A simple fixed step system scheduler

scheduler.luau

--!strict

-- A simple fixed step system scheduler
-- Fixed updates can happen multiple times per frame
-- Variable updates will happen after all fixed updates complete

local FIXED_DELTA = (1 / 60)
local MAXIMUM_DELTA = (1 / 5) 

export type System = {
    --> variable delta_time update, used for rendering
    --> blend used for interpolation of simulation state
    update: ((delta_time: number, blend: number) -> ())?,
    --> fixed delta_time update, used for simulation
    fixed_update: ((delta_time: number, frame: number) -> ())?,
}

local function create(systems: {System}): (number) -> ()
    local frame = 0
    local accumulator = 0

    return function(delta_time: number)
        delta_time = math.min(delta_time, MAXIMUM_DELTA)
        accumulator += delta_time
    
        local steps = 0
        local previous_frame = frame
    
        if (accumulator > 0) then
            --> typically done with a while accumulator >= fixed_rate but this way is 35x faster
            steps = accumulator // FIXED_DELTA
            frame += steps
            accumulator -= (steps * FIXED_DELTA)
        end

        for step = 1, steps do
            local step_frame = previous_frame + step
            for _, system in systems do
                if system.fixed_update == nil then
                    continue
                end

                system.fixed_update(FIXED_DELTA, step_frame)
            end
        end
        
        local blend = accumulator / FIXED_DELTA
        for _, system in systems do
            if system.update == nil then
                continue
            end

            system.update(delta_time, blend)
        end
    end
end

return create