path: root/doc/api.texi

@menu
* Kernel::                      The fundamental components.
* Math::                        Linear algebra, spatial partitioning, and more.
* Graphics::                    Eye candy.
* Scripting::                   Bringing the game world to life.
@end menu

@node Kernel
@section Kernel

At the very core of Chickadee, in the @code{(chickadee)} module, lies
an event loop.  This loop, or ``kernel'', is responsible for ensuring
that the game is updated at the desired interval, rendering the
current state of the game world, and handling errors if they occur.
The kernel implements what is known as a ``fixed timestep'' game loop,
meaning that the game simulation will be advanced by a fixed interval
of time and will never vary from frame to frame, unlike some other
styles of game loops.  The appropriately named @code{run-game} and
@code{abort-game} procedures are the entry and exit points to the
Chickadee game loop kernel.

On its own, the kernel does not do very much at all.  In order to
actually respond to input events, update game state, or render output,
the programmer must provide an engine.  But don’t worry, you don’t
have to start from scratch!  Chickadee comes with a simple engine that
uses SDL to create a graphical window and handle input devices, and
OpenGL to handle rendering.  This default engine is enough for most
users to get started writing games quickly.  More advanced users may
want to write a custom engine that uses a different I/O system.
Perhaps you are writing a text adventure or roguelike that reads from
and writes to a terminal instead of a graphical window.  The game loop
kernel makes no assumptions.

@deffn {Procedure} run-game [#:update] [#:render] [#:time] [#:error] @
       [#:update-hz 60]

Start the game loop.  This procedure will not return until
@code{abort-game} is called.

The core game loop is generic and requires four additional procedures
to operate:

@itemize
@item
@var{update}: Called @var{update-hz} times per second to advance the
game simulation.  This procedure is called with a single argument: The
amount of time that has passed since the last update, in milliseconds.
@item
@var{render}: Called each iteration of the loop to render the game to
the desired output device.  This procedure is called with a single
argument: A value in the range [0, 1] which represents how much time
has past since the last game state update relative to the upcoming
game state update, as a percentage.  Because the game state is updated
independent of rendering, it is often the case that rendering is
occuring between two updates.  If the game is rendered as it was
during the last update, a strange side-effect will occur that makes
animation appear rough or ``choppy''.  To counter this, the
@var{alpha} value can be used to perfrom a linear interpolation of a
moving object between its current position and its previous position.
This odd trick has the pleasing result of making the animation look
smooth again, but requires keeping track of previous state.
@item
@var{time}: Called to get the current time in milliseconds.  This
procedure is called with no arguments.
@item
@var{error}: Called when an error from the @var{update} or
@var{render} procedures reaches the game loop.  This procedure is
called with three arguments: The call stack, the error key, and the
error arguments.  If no error handler is provided, the default
behavior is to simply re-throw the error.
@end itemize

@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} abort-game
Stop the currently running Chickadee game loop.
@end deffn

Since most users will want to write 2D/3D games with hardware
accelerated graphics rendering, controlled via keyboard, mouse, or
game controller, Chickadee comes with an easy to use engine just for
this purpose in the @code{(chickadee sdl)} module:
@code{run-game/sdl}.

@deffn {Procedure} run-game/sdl [#:window-title "Chickadee!"] @
       [#:window-width 640] [#:window-height 480] @
       [#:window-fullscreen? @code{#f}] [#:update-hz 60] @
       [#:load] [#:update] [#:draw] [#:quit] @
       [#:key-press] [#:key-release] [#:text-input] @
       [#:mouse-press] [#:mouse-release] [#:mouse-move] @
       [#:controller-add] [#:controller-remove] [#:controller-press] @
       [#:controller-release] [#:controller-move] [#:error]

Run the Chickadee game loop using the SDL engine.

A new graphical window will be opened with @var{window-width} x
@var{window-height} as its dimensions, @var{window-title} as its
title, and in fullscreen mode if @var{window-fullscreen?} is
@code{#t}.

@itemize
@item
@var{load}: Called with zero arguments when the game window has opened
but before the game loop has started.  Can be used to perform
initialization that requires an open window and OpenGL context such as
loading textures.

@item
@var{update}: Called @var{update-hz} times per second with one
argument: The amount of time to advance the game simulation.

@item
@var{draw}: Called each time a frame should be rendered with a single
argument known as the @code{alpha} value.  See the documentation for
@code{run-game} for an explanation of this value.

@item
@var{quit}: Called with zero arguments when the user tries to close
the game window.  The default behavior is to exit the game.

@item
@var{key-press}: Called with four arguments when a key is pressed on
the keyboard:

@enumerate
@item
@var{key}: The symbolic name of the ``virtual'' key that was pressed.
For example: @code{backspace}.  It's called a virtual key because the
operating system may map a physical keyboard key to another key
entirely, such as how the author likes to bind the ``caps lock'' key
to mean ``control''.

