how to make area2d keep scanning for collision

Question

Example i make an area that keeps damaging the player as long he is in it how do i do that do i need a for or while loop for it

Answer 1

I don't know how you can do that using a for/while loop but I think timers should work.
In the player script,

timer = null
health = 1000

func health_decrement():
    health -= 50 # Amount to decrement from health in 0.25 secs

func _ready():

    timer = Timer.new()
    timer.set_one_shot(false)
    timer.set_wait_time(0.25) # 0.25 is just an example. 
    timer.connect("timeout", self, "health_decrement")
    add_child(timer)

In the area2d script,

timer = get_node("player/timer")

func on_area_body_enter(body):
    timer.start()

func on_area_body_exit(body):
    timer.stop()

This should work!

Comments

Another option:

On fixed/physics process check for overlapping bodies and apply your damage there (this means constant overlapping body checks).

And you do not need a loop, the game loop does that for you.

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@eons I agree.

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can you give an example pls

Answer 2

I would follow the advice of eons.

Here's an example on how to do that in code:

func _physics_process(delta): # get's called every physics step
     if Area2D.overlaps_body(PhysicsBody2D): # returns bool true/false
        damage_player()

if you're writing that code in the Area2D node, you won't need to call the function explicitly on the object (as in self.call() like with other languages).

Comments

I was considering this while writing my answer. I am still kind of a noob in Godot but have you considered frame-rates. Won't devices with higher frame-rates 'damage_player()' quicker than other devices? Or will it not?

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You can suffer the fate of some AAA games at different framerates if using regular process, physics process is usually locked at 60 fps, but yes, a safe option could be to do damage_player(raw_damage_per_second/delta).

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@eons Got it! Thanks!