Talking about HTML5, Javascript and Phaser.
When I updated my Down the Mountain prototype to Phaser 3 version, I did not use Bezier curve to tween player movement as I did in Phaser 2 version, because I couldn’t find an easy way to do it. Obviously, there could not be something I am not be able to do it with Phaser, so I started studying its new features like paths and native cubic Bezier support, and now I have the solution. Do you know what is a Bezier curve? A Bezier curve is a mathematically defined curve used in two-dimensional graphic applications. The curve is defined by four points: the initial position and the terminating position (which are called “anchors”) and two separate middle points (which are called “handles”). The shape of a Bezier curve can be altered by moving the handles. The mathematical method for drawing curves was created by Pierre Bézier in the late 1960’s for the manufacturing of automobiles at Renault. Look at the prototype I made: Drag any of the green or red points to change the path and see the white circle following it. I already made a prototype like this one, you can find it in this post, but using Phaser 3 features made the whole process easier and more powerful. First, the curve you see and you can change is a Bezier curve created by Phaser with only one line. Once you change one of the four points defining the curve, the curve itself updates in real time, so there is no need to calculate it again. I found this feature very useful. The curve can also be drawn in a graphics object with just one line. What about the tween? Instead of tweening the sprite, we tween an object value from zero to 1, that is from the beginning to the end of the curve, then we create a callback to be fired at each tween update, find the point on the curve according to the tweening value – yes, again with just one line of code – then update the sprite position. This was awesome. Have a look at the source code, still uncommented but quite easy to understand:
var game;
window.onload = function() {
var gameConfig = {
type: Phaser.WEBGL,
width: 600,
height: 600,
backgroundColor: 0x000000,
scene: [playGame]
};
game = new Phaser.Game(gameConfig);
window.focus()
resize();
window.addEventListener("resize", resize, false);
}
class playGame extends Phaser.Scene{
constructor(){
super("PlayGame");
}
preload(){
this.load.image("point", "point.png");
}
create(){
var pointColors = ["0x00ff00", "0x008800", "0x880000", "0xff0000"];
this.bezierGraphics = this.add.graphics();
this.pointsArray = [];
for(var i = 0; i < 4; i++){
var draggablePoint = this.add.image(Phaser.Math.Between(100, game.config.width - 100), Phaser.Math.Between(100, game.config.height - 100), "point");
draggablePoint.setTint(pointColors[i]);
draggablePoint.setInteractive();
this.pointsArray[i] = draggablePoint;
}
this.bezierCurve = new Phaser.Curves.CubicBezier(this.pointsArray[0], this.pointsArray[1], this.pointsArray[2], this.pointsArray[3]);
this.input.setDraggable(this.pointsArray);
this.input.on("drag", function (pointer, gameObject, posX, posY){
gameObject.x = posX;
gameObject.y = posY;
this.drawBezier();
}, this);
this.movingPoint = this.add.image(0, 0, "point");
this.movingPoint.scaleX = 0.5;
this.movingPoint.scaleY = 0.5;
this.drawBezier();
var tweenObject = {
val: 0
}
this.tweens.add({
targets: tweenObject,
val: 1,
duration: 2000,
yoyo: true,
repeat: -1,
ease: "Sine.easeInOut",
callbackScope: this,
onUpdate: function(tween, target){
var position = this.bezierCurve.getPoint(target.val);
this.movingPoint.x = position.x;
this.movingPoint.y = position.y;
}
});
}
drawBezier(){
this.bezierGraphics.clear();
this.bezierGraphics.lineStyle(4, 0xffffff);
this.bezierCurve.draw(this.bezierGraphics);
this.bezierGraphics.lineStyle(2, 0x00ff00);
this.bezierGraphics.beginPath();
this.bezierGraphics.moveTo(this.pointsArray[0].x, this.pointsArray[0].y);
this.bezierGraphics.lineTo(this.pointsArray[1].x, this.pointsArray[1].y);
this.bezierGraphics.strokePath();
this.bezierGraphics.lineStyle(2, 0xff0000);
this.bezierGraphics.beginPath();
this.bezierGraphics.moveTo(this.pointsArray[2].x, this.pointsArray[2].y);
this.bezierGraphics.lineTo(this.pointsArray[3].x, this.pointsArray[3].y);
this.bezierGraphics.strokePath();
}
}
function resize() {
var canvas = document.querySelector("canvas");
var windowWidth = window.innerWidth;
var windowHeight = window.innerHeight;
var windowRatio = windowWidth / windowHeight;
var gameRatio = game.config.width / game.config.height;
if(windowRatio < gameRatio){
canvas.style.width = windowWidth + "px";
canvas.style.height = (windowWidth / gameRatio) + "px";
}
else{
canvas.style.width = (windowHeight * gameRatio) + "px";
canvas.style.height = windowHeight + "px";
}
}
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