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How to make turtles stop for a set number of ticks then continue?


I'm trying to create a model where turtles walk randomly (but with a tendency for forward movement) until they land on a yellow coloured patch which represents a baited object.

When a turtle lands on one of the yellow patches, I'd like it to stop on that patch and stay there for 15 ticks whilst it 'investigates' the bait.

After 15 ticks have elapsed I want the turtles to continue moving as usual until they encounter another yellow patch.

I've attempted to modify parts of this parked card model in the netlogo modelling commons but couldn't really make sense of it (I'm new to netlogo) http://modelingcommons.org/browse/one_model/3205#model_tabs_browse_procedures

I've also tried implementing a count-down timer as described in this thread How can one create a countdown timer in NetLogo?

However I receive a runtime error 'Only the observer can ASK the set of all turtles' when I try to run the simulation. Can anyone tell me where I'm going wrong? Probably several places! Thanks.

Here's the code that's causing the runtime error:

turtles-own [count-down]

to setup 
clear-all
ask patches with [count neighbors != 8]
[set pcolor blue]                   

create-turtles 20
ask turtles 
 [setxy random-xcor random-ycor 
 pen-down]   

ask n-of 20 patches
[ set pcolor yellow ]                   

reset-ticks
end

to go
 move-turtles
 tick
 if ticks >= 720 [stop]

 end


to move-turtles
ask turtles
  [ ifelse pcolor != yellow
  [continue]
  [stay]
  ]
 end

 to continue
ask turtles   
[rt -90 + random 181]
ask turtles
[ifelse [pcolor] of patch-ahead 1 = blue [ lt random-float 360 ]   
[fd 1]  
]
end

to stay
ask turtles 
[
setup-timer
decrement-timer
if timer-expired? [continue]
]
end

to setup-timer
set count-down 15
end

to decrement-timer
set count-down count-down - 1
end

to-report timer-expired?
report ( count-down <= 0 )
end

Solution

  • This is just one example, How many ticks they should stay in the yellow area? i Assumed 15 ticks and I ask turtles to print their tick number on their label too, if it runs too fast you might miss their stay so adjust running speed for your model to see when they stay and when they move. You can have different methods to continue , in this one they just move 1 patch forward.

    turtles-own [count-down]
    
    to setup 
      clear-all
      ask patches with [count neighbors != 8]
      [set pcolor blue]                   
    
      create-turtles 20
      ask turtles 
      [setxy random-xcor random-ycor 
        pen-down
        set count-down 15
      ]   
    
      ask n-of 20 patches
      [ set pcolor yellow ]                   
    
      reset-ticks
    end
    
    to go
      move-turtles
      tick
      if ticks >= 720 [stop]
    
    end
    
    
    to move-turtles
      ask turtles
      [ ifelse pcolor != yellow
        [continue]
        [stay]
      ]
    end
    
    To continue   
      rt random 10
      fd 1 
    end
    
    
    to stay   
      set count-down count-down - 1   ;decrement-timer
      set label count-down    
      if count-down = 0 
        [
          Continue
          set label ""
          reset-count-down
        ]    
    
    end
    
    to reset-count-down   
      set count-down 15 
    end