This engine is a counter that outputs numbers, starting at a minimum value, increasing by a step value, and ending with a number that does not exceed the maximum value. When the maximum number is reached, it starts counting from the beginning again.

The difference between this engine and the OIV.Inventor.Engines.SoCounter engine, is that this engine also has a OIV.Inventor.Engines.SoTimeCounter.timeIn input, which allows the counting cycles to be timed. This engine counts automatically over time; it does not need to be triggered to go to the next step. By default, the OIV.Inventor.Engines.SoTimeCounter.timeIn input is connected to the realTime global field. It can, however, be connected to any time source.

The OIV.Inventor.Engines.SoTimeCounter.frequency input field controls how many min-to-max cycles are performed per second. For example, a OIV.Inventor.Engines.SoTimeCounter.frequency value of 0.5 means that it will take 2 seconds to complete a single min-to-max cycle.

The steps in the count cycle do not necessarily all have the same duration. Using the OIV.Inventor.Engines.SoTimeCounter.duty input field, you can arbitrarily split the time period of the count cycle between the steps. For example, if there are 5 steps in the cycle, a duty input of (1., 2., 2., 2., 1.) will make the second, third, and fourth steps take twice as long as the first and last steps.

At any time the counter can be reset to a specific value. If you set the OIV.Inventor.Engines.SoTimeCounter.reset input field to a value, the engine will continue counting from there. Note that the counter will always output numbers based on the OIV.Inventor.Engines.SoTimeCounter.min, OIV.Inventor.Engines.SoTimeCounter.max and OIV.Inventor.Engines.SoTimeCounter.step values, and setting the OIV.Inventor.Engines.SoTimeCounter.reset value does not affect the those input fields. If the reset value is not a legal counter value, the counter will still behave as though it is:

• If OIV.Inventor.Engines.SoTimeCounter.reset is greater than OIV.Inventor.Engines.SoTimeCounter.max, the counter is set to OIV.Inventor.Engines.SoTimeCounter.max.

• If OIV.Inventor.Engines.SoTimeCounter.reset is less than OIV.Inventor.Engines.SoTimeCounter.min, the counter is set to OIV.Inventor.Engines.SoTimeCounter.min.

• If OIV.Inventor.Engines.SoTimeCounter.reset is between step values, the counter is set to the lower step.

Each time a counting cycle is started, the OIV.Inventor.Engines.SoTimeCounter.syncOut output is triggered. This output can be used to synchronize some other event with the counting cycle. Other events can also synchronize the counter by triggering the OIV.Inventor.Engines.SoTimeCounter.syncIn input.

You can pause the engine, by setting the OIV.Inventor.Engines.SoTimeCounter.on input to false, and it will stop updating the output field. When you turn off the pause, by setting OIV.Inventor.Engines.SoTimeCounter.on to true, it will start counting again from where it left off.

FILE FORMAT/DEFAULT

TimeCounter {

min	0
max	1
step	1
on	true
frequency	1
duty	1
timeIn	<current time>
syncIn
reset	0

}

Reference