thread v. timer in ProgressMonitor subclass

public class ExecutionProgressMonitor extends ProgressMonitor implements ActionListener {

private int counter = 0;

private javax.swing.Timer timer;

private Model _model;

public ExecutionProgressMonitor(Model mod) {

super(null, "Running...", "Init...", 0, 100);

_model = mod;

timer = new javax.swing.Timer(5, this);

timer.start();

}

public int getModelProgress() {return _model.getprogress(); } // a jni call

public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Update()); }

// embedded helper class

class Update implements Runnable {

public void run() {

System.out.println("new Update");

if(isCanceled() || counter > 98) {

// stop the model and kill the monitor

model.halt();

counter = getMaximum(); // set to finished state

close();

}

else {

counter = getModelProgress();

setProgress(counter);

setNote(counter + "% complete");

}

I call it just before the execution that it is going to monitor is launched, like his:

model.setup();

ExecutionProgressMonitor epmon = new ExecutionProgressMonitor(model); // the model is what we monitor

model.run();// this can take a while, its what I want to monitor.

So, my problem is that I never see my monitor, no matter how long the execution process takes. The Timer thing works, because I get a bunch of my Update objects created, but it all happens AFTER the call to model.run(), which is not very useful. Its as though the Timer is somehow not getting started up or something.

Anyone know why what I have won't work, and what to do differently?