How to pause and unpause my game - Input.GetAxis doesn't work when Time.timeScale is 0

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I don't seem to be getting any keypress responses to Input.GetAxis() while the Time.timescale is set to zero.

When I set the timeScale to 0.2 (for example) instead of 0, it works fine - so the zero timeScale is definitely the issue.

For example, I have set up a Pause key input - if I press it the game pauses (timeScale = 0) but when I press it again nothing happens (the keypress is not detected).

I have tried setting timeScale to 1 before the GetAxis call and 0 again after but it still doesn't work.

Using Input.GetKeyDown is not an acceptable workaround because there are other keys I want to be able to press while the game is paused, keys that must be definable in the settings.

Answer 1

Best Answer

Answer by duck · Oct 12, 2010 at 09:30 AM

When Time.timeScale is set to zero, none of the normal "Update", "FixedUpdate" and similar functions are called, so this is probably the source of your problem - your entire Update function is just not being executed so any code inside will appear to not work.

You can get around this problem by implementing your Pause code in a coroutine, which does not use a Time-based function for the return delay, like this (a c# example) :

public class PauseControl : MonoBehaviour {

 void Start()
 {
     StartCoroutine(PauseCoroutine());    
 }

 IEnumerator PauseCoroutine() {

     while (true)
     {
         if (Input.GetKeyDown(KeyCode.P))
         {
             if (Time.timeScale == 0)
             {
                 Time.timeScale = 1;
             } else {
                 Time.timeScale = 0;
             }

         }    
         yield return null;    
     }
 }

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bobthefish · Oct 12, 2010 at 11:37 AM 0

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Although it's true that FixedUpdate is not called when Time.timeScale is zero, the same is not true for Update, which is still called.

In fact, if I map the axis (in the Input $$anonymous$$anager) to the mouse scroll wheel ins$$anonymous$$d of a keyboard key, it is detected just fine in the Update loop and unpauses as expected.

bobthefish · Oct 12, 2010 at 11:37 AM 0

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Your example does not work for me because it relies on Input.Get$$anonymous$$eyDown. If I wanted to use Get$$anonymous$$eyDown I could use it in my current implementation just fine, no coroutines required. However I must use Input $$anonymous$$anager axes, which are still not even detected when placed in a coroutine.

The problem is not the update loop/coroutine, the problem is that GetAxis returns zero for keyboard presses when Time.timeScale is zero.

duck ♦♦ · Oct 12, 2010 at 12:18 PM 0

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Strange - I made a quick example project here before posting the code, and Update() is clearly not being called when TimeScale is zero for me (I have a Debug.Log call in it, so I can tell).

duck ♦♦ · Oct 12, 2010 at 12:22 PM 0

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However you're right about Input.GetAxis not giving values when paused, however you shouldn't need to use "GetAxis" to read key presses, even User-Defined ones. $$anonymous$$aybe you need to use "GetButton" or "GetButtonDown" ins$$anonymous$$d?

calpolican · Feb 05, 2019 at 08:35 AM 1

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Not sure about fixed update but Update() works fine in when time =0. The most common mistake is to depend on delta time in some lerp, and this is why most code don't work.

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Answer 2

Answer by tucano · Nov 29, 2011 at 02:13 PM

My actual workaround is this one. When "manager" is in pause, Time.scale is 0.0f

 if (manager.pause) {
 key_x = Input.GetAxisRaw("Horizontal") / keyMoveSpeed;
 key_y = Input.GetAxisRaw("Vertical") / keyMoveSpeed;
 } else {
 key_x = Input.GetAxis("Horizontal") * Time.deltaTime * keyMoveSpeed;
 key_y = Input.GetAxis("Vertical") * Time.deltaTime * keyMoveSpeed;

}

Seems that AxisRaw is collected also when Time.scale = 0, notice that it returns 1, -1 or 0 only from keys. That (for testing) I just divide for the keyMoveSpeed constant (is ugly I know)

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calpolican · Feb 05, 2019 at 08:38 AM 0

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This should be considered the right answer, as the slected one is wrong and doesn't adress the problem. It seems like a bug, probably the smoothing process of axis uses time or delta time somewhere.

Answer 3

Answer by tucano · Nov 29, 2011 at 02:02 PM

My actual workaround is this one. When "manager" is in pause, Time.scale is 0.0f

 if (manager.pause) {
 key_x = Input.GetAxisRaw("Horizontal") / keyMoveSpeed;
 key_y = Input.GetAxisRaw("Vertical") / keyMoveSpeed;
 } else {
 key_x = Input.GetAxis("Horizontal") * Time.deltaTime * keyMoveSpeed;
 key_y = Input.GetAxis("Vertical") * Time.deltaTime * keyMoveSpeed;

}

Seems that AxisRaw is collected also when Time.scale = 0, notice that it returns 1, -1 or 0 only from keys. That (for testing) I just divide for the keyMoveSpeed constant (is ugly I know)

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How to pause and unpause my game - Input.GetAxis doesn't work when Time.timeScale is 0

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