Copyright © 2025-2026 Candy ArtsVN Pause
The VN_Pause command pauses the playback of one or more Actors' busts, either until a VN_Resume or for a set number of Lines. Instead of freezing, playback can repeat a segment until it resumes, which is called a pause loop. The pause loop continues even if the Actor is moved with VN_Move or VN_Swap, and the volume of video busts can change while the loop plays.
Keys
Every key also accepts a ¢ expression instead of a fixed value, unless its description says otherwise. See CandyRef Expressions.
Actors
Description:
The Actors the command acts on, each on a bust of the VN Scene. Each key is an Actor, and its value is a Dictionary of settings for that Actor (see below), or an empty Dictionary for none. List every Actor by name: there is no shorthand for all Actors. The Engine reports an entry it can't find and skips it, without affecting the others.
Values:
• Actor Reference: A key of the actors dictionary, such as Alice.
• °role: The Actor currently assigned to that Role, such as °guard.
Actor Settings
Each Actor in Actors accepts the following keys.
Lines
Description:
The number of Lines after which the pause ends automatically, counted by the Engine that issued the pause. While a Lines count is active, waits on the entry don't delay the Dialogue, since the Lines couldn't advance while it waited.
Values:
• Positive number: Resume after that many Lines.
• 0 or -1: Stay paused until a VN_Resume.
All
Description:
Which Lines count toward Lines.
Values:
• 0: Only the Spoken_Lines that are displayed.
• 1: Every Line, whatever its command.
Pause_Loop_Start
Description:
Instead of freezing, a paused entry can repeat a segment of itself until it resumes, which is called a pause loop. This key sets where the segment starts. If both Pause_Loop_Start and Pause_Loop_End are empty, there is no loop and the entry pauses without looping. If the pause point is inside the segment, playback continues to the segment's end before the first repeat; otherwise, it jumps to the segment's start. While it loops, the entry still counts as paused for waits, Lines counts and Dialogue suspension.
Values:
• Number of seconds or timestamp: An absolute position in the media, such as 4.5 or 00:04.5.
• +N / -N: N seconds after or before the pause point, such as +2 or -00:01.5.
• f=N: Frame N, counted at FPS when the media has no frames of its own.
• f+N / f-N: N frames after or before the frame displayed at the pause point, counted at FPS when the media has no frames of its own.
• Empty or null: The pause point.
Pause_Loop_End
Description:
Where the pause loop's segment ends (see Pause_Loop_Start). A segment that ends before it starts is reported, and the entry pauses without looping.
Values:
• Number of seconds or timestamp: An absolute position in the media, such as 4.5 or 00:04.5.
• +N / -N: N seconds after or before the pause point, such as +2 or -00:01.5.
• f=N: Frame N, counted at FPS when the media has no frames of its own.
• f+N / f-N: N frames after or before the frame displayed at the pause point, counted at FPS when the media has no frames of its own.
• Empty or null: The pause point.
Pause_Loop_Resume
Description:
How the entry resumes after its pause loop. The value is case-insensitive. A VN_Resume can override it; when a Lines count runs out, this value applies.
Values:
• Return: Resume immediately, from the pause point.
• Continue: Resume immediately, from the loop's current position.
• Finish_Return: Resume once the loop reaches its end, from the pause point.
• Finish_Continue: Resume once the loop reaches its end, continuing from there.
• Empty or null: Return.
Pause_Volume
Description:
The volume the pause loop plays at. Video busts only.
Values:
• Number: A volume in dB, such as -12 (-80 is silent).
• +=N / -=N: Raise or lower the current volume by N dB, such as -=12.
• null: Leave the volume unchanged.
Pause_Volume_Time
Description:
The duration of the fade to Pause_Volume.
Values:
• Number of seconds: Fade over that duration.
• 0: Change the volume instantly.
• !N: Fade over N seconds, and delay the Dialogue until the fade completes, such as !2.
Resume_Volume_Time
Description:
The duration of the fade back to the volume from before the pause, once playback resumes. With a Finish_ resume mode, the fade starts when the loop reaches its end. Video busts only.
Values:
• Number of seconds: Fade over that duration.
• 0: Change the volume instantly.
• !N: Fade over N seconds. When playback resumes immediately, the VN_Resume waits for the fade to complete.
FPS
Description:
The frame rate at which f= values are counted, for media without a frame rate of its own. SpriteFrames animations count their own frames.
Values:
• Frames per second: Such as 12.
• Empty: The media's own frame rate, otherwise the default frame rate.
Take_Hold
Description:
Whether this command takes hold of the bust scene, if it is Public. While an Engine holds it, its Public Mode determines which commands other Engines may send it: none (Exclusive), only the commands it lists (Semi-Exclusive), or any (Free). The hold applies to the whole scene, and lasts until the holding Engine's Dialogue ends. Setting Take_Hold on any Actor of the Line applies it to the whole scene.
Values:
• Empty: The bust scene decides, from its own list of commands that take hold.
• 1: Take hold, even if the bust scene doesn't list this command.
• -1: Never take hold.