8190c18241
* Add custom-shader example * Update README * Allow log level to be changed in release mode
64 lines
3.7 KiB
Markdown
64 lines
3.7 KiB
Markdown
[](https://docs.rs/pixels "Documentation")
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[](https://travis-ci.org/parasyte/pixels "Build status")
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[](https://github.com/parasyte/pixels "CI")
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[](http://isitmaintained.com/project/parasyte/pixels "Average time to resolve an issue")
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[](http://isitmaintained.com/project/parasyte/pixels "Percentage of issues still open")
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[](https://github.com/rust-secure-code/safety-dance/ "Unsafe forbidden")
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A tiny hardware-accelerated pixel frame buffer. :crab:
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## But why?
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Rapidly prototype a simple 2D game, pixel-based animations, software renderers, or an emulator for your favorite platform. Then add shaders to simulate a CRT or just to spice it up with some nice VFX.
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`pixels` is more than just a library to push pixels to a screen, but less than a full framework. You're in charge of managing a window environment, event loop, and input handling.
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## Features
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- Built on modern graphics APIs powered by [`wgpu`](https://crates.io/crates/wgpu): DirectX 12, Vulkan, Metal. OpenGL support is a work in progress.
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- Use your own custom shaders for special effects. (WIP)
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- Hardware accelerated scaling on perfect pixel boundaries.
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- Supports non-square pixel aspect ratios. (WIP)
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## Examples
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- [Conway's Game of Life](./examples/conway)
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- [Custom Shader](./examples/custom-shader)
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- [Minimal example with SDL2](./examples/minimal-sdl2)
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- [Minimal example with `winit`](./examples/minimal-winit)
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- [Pixel Invaders](./examples/invaders)
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## Troubleshooting
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The most common issue is having an outdated graphics driver installed on the host machine. `pixels`
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requests a low power (aka integrated) GPU by default. If the examples are not working for any reason, you may try setting the `PIXELS_HIGH_PERF` environment variable (the value does not matter, e.g. `PIXELS_HIGH_PERF=1` is fine) to see if that addresses the issue on your host machine.
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You should also try to keep your graphics drivers up-to-date, especially if you have an old Intel integrated GPU. Keep in mind that some drivers and GPUs are EOL and will not be supported.
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### Logging
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You may want to use the `RUST_LOG` environment variable (see [`env_logger`](https://docs.rs/env_logger) for full documentation) to gain additional insight while troubleshooting the examples. `RUST_LOG=trace` will spew all logs to `stderr` on debug builds:
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```
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$ RUST_LOG=trace cargo run --package minimal-winit
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```
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And also on release builds when default features are disabled:
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```
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$ cd examples/minimal-winit
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$ RUST_LOG=trace cargo run --release --no-default-features
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```
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Alternatively, nightly Cargo allows using the `--no-default-features` flag directly from the top-level directory in combination with the unstable `-Zpackage-features` flag:
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```
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$ RUST_LOG=trace cargo run --release --package minimal-winit -Zpackage-features --no-default-features
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```
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## Comparison with `minifb`
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The [`minifb`](https://crates.io/crates/minifb) crate shares some similarities with `pixels`; it also allows rapid prototyping of 2D games and emulators. But it requires the use of its own window/GUI management, event loop, and input handling. One of the disadvantages with the `minifb` approach is the lack of hardware acceleration (except on macOS, which uses Metal but is not configurable). An advantage is that it relies on fewer dependencies.
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