Delta timing

Delta timing is a way of measuring time in computer programs. Imagine you are playing a game on your computer, and you want your character to move smoothly across the screen. Delta timing helps make sure that the movement looks nice and smooth, like a cartoon.

Delta timing works by measuring the time between each frame of animation. A frame is like a snapshot of what's on the screen at a specific point in time. The time between each frame is called the "delta time" or "delta t" for short.

To think about delta timing like you're five years old, imagine you're drawing a flip book. You draw a picture of a bird on the first page, then on the next page, you draw the bird with its wings slightly higher. You keep doing this for many pages, until you have a whole bunch of pictures that, when you flip through them quickly, make it look like the bird is flying.

Now, imagine you want the bird to fly smoothly. You need to make sure that you draw each picture at just the right time, so the bird's wings move at a consistent speed. If you draw too quickly, the wings might look like they're flapping too fast. If you draw too slowly, the wings might look like they're flapping too slowly. Delta timing helps you make sure you draw each picture at just the right time, so the bird's wings move smoothly and realistically.