@item
@var{scancode}: The symbolic name of the physical key that was
pressed.

@item
@var{modifiers}: A list of the symbolic names of modifier keys that
were being held down when the key was pressed.  Possible values
include @code{ctrl}, @code{alt}, and @code{shift}.

@item
@var{repeat?}: @code{#t} if this is a repeated press of the same key.

@end enumerate

@item
@var{key-release}: Called with three arguments when a key is released
on the keyboard:

@enumerate
@item
@var{key}: The symbolic name of the ``virtual'' key that was released.

@item
@var{scancode}: The symbolic name of the physical key that was
released.

@item
@var{modifiers}: A list of the symbolic names of modifier keys that
were being held down when the key was released.

@end enumerate

@item
@var{text-input}: Called with a single argument, a string of text,
when printable text is typed on the keyboard.

@item
@var{mouse-press}: Called with four arguments when a mouse button is
pressed:
@enumerate

@item
@var{button}: The symbolic name of the button that was pressed, such
as @code{left}, @code{middle}, or @code{right}.

@item
@var{clicks}: The number of times the button has been clicked in a row.

@item
@var{x}: The x coordinate of the mouse cursor.

@item
@var{y}: The y coordinate of the mouse cursor.

@end enumerate

@item
@var{mouse-release}: Called with three arguments when a mouse button
is released:

@enumerate

@item
@var{button}: The symbolic name of the button that was released.

@item
@var{x}: The x coordinate of the mouse cursor.

@item
@var{y}: The y coordinate of the mouse cursor.

@end enumerate

@item
@var{mouse-move}: Called with five arguments when the mouse is moved:

@enumerate

@item
@var{x}: The x coordinate of the mouse cursor.

@item
@var{y}: The y coordinate of the mouse cursor.

@item
@var{dx}: The amount the mouse has moved along the x axis since the
last mouse move event.

@item
@var{dy}: The amount the mouse has moved along the y axis since the
last mouse move event.

@item
@var{buttons}: A list of the buttons that were pressed down when the
mouse was moved.

@end enumerate

@item
@var{controller-add}: Called with a single argument, an SDL game
controller object, when a game controller is connected.

@item
@var{controller-remove}: Called with a single argument, an SDL game
controller object, when a game controller is disconnected.

@item
@var{controller-press}: Called with two arguments when a button on a
game controller is pressed:

@enumerate

@item
@var{controller}: The controller that triggered the event.

@item
@var{button}: The symbolic name of the button that was pressed.
Possible buttons are:

@itemize
@item
@code{a}
@item
@code{b}
@item
@code{x}
@item
@code{y}
@item
@code{back}
@item
@code{guide}
@item
@code{start}
@item
@code{left-stick}
@item
@code{right-stick}
@item
@code{left-shoulder}
@item
@code{right-shoulder}
@item
@code{dpad-up}
@item
@code{dpad-down}
@item
@code{dpad-left}
@item
@code{dpad-right}

@end itemize

@end enumerate

@item
@var{controller-release}: Called with two arguments when a button on a
game controller is released:

@enumerate

@item
@var{controller}: The controller that triggered the event.

@item
@var{button}: The symbolic name of the button that was released.

@end enumerate

@item
@var{controller-move}: Called with three arguments when an analog
stick or trigger on a game controller is moved:

@enumerate

@item
@var{controller}: The controller that triggered the event.

@item
@var{axis}: The symbolic name of the axis that was moved.  Possible
values are:

@itemize
@item
@code{left-x}
@item
@code{left-y}
@item
@code{right-x}
@item
@code{right-y}
@item
@code{trigger-left}
@item
@code{trigger-right}
@end itemize

@end enumerate

@item
@var{error}: Called with three arguments when an error occurs:

@enumerate

@item
@var{stack}: The call stack at the point of error.

@item
@var{key}: The exception key.

@item
@var{args}: The arguments thrown with the exception.

@end enumerate

The default behavior is to re-throw the error.

@end itemize

@end deffn

@node Math
@section Math

Chickadee contains data types and procedures for performing the most
common computations in video game simulations such as linear algebra
with vectors and matrices and axis-aligned bounding box collision
detection.

