Support for sprites?

[PlastiBots]

Per the subject, does this library support sprites? Thx.

[moononournation]

it should be something like canvas. But since I do not have experience on using sprites, the feature may not enough for actual use. Can you give me your requirements?

[h5n1xp]

I think it should be quite easy to implement sprites using canvas objects if the class exposed its underlying image data. One could then "blit" that image data to another (framebuffer) canvas/display object using a stencilling method of choice.

[PlastiBots]

I can have a look at the canvas feature. For Sprites, the general idea is to have smooth overlay graphics that can be animated/moved without a complete refresh of the screen. At least that's the way I understand it. Here's a good example that helps describe it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRGXQg7028A

[moononournation]

It should be the job of higher presentation layer library like LVGL.

[PlastiBots]

Maybe, but in the case of T-RGB, I don't want to use LVGL, and I see your library works with that device (which is great BTW - so thx!). TFT-eSPI was an option as it has sprits, but it doesn't (yet) support that display type.

[moononournation]

Your contribution on this scope is welcome, but it should be a long way to go.

[h5n1xp]

I have written a simple sprite class which subclasses the canvas type (happy to share the code), but in order to implement transparency with any speed the canvas class needs to publicly expose its _framebuffer pointer.

[moononournation]

Ok, exposed. Please get update to test your class.

[h5n1xp]

@moononournation I've been reading through the ADAFruit_GFX code and notice that they expose the canvas frameBuffer with the function:

uint16_t* getBuffer(void)

Not sure how compatible you want Arduino_GFX to be with the ADAFruit version, but it might make sense to keep the APIs as close as possible.

[h5n1xp]

Also, the Adafruit_GFX library allocates its buffers in the constructor, but Arduino_GFX allocates it's buffers in the begin() method is there a reason for this difference?

It makes more sense to me that the buffers would be allocated in the constructor, and the begin() method would just be a NOP on the canvas class since it only really makes sense on the underlying (direct) display class.

[moononournation]

Actually I don't know Adafruit implemented canvas.

[h5n1xp]

It might be a new addition to the Adafruit_gfx library? It's defined in the main c++ file. Possibly they have copied you, as a Canvas class is a really useful thing to have!

I'm thinking that with a few additions to your canvas class it could be a very powerful graphic primitive!

[h5n1xp]

Also, I wonder if the canvas performance could be improved by allocating its buffer in main ram (rather than PSRAM), perhaps a flag in the constructor to select the ram allocation type?

Just tested, and confirmed that the canvas is faster when allocated in main ram (only a little bit)

[h5n1xp]

Per the subject, does this library support sprites? Thx.

Ok, a few evenings of work and I have a little tech demo working.

This is built by subclassing the canvas class.

Currently runs about 23FPS... which is quite impressive given the amount of data being shifted each frame! But I wonder if I can get it to run faster.

https://youtu.be/r1OnUF03_B4[Smooth scrolling Tech Demo](https://youtu.be/r1OnUF03_B4)

[moononournation]

looks very good, any feature I can enhance to help this?

[h5n1xp]

I would like to share my tech demo code with you privately, so you can perhaps make the API more consistent with your classes, and maybe you could look for optimisations I missed?

I can't share publicly because I don't own the graphics assets, I will make some public domain graphics assets in the future so I can share the demo code.

I raised an issue regarding the indexed Canvas, I'm not sure how much performance improvement that would bring as I am still testing and don't have much time.

[h5n1xp]

Also, I've been looking through the TFT_eSPI code and trying to see how/if the DMA is being used on the 8bit ESP32-S3 LCD interface, and could such a thing be used on Arduino_GFX for uploading the canvas framebuffer to the display?

[moononournation]

You can replace with free assets before expose it to public.

[h5n1xp]

An updated video, the Sprite library now supports palette based images to halve RAM usage (each image can have its own palette and expanded to 16bit upon drawing to the Canvas).

The palette based Blitter copy is a bit exotic as 8bit RAM reads are very slow on the ESP32, so 4pixels are fetched as single 32bit read, then unpacked in CPU registers during the blit loop.

https://youtu.be/wZR8tQ5Uga4

[h5n1xp]

Over the weekend, I will put up an alpha of my Sprite class on my GitHub and post a link here, perhaps @PlastiBots could test and see what he thinks?

[h5n1xp]

As Promised, some code to test.

https://github.com/h5n1xp/Arduino_Sprite

[moononournation]

how you calculate FPS before?

[h5n1xp]

A timer thread (pinned to core 0 on the ESP32) which increments a variable every second, then divide the total number of frames which have been generated by the number of seconds which passed.

I didn't include this in my pubished demo as it is ESP32/FreeRTOS specific:

float FPS = 0;
float secondsTick = 0;
float frames = 0;

void SecondTickerCode(void* p){

while(1){
vTaskDelay(1000/portTICK_PERIOD_MS); //sleep thread for 1 second
secondsTick +=1;
FPS = frames / secondsTick;
}
}

void setup() {
xTaskCreatePinnedToCore(SecondTickerCode,"Seconds Timer",1000,NULL,-1,&SecondTicker,0);
}

void loop(void) {
frames +=1;
gfx->flush();
}

[h5n1xp]

I have a more extreme video now:

https://youtu.be/56ELuOAAgyg

[h5n1xp]

Ok, I've been playing around with my sprite library, and have decided that subclassing from the canvas class probably isn't the best way to go.

