2.Visible = True Then 'right
            PictureBox2.Visible = False
            PictureBox4.Visible = True

        ElseIf PictureBox4.Visible = True Then '
            PictureBox1.Visible = False
            PictureBox2.Visible = True
        End If
    End Sub

---

Sleep() inside of a timer event? Bad idea all around. rethink your idea, and then ask a logical question.

what order do you want? random?

Thanks for the fast response dglienna! I took the sleep outside of the timer event!

I would like the order to be the way I listed it in the first post. I have a cue list (a list of time stamps made in a text file) that I would like to follow. I have 5 picture boxes that are stacked on top of each other only one picture box visible at one time.

How would I be able to create a slideshow of pictures in the order I want?

I would use a file to hold the configuration of the sequence to be ran then process that file in a select case to light the next one. This would make the code short and sweet and would allow you to have as many different patterns as you wish by simply loading different files.

For example you could have all your items for a given sequence on one line of a file like you show in your example above seperated by commas. read that line into a string and then break that string into an array using the split method. The array would be defined at the top of the form so as to be available to all routines within the form. You would also want an Integer var to hold the current array index.

In your timer code you would want something like.

Code:

---

PictureBox1.Visible=false
PictureBox2.Visible=false
PictureBox3.Visible=false
PictureBox4.Visible=false
PictureBox5.Visible=false

Select case SequenceArrary(ArrayIndex)
  Case 1
        PictureBox1.Visible=true
  Case 2
        PictureBox2.Visible=true
  Case 3
  Case 4
  Case 5
End Select

ArrayIndex += 1

---

Of course you would also need to check to be sure you have not exceeded the number of items in the array. This would mean the sequence has ran its course and the user is done. Additional processing would result in an error as there are no more items in the list to process.

Thanks DataMiser for your help! By file do you mean to write the sequence in a text file? Also how would the sequence be written... by writing PictureBox1.Visible= true, PictureBox2.Visible=true, PictureBox3.Visible = true... etc? Sorry i'm not very knowledge in VB.NET :( but I truly appreciate your help!

Just a text file containing the number of the picture to view in sequence


1,2,3,2,4,5,1,2,3,4,1,2,4,1

Sorry I didn't get to see your updated post! So I would just write case 1, case 2, case 3, case 1, case 4, etc.. in an array?

Just the numbers, Like you showed before but without the spaces.

For example if your file contains

1,2,3,4,3,2,1,5,3,2,4,1

The timer would fire case 1 the first time the timer cycles, then case 2 the next time then 3 then 4 then 3 then 2 then 1 then 5 and so on

The case statement is code that tells the program to do certain things in the case where this is true. It is basically the same as a bunch of if else statements.

Code:

---

Select Case X
  Case 1
  case 2
  case 3
  case else
end select

---

is the same as

Code:

---

If X=1 then
ElseIf x=2 then
ElseIf X=3 Then
Else
End If

---

Hey DataMiser, Thanks again for your continuous help! I'm sorry I don't think I've fully grasped this code. I wrote a textfile contains just the case numbers:

Code:

---

1,4,3,2,4,2,3,1,3,2,4,3,1,2,4,3,2,1,4,3,4,1,2,4,3,4,2...etc

---

Then I used StreamReader to read the text file. But I get an error with using case 1,2,3,4. Do I have to declare the char values or do I have to write case "1"?
The error says:

Code:

---

Error 'Integer' values cannot be converted to 'Char'. Use 'Microsoft.VisualBasic.ChrW' to interpret a numeric value as a Unicode character or first convert it to 'String' to produce a digit.