@menu
* Basics::                      Commonly used, miscellaneous things.
* Vectors::                     Euclidean vectors.
* Rectangles::                  Axis-aligned bounding boxes.
* Grid::                        Spatial partitioning for bounding boxes.
* Matrices::                    Transformation matrices.
* Quaternions::                 Rotations about an arbitrary axis.
* Easings::                     Easing functions for interesting animations.
* Bezier Curves::               Cubic Bezier curves and paths in 2D space.
* Path Finding::                Generic A* path finding.
@end menu

@node Basics
@subsection Basics

@defvar pi
An essential constant for all trigonometry.  @code{@U{03C0}} is the ratio
of a circle's circumferences to its diameter.  Since @code{@U{03C0}} is an
irrational number, the @var{pi} in Chickadee is a mere floating point
approximation that is ``good enough.''
@end defvar

@defvar pi/2
Half of @var{pi}.
@end defvar

@deffn {Procedure} cotan @var{z}
Return the cotangent of @var{z}.
@end deffn

@node Vectors
@subsection Vectors

Unlike Scheme's vector data type, which is a sequence of arbitrary
Scheme objects, Chickadee's @code{(chickadee math vector)} module
provides vectors in the linear algebra sense: Sequences of numbers
specialized for particular coordinate spaces.  As of now, Chickadee
provides 2D and 3D vectors, with 4D vector support coming in a future
release.

Here's a quick example of adding two vectors:

@example
(define v (vec2+ (vec2 1 2) (vec2 3 4)))
@end example

Since vectors are used so frequently, the reader macro @code{#v} is
used to cut down on typing:

@example
(define v (vec2+ #v(1 2) #v(3 4)))
@end example

@subsubsection A Note About Performance

A lot of time has been spent making Chickadee's vector operations
perform relatively efficiently in critical code paths where excessive
garbage generation will cause major performance issues.  The general
rule is that procedures ending with @code{!} perform an in-place
modification of one of the arguments in order to avoid allocating a
new vector.  These procedures are also inlined by Guile's compiler in
order to take advantage of optimizations relating to floating point
math operations.  The downside is that since these are not pure
functions, they do not compose well and create more verbose code.

@subsubsection 2D Vectors

@deffn {Procedure} vec2 @var{x} @var{y}
Return a new 2D vector with coordinates (@var{x}, @var{y}).
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vec2/polar @var{r} @var{theta}
Return a new 2D vector containing the Cartesian representation of the
polar coordinate (@var{r}, @var{theta}).  The angle @var{theta} is
measured in radians.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vec2? @var{obj}
Return @code{#t} if @var{obj} is a 2D vector.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vec2-x @var{v}
Return the X coordinate of the 2D vector @var{v}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vec2-y @var{v}
Return the Y coordinate of the 2D vector @var{v}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vec2-copy @var{v}
Return a fresh copy of the 2D vector @var{v}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vec2-magnitude @var{v}
Return the magnitude of the 2D vector @var{v}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vec2-dot-product @var{v1} @var{v2}
Return the dot product of the 2D vectors @var{v1} and @var{v2}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vec2-normalize @var{v}
Return the normalized form of the 2D vector @var{v}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vec2+ @var{v} @var{x}
Add @var{x}, either a 2D vector or a scalar (i.e. a real number), to
the 2D vector @var{v} and return a new vector containing the sum.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vec2- @var{v} @var{x}
Subtract @var{x}, either a 2D vector or a scalar, from the 2D vector
@var{v} and return a new vector containing the difference.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vec2* @var{v} @var{x}
Multiply the 2D vector @var{v} by @var{x}, a 2D vector or a scalar,
and return a new vector containing the product.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} set-vec2-x! @var{v} @var{x}
Set the X coordinate of the 2D vector @var{v} to @var{x}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} set-vec2-y! @var{v} @var{y}
Set the Y coordinate of the 2D vector @var{v} to @var{y}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vec2-copy! @var{source} @var{target}
Copy the 2D vector @var{source} into the 2D vector @var{target}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vec2-add! @var{v} @var{x}
Perform an in-place modification of the 2D vector @var{v} by adding
@var{x}, a 2D vector or a scalar.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vec2-sub! @var{v} @var{x}
Perform an in-place modification of the 2D vector @var{v} by
subtracting @var{x}, a 2D vector or a scalar.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vec2-mult! @var{v} @var{x}
Perform an in-place modification of the 2D vector @var{v} by
multiplying it by @var{x}, a 2D vector or a scalar.
@end deffn