Instead, I will use composition, and have the sprite class allocate its own canvas internally as needed. The internal canvas object won't be private or protected so drawing operations can be exposed if needed.

I'm implementing a more structured scene class to allow multiple sprites to be managed easily and cleanly. So this makes more sense, despite some. Serious API breakage, hopefully no one is actually using my class yet :-)

[moononournation]

Good to hear that, keep fighting💪🏻

[h5n1xp]

Took ages to find some time, but I have uploaded the latest code to my GitHub. This includes the more intensive demo, with 10(?) levels of parallax.

The architecture is now split into two parts, the Sprite class which handles all the high level details of managing sprites (including animation support), and a Blitter class which handles the low level pixel data (users shouldn't need to use this), this way the single sprite class can decide how to handle the different image formats.

This needs the latest Arduino_GFX library as it depends upon the new features like GetFramebuffer() and the GFX_SKIP_OUTPUT_BEGIN define.

[h5n1xp]

Apologies for the lack of updates. I have been working with @PlastiBots and we now have a working sprite library.
My main focus is 2D games, and @PlastiBots has been focusing on using it for building richly animated Graphical User Interfaces!

Currently I consider the library in Beta. Please test with the Arduino_GFX library on as many different hardware configurations as possible, and post issues/bugs/feature requests on my Github.

https://github.com/h5n1xp/Arduino_Sprite

[moononournation]

Yes, the flush() speed very depends on the resolution. Can you also check the 320x240 screen can work with ESP32LCD8?

[h5n1xp]

Yes, the flush() speed very depends on the resolution. Can you also check the 320x240 screen can work with ESP32LCD8?

The T-HMI with display size of 320x240 using ESP32LCD8 doesn't work, just a white screen (the T-HMI uses inverted display colours).

[moononournation]

the pin mapping is exactly the same?

[h5n1xp]

Yes, I just comment out whichever bus driver I don't want to test:

`Arduino_DataBus *bus = new Arduino_ESP32LCD8(PIN_LCD_DC, PIN_LCD_CS, PIN_LCD_WR, PIN_LCD_RD, PIN_LCD_D0, PIN_LCD_D1, PIN_LCD_D2, PIN_LCD_D3, PIN_LCD_D4, PIN_LCD_D5, PIN_LCD_D6, PIN_LCD_D7);

Arduino_DataBus *bus = new Arduino_ESP32PAR8Q(PIN_LCD_DC, PIN_LCD_CS, PIN_LCD_WR, PIN_LCD_RD, PIN_LCD_D0, PIN_LCD_D1, PIN_LCD_D2, PIN_LCD_D3, PIN_LCD_D4, PIN_LCD_D5, PIN_LCD_D6, PIN_LCD_D7);`

[moononournation]

A progress update for using Canvas_Indexed:
https://youtu.be/F5VOuaRSVO8

It should use a unified color index. And the animation image sequence align vertical should be much effective.

[moononournation]

Your code is already tuned speed very well, seems not too much can tune:
https://youtu.be/_MR483mlOHk
But I have refactored some common API to GFX, so it can be much easier to implement and enhance.

[moononournation]

And this is the result with same screen but connect with SPI@80MHz:
https://youtu.be/_MR483mlOHk

[moononournation]

The latest version of INDEXED_SPRITE_AND_CANVAS can have 31 FPS:
https://youtu.be/Nx6XlbqKgNU

[moononournation]

I think I will use a sprite master image like vintage console game. So I will try to build a helper fuction for manipulating this.

[h5n1xp]

ESP32PAR8Q is a software class and cannot set the speed.

And here are my simplified sprite class demo source code:

https://github.com/moononournation/Arduino_Sprite/tree/main/src/Sprite_demo

In this example you use the ESP32PAR8Q bus driver, but also set the Canvas->begin(80000000), is that just left over from SPI or other bus driver testing?

[moononournation]

The software interface simply ignore this parameter, it just for SPI

[h5n1xp]

The software interface simply ignore this parameter, it just for SPI

That makes sense, thank you.

Have you managed to get ESP32LCD8 bus driver to work?

I would really love to get 30FPS on the T-HMI 320x240! 🙂

Let me know what I can do to help!

[moononournation]

The first implementation using GIF as a Sprite master source:
https://youtube.com/shorts/9bkRixPYlbo?feature=share

[moononournation]

You can find the WIP sample at:
https://github.com/moononournation/Arduino_Sprite/tree/main/src/GIF_Sprite_demo

[moononournation]

https://youtube.com/shorts/DgsqMd7PXTE?feature=share

[moononournation]

Now, it is one of Arduino_GFX example:

https://youtube.com/shorts/ZkC1_uSAlVc

[h5n1xp]

Now, it is one of Arduino_GFX example:

https://youtube.com/shorts/ZkC1_uSAlVc

The performance is exceptional

Is this display connected via the SPI? If so, I'm very impressed how you have tweaked the flush() method!

[moononournation]

just because this display can run SPI@80MHz

[PlastiBots]

Hey guys.. Pulled together a video of my NeoLmn8 project using a T-RGB Arduino GFX and Matt's Sprite library. Shows off some cool use cases: https://youtu.be/B_X_v7OUKqw