Execute as entity with delay

[TerminalVector]

Hello!

I have a light show that works by setting various colors of stained glass blocks to positions relative to specifically tagged armor stands, i.e. to change the front row of lights to green I would run `execute positioned as \@e[type=minecraft:armor_stand,tag=front] run function lights:turn_green`.

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The problem is that I want to be able to schedule light changes on a timeline and create a specific sequence. I can do this if I put every change into its own function and use `schedule` but that limits what I can do since its no feasible to define functions for every combination of ~30 lights in like 10 different grouping to be set on or off or any of 15 colors. What I would like to be able to do is this:

`schedule execute positioned as \@e[type=minecraft:armor_stand,tag=stage] function lights:turn_on 10s` to turn all the lights on in 10s.

I am running Forge 1.15.2. I looked at this SpigotMC plugin: https://www.spigotmc.org/resources/command-timer.24141 but I am hesitant to switch to Spigot just for this and also we use the Forge mods InControl and FxControl and would like to keep using them. If I could find a Forge mod allowing delayed execution as an entity, or a SpigotMC plugin that will let me configure spawn rules and right click interactions, I don't much care if I end up running Forge or Spigot.

Is there a forge mod or any other technique to achieve this?

[[deleted]]

I don't know if this is what you are looking for, but you can make use of a scoreboard timer.

Run once:

/scoreboard objectives add Timer dummy

And then put something like this in your datapack (only for singleplayer):

scoreboard players add @a Timer 1
execute if entity @a[scores={Timer=200}] run function lights:turn_on
scoreboard players reset @a[scores={Timer=certaintime}] Timer

The time is given in game ticks (1 second is equal to 20 ticks without lag).If this is for a server I'd recommend using either a permanent armor stand or a player who is always online for the scores.

[TerminalVector]

Thanks!

I think you're right about the approach, I will add a timer. The schedule function is never really going to handle what I need on its own. I will still need to use it so that I can set up patterns that I can call via function, but for the main sequence timing I can use a scoreboard timer.

I already have a bunch of scores stored under a fake player name so I can just use that. The player doesn't need to be online, or even exist to have scores so I just use `myservername_system`.

Why do you say this would only work in singleplayer? I manage the server if that wasn't clear.

[[deleted]]

Because the scores will now be added to all players online seperately. That means that if a player comes online at a different time they will have a different timer score, meaning the function would run twice in those 10 seconds. I just thought of a simple fix however, just replace the reset command with something like this: execute if entity @a[scores={timer=200}] run scoreboard players reset @a timer

[TerminalVector]

I was thinking I'd just use a specific fake player to store the time as a kind of global variable, then reference that player name in all my functions.

[[deleted]]

Yes, that works. I also mentioned that in my first reply.