time

1.00

1.50

1.00

0.50

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Description

Description:: Returns time elapsed since mission started (in seconds). The value is different on each client. If you need unified time, use serverTime.
Groups:: Time Mission Information

Syntax

Syntax:: time
Return Value:: Number

Examples

Example 1:: private _future = time + 30; waitUntil { time >= _future }; // continue after 30 seconds
Example 2:: Wait until mission fully started: waitUntil { time > 0 };

Additional Information

See also:: date dayTime serverTime skipTime accTime dateToNumber timeMultiplier setTimeMultiplier missionStart diag_tickTime diag_deltaTime systemTime systemTimeUTC BIS_fnc_timeToString

Notes

: Report bugs on the Feedback Tracker and/or discuss them on the Arma Discord or on the Forums.
Only post proven facts here! Add Note

Posted on August 4, 2006 - 12:02

hardrock

Notes from before the conversion:
Not to be confused with the SQS variable _time. Within an SQS script, the reserved local variable _time returns the time elapsed since the script started running. Note that the value of _time is not saved when the mission is saved and so will be reset to zero when a mission is restarted from a saved position. The value of time is saved correctly and will resume from where it was.

_time has only special meaning in SQS scripts, in SQF script it is just another variable. --Killzone_Kid

Posted on January 5, 2007 - 12:24

Giova

Notes from before the conversion:
time works properly in sqf called with execVM command. In an other hand, _time does not works in sqf called with execVM command.(Arma v1.02.5103GER)

Posted on October 02, 2010 - 12:02

teaCup

On overloaded servers (below ~10 server FPS), time readings are unreliable. Seconds actually take longer. While the clients keep a steady tempo, server time lags behind, resulting in considerable offset between client and server time (easily 30 minutes for a 2 hour game). Client time is synchronised to server time during JIP, but other than that it runs independently.

Posted on 30 Oct 2013

Dr Eyeball

Arma 3 JIP bug:
As of Arma 3 v1.02, for JIP clients 'time' value will start off counting from 0, not the real 'time' value. After about 2.5sec (on average), it will then jump to a high value and synchronise with the real 'time' value, which could be 900, for example. Therefore, do not use 'time' for any start of mission init timeouts; it is unreliable. (It's odd that it doesn't synchronise at the same time as public variables.)

Posted on September 1, 2016 - 18:18 (UTC)

Demellion

In MP: Since per-client time and server time is unconsistant I strongly recommend execution of time-critical tasks from server-side scripts and with remoteExec or remoteExecCall (Since only A3 1.50 alternative may be publicVariableClient with pre-defined handler) as this will eliminate any time calculation lags and make it reliable.