Console animations

Question

I just want to know how to create simple animations like blinking, moving stuffs on C# console applications. Is there any special method for this?

Answer 1

I thought I'd chime in with my version of the previously listed code. Here it is:

class ConsoleSpinner
{
    bool increment = true,
         loop = false;
    int counter = 0;
    int delay;
    string[] sequence;

    public ConsoleSpinner(string sSequence = "dots", int iDelay = 100, bool bLoop = false)
    {
        delay = iDelay;
        if (sSequence == "dots")
        {
            sequence = new string[] { ".   ", "..  ", "... ", "...." };
            loop = true;
        }
        else if (sSequence == "slashes")
            sequence = new string[] { "/", "-", "\\", "|" };
        else if (sSequence == "circles")
            sequence = new string[] { ".", "o", "0", "o" };
        else if (sSequence == "crosses")
            sequence = new string[] { "+", "x" };
        else if (sSequence == "arrows")
            sequence = new string[] { "V", "<", "^", ">" };
    }

    public void Turn()
    {
        if (loop)
        {
            if (counter >= sequence.Length - 1)
                increment = false;
            if (counter <= 0)
                increment = true;

            if (increment)
                counter++;
            else if (!increment)
                counter--;
        }
        else
        {
            counter++;

            if (counter >= sequence.Length)
                counter = 0;
        }

        Console.Write(sequence[counter]);
        Console.SetCursorPosition(Console.CursorLeft - sequence[counter].Length, Console.CursorTop);

        System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(delay);
    }
}

Adds delay (unfortunately through Thread.Sleep() but, hey), the ability to loop the animation forwards and backwards (starts to reverse when it hits the end), and general improvements overall. Enjoy!

Answer 2

Yes, there are quite a few methods for this.

In particular, you may want to look at the following Console methods:

1. SetCursorPosition (you can move the cursor around, and overwrite elements)
2. MoveBufferArea (copy/paste over the top of regions)
3. ForegroundColor and BackgroundColor (change coloring)

Answer 3

Just saw this and a few other threads about it and love this kind of stuff! I took Tuukka's nice piece of code and improved it a bit so the class can easily be set to just about any spin sequence. I'll probably add some accessors and an overloaded constructor to polish it off and put it in the ol' toolbox. Fun stuff!

class ConsoleSpinner
{
    int counter;
    string[] sequence;

    public ConsoleSpinner()
    {
        counter = 0;
        sequence = new string[] { "/", "-", "\\", "|" };
        sequence = new string[] { ".", "o", "0", "o"};
        sequence = new string[] { "+", "x" };
        sequence = new string[] { "V", "<", "^", ">" };
        sequence = new string[] { ".   ", "..  ", "... ", "...." };
    }

    public void Turn()
    {
        counter++;

        if (counter >= sequence.Length)
            counter = 0;

        Console.Write(sequence[counter]);
        Console.SetCursorPosition(Console.CursorLeft - sequence[counter].Length, Console.CursorTop);
    }
}

Answer 4

This would be my prefered method:

public sealed class Spinner
{
    private static Lazy<Spinner> lazy =
        new Lazy<Spinner>(()=> new Spinner());

    public static void Reset()
    {
        lazy = new Lazy<Spinner>(()=> new Spinner());
    }

    public static Spinner Instance { get { return lazy.Value; }}

    private readonly int _consoleX;
    private readonly int _consoleY;
    private readonly char[] _frames = { '|', '/', '-', '\\' };
    private int _current;

    private Spinner()
    {
        _current = 0;
        _consoleX = Console.CursorLeft;
        _consoleY = Console.CursorTop;
    }

    public void Update()
    {
        Console.Write(_frames[_current]);
        Console.SetCursorPosition(_consoleX, _consoleY);

        if (++_current >= _frames.Length)
            _current = 0;
    }
}

Call Spinner.Instance.Update() to start the spinner at the current position of the console. Any consecutive call will render the next frame at the same position.

Call Spinner.Reset() if you want to write more text and then add a new spinner at a new location.

Answer 5

This is the way i solved it, sure it could/can be shorter but, Im just not that smart yet :-)

void cc() { Console.Clear(); }
void cr() { Console.ReadKey(); }

byte Sleeptimer = 90;
void sleepy() { System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(Sleeptimer); }




string[] Loading = { @"-- ", @"\  ", @"|  ", @"/  ", "Loading", " complete!" };

for (byte i = 0; i <= 15; i++)
{
    cc();
    Console.ForegroundColor = ConsoleColor.Yellow;
    Console.WriteLine(Loading[0] + Loading[4]);
    sleepy();
    cc();

    Console.WriteLine(Loading[1] + Loading[4]);
    sleepy();
    cc();

    Console.WriteLine(Loading[2] + Loading[4]);
    sleepy();
    cc();

    Console.WriteLine(Loading[3] + Loading[4]);
    sleepy();
    cc();

    if (i == 15) {
        Console.ForegroundColor = ConsoleColor.Green;
        Console.WriteLine(Loading[4] + Loading[5]);

        cc();
        Console.ForegroundColor = ConsoleColor.Cyan;
        Next();
    }
}
/*
    Now i feel even more noob while reading your code.
    I'm a newbie in programing.

    Guess this way would work if i just incfement the index of each Loading down below right?
    Learned too much today, forgot how this exactly works, to increment or to change the index i'd lile to acces

    Console.WriteLine(Loading[2] + Loading[4]);
    sleepy();
    cc();

*/