---

The full code is here:

Code:

---

    Private Sub Timer3_Tick(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Timer3_PictureBox.Tick
        Timer3_PictureBox.Enabled = True
        Dim SequenceArray As String
        Dim ArrayIndex As String

        PictureBox0.Visible = True
        PictureBox1.Visible = False
        PictureBox2.Visible = False
        PictureBox3.Visible = False
        PictureBox4.Visible = False

        Dim AhaGame As String = "C:\AhaImageText.txt"

        Dim objReader1 As New System.IO.StreamReader(AhaGame)

        Select Case SequenceArray(ArrayIndex)
            Case 1
                PictureBox1.Visible = True
            Case 2
                PictureBox2.Visible = True
            Case 3
                PictureBox3.Visible = True
            Case 4
                PictureBox4.Visible = True
        End Select

        ArrayIndex += 1

        objReader1.Close()

    End Sub

---

You must define the array and the array index outside the sub routine, at the top of the form code. e.g. Just after Public Class Form1. This allows the variables to retain thier value and also allows them to be accessed from other areas of your code.

Your code to read the file and populat the array would need to be done in a different sub routine and only needs to be done to start the process. Like maybe you would have a start button and when you click that button you would set the arrayindex=0 and read the file into the array.

Your timer routine would have only the code dealing with the picture boxes.

btw the arrayindex is an integer not a string

What about the errors for the case numbers? Do I have to write Case "1", Case "2", etc ? Or would I have to write case chr(1), case chr(2),... etc? I want to test it but I can't with the errors still there :(

outside of the main program I placed:

Code:

---

Dim AllData As String
    Dim ArrayIndex As Integer

---

I added this into my start button sub routine:

Code:

---

ArrayIndex = 0
Dim AllData() As String = System.IO.File.ReadAllLines("C:\AhaImageText.txt")

---

and my timer sub routine has this:

Code:

---

    Private Sub Timer3_Tick(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Timer3.Tick
     
        Timer3.Enabled = True

        PictureBox0.Visible = True
        PictureBox1.Visible = False
        PictureBox2.Visible = False
        PictureBox3.Visible = False
        PictureBox4.Visible = False


        Select Case AllData(ArrayIndex)
            Case 1
                PictureBox1.Visible = True
            Case 2
                PictureBox2.Visible = True
            Case 3
                PictureBox3.Visible = True
            Case 4
                PictureBox4.Visible = True
        End Select

        ArrayIndex += 1

    End Sub

---

Sorry for bothering you so much but my project is due tomorrow and this is my only issue left :(

Also when I tested the program by writing case "1", case "2", case "3" ,
I got an error for the Select Case AllData(ArrayIndex) saying that the Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
I realized that I had AllData in two different subroutine so I changed the case statement to read the following code and I declared the variable outside the main code. But I still got the same error :(

Code:

---


        PictureBox0.Visible = True
        PictureBox1.Visible = False
        PictureBox2.Visible = False
        PictureBox3.Visible = False
        PictureBox4.Visible = False


        Select Case SequenceArray(ArrayIndex)
            Case "1"
                PictureBox1.Visible = True
            Case "2"
                PictureBox2.Visible = True
            Case "3"
                PictureBox3.Visible = True
            Case "4"
                PictureBox4.Visible = True
        End Select

        ArrayIndex += 1

---

Change it back to Integer rather than Character for the Select Case
Val() will convert String to Integer

Code:

---

Select Case VAL(SequenceArray(ArrayIndex))
            Case 1
                PictureBox1.Visible = True
            Case 2
                PictureBox2.Visible = True
            Case 3
                PictureBox3.Visible = True
            Case 4
                PictureBox4.Visible = True
        End Select

---

Or just create the correct type as Integer and use it

I still get the same error about the object not referenced :(

I have this outside of my main code

Code:

---

Dim SequenceArray As String
    Dim ArrayIndex As New Integer

---

My start button has this code:

Code:

---

    Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
        startTime = Trim(Format(Now, "hh:mm:ss tt"))
        StartTimeBox.Text = startTime
     
        My.Computer.Audio.Play("C:\Aha_TakeOnMe.wav", AudioPlayMode.Background)

        Timer1.Start()
        myStopwatch.Start()

        ArrayIndex = 0
        Dim AllData() As String = System.IO.File.ReadAllLines("C:\AhaImageText.txt")


    End Sub

---

and my timer has this:

Code:

---

    Private Sub Timer3_Tick(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Timer3.Tick
     
        Timer3.Enabled = True

        PictureBox0.Visible = True
        PictureBox1.Visible = False
        PictureBox2.Visible = False
        PictureBox3.Visible = False
        PictureBox4.Visible = False


        Select Case Val(SequenceArray(ArrayIndex))
            Case 1
                PictureBox1.Visible = True
            Case 2
                PictureBox2.Visible = True
            Case 3
                PictureBox3.Visible = True
            Case 4
                PictureBox4.Visible = True
        End Select

        ArrayIndex += 1

    End Sub

---

How would the timer be able to read my text file to know which case to display? Would I need to use StreamReader or is the line in my start button sub routine sufficient to read the text file in an array?

Thanks for your help!!

Example

Code:

---

Public Class Form1
Private SequenceArray() as String
Private ArrayIndex as Integer=0

Private Sub StartSequence()
    'Read file and populate array here
    'Also make sure arrayindex is set to 0 at this point
End Sub


End Class

---

Your timer code looks ok except the timer3.enabled=true line is useless and should be deleted from that block of code.

For reading the file and populating the array. you would use streamreader, then use the readline method to read one line into a regular string var. Then you use the split method on that resulting string to populate the array with the elements from the line.

From here on the array is the key.

look at the example I gave you in the other thread for using split to populate an array, in this case instead of readtoend we use readline and instead of splitting on vbCR you would use "," as your split delimiter

Thanks DataMiser! I followed your instructions but it still doesn't work :(

I still get the same error at this line:

Code:

---

Select Case Val(SequenceArray(ArrayIndex))

---

saying object not referenced

Code:

---

Option Strict Off
Option Explicit On
Friend Class frmDigIn_Aha
    Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form

    Private myStopwatch As New Stopwatch
    Private startTime As DateTime
    Private OnGoingGame As Boolean = False

    Private SequenceArray() As String
    Private ArrayIndex As Integer = 0

  Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
        startTime = Trim(Format(Now, "hh:mm:ss tt"))
        StartTimeBox.Text = startTime
     
        My.Computer.Audio.Play("C:\Aha_TakeOnMe.wav", AudioPlayMode.Background)

        Timer1.Start()
        myStopwatch.Start()

        Dim AllData() As String = System.IO.File.ReadAllLines("C:\AhaImageText.txt")
        ArrayIndex = 0

    End Sub

  Private Sub Timer3_Tick(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Timer3.Tick
     
        PictureBox0.Visible = True
        PictureBox1.Visible = False
        PictureBox2.Visible = False
        PictureBox3.Visible = False
        PictureBox4.Visible = False


        Select Case Val(SequenceArray(ArrayIndex))
            Case 1
                PictureBox1.Visible = True
            Case 2
                PictureBox2.Visible = True
            Case 3
                PictureBox3.Visible = True
            Case 4
                PictureBox4.Visible = True
        End Select

        ArrayIndex += 1

    End Sub

---

I do not see anyplace where you are populating the array.

Code:

---

Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
        startTime = Trim(Format(Now, "hh:mm:ss tt"))
        StartTimeBox.Text = startTime
     
        My.Computer.Audio.Play("C:\Aha_TakeOnMe.wav", AudioPlayMode.Background)

        Timer1.Start()
        myStopwatch.Start()

        Dim DanceSteps as New System.IO.StreamReader("C:\AhaImageText.txt")
        Dim DanceStepsText as string=DanceSteps.ReadLine()
        DanceSteps.Close
        SequenceArray=DanceStepsText.Split(",")

        ArrayIndex = 0

    End Sub

---

THANK YOU SO MUCH! I truly appreciate all your help and expertise! From having ZERO knowledge in vb.net to creating a dancing game and actually understanding what each line does is truly remarkable! God bless you!

I see your timer sub is called timer3 but in your code I see you starting timer1 and stopwatch but no timer 3. Where is this timer started?

You're welcome :)

Glad I could help

I have 4 timers in my code, timer 3 was suppose to be for the pictureboxes

i have timer3 enabled in another subroutine :)

Remember you will need to stop the timer when you reach the last item in the array or you will get an index out of bounds error when it passes the last item.