@subsubsection 3D Vectors

@deffn {Procedure} vec3 @var{x} @var{y}
Return a new 2D vector with coordinates (@var{x}, @var{y}).
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vec3? @var{obj}
Return @code{#t} if @var{obj} is a 3D vector.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vec3-x @var{v}
Return the X coordinate of the 3D vector @var{v}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vec3-y @var{v}
Return the Y coordinate of the 3D vector @var{v}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vec3-z @var{v}
Return the Z coordinate of the 3D vector @var{v}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vec3-copy @var{v}
Return a fresh copy of the 3D vector @var{v}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vec3-magnitude @var{v}
Return the magnitude of the 3D vector @var{v}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vec3-dot-product @var{v1} @var{v2}
Return the dot product of the 3D vectors @var{v1} and @var{v2}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vec3-normalize @var{v}
Return the normalized form of the 3D vector @var{v}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vec3+ @var{v} @var{x}
Add @var{x}, either a 3D vector or a scalar (i.e. a real number), to
the 3D vector @var{v} and return a new vector containing the sum.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vec3- @var{v} @var{x}
Subtract @var{x}, either a 3D vector or a scalar, from the 3D vector
@var{v} and return a new vector containing the difference.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vec3* @var{v} @var{x}
Multiply the 3D vector @var{v} by @var{x}, a 3D vector or a scalar,
and return a new vector containing the product.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} set-vec3-x! @var{v} @var{x}
Set the X coordinate of the 3D vector @var{v} to @var{x}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} set-vec3-y! @var{v} @var{y}
Set the Y coordinate of the 3D vector @var{v} to @var{y}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} set-vec3-z! @var{v} @var{z}
Set the Z coordinate of the 3D vector @var{v} to @var{z}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vec3-copy! @var{source} @var{target}
Copy the 3D vector @var{source} into the 3D vector @var{target}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vec3-add! @var{v} @var{x}
Perform an in-place modification of the 3D vector @var{v} by adding
@var{x}, a 3D vector or a scalar.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vec3-sub! @var{v} @var{x}
Perform an in-place modification of the 3D vector @var{v} by
subtracting @var{x}, a 3D vector or a scalar.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vec3-mult! @var{v} @var{x}
Perform an in-place modification of the 3D vector @var{v} by
multiplying it by @var{x}, a 3D vector or a scalar.
@end deffn

@node Rectangles
@subsection Rectangles

The @code{(chickadee math rect)} module provides an API for
manipulating axis-aligned bounding boxes (AABBs).  AABBs are often
used for collision detection in games.  Common use-cases are defining
``hitboxes'' in platformers or using them for the ``broad phase'' of a
collision detection algorithm that uses a more complex (and thus
slower) method of determining the actual collisions.

Like some of the other math modules, there exists a collection of
functions that do in-place modification of rectangles for use in
performance critical code paths.

@deffn {Procedure} make-rect @var{x} @var{y} @var{width} @var{height}
Create a new rectangle that is @var{width} by @var{height} in size and
whose bottom-left corner is located at (@var{x}, @var{y}).
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect? @var{obj}
Return @code{#t} if @var{obj} is a rectangle.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-within? @var{rect1} @var{rect2}
Return @code{#t} if @var{rect2} is completely within @var{rect1}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-intersects? @var{rect1} @var{rect2}
Return @code{#t} if @var{rect2} overlaps @var{rect1}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-contains? @var{rect} @var{x} @var{y}
Return @code{#t} if the coordinates (@var{x}, @var{y}) are within
@var{rect}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-contains-vec2? @var{rect} @var{v}
Return @code{#t} if the 2D vector @var{v} is within the bounds of
@var{rect}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-x @var{rect}
Return the X coordinate of the lower-left corner of @var{rect}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-y @var{rect}
Return the Y coordinate of the lower-left corner of @var{rect}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-left @var{rect}
Return the left-most X coordinate of @var{rect}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-right @var{rect}
Return the right-most X coordinate of @var{rect}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-bottom @var{rect}
Return the bottom-most Y coordinate of @var{rect}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-top @var{rect}
Return the top-most Y coordinate of @var{rect}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-center-x @var{rect}
Return the X coordinate of the center of @var{rect}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-center-y @var{rect}
Return the Y coordinate of the center of @var{rect}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-width @var{rect}
Return the width of @var{rect}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-height @var{rect}
Return the height of @var{rect}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-area @var{rect}
Return the surface area covered by @var{rect}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-clamp-x @var{rect} @var{x}
Restrict @var{x} to the portion of the X axis covered by @var{rect}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-clamp-y @var{rect} @var{y}
Restrict @var{y} to the portion of the Y axis covered by @var{rect}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-clamp @var{rect1} @var{rect2}
Return a new rect that adjusts the location of @var{rect1} so that it
is completely within @var{rect2}.  An exception is thrown in the case
that @var{rect1} cannot fit completely within @var{rect2}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-move @var{rect} @var{x} @var{y}
Return a new rectangle based on @var{rect} but moved to the
coordinates (@var{x}, @var{y}).
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-move-vec2 @var{rect} @var{v}
Return a new rectangle based on @var{rect} but moved to the
coordinates in the 2D vector @var{v}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-move-by @var{rect} @var{x} @var{y}
Return a new rectangle based on @var{rect} but moved by (@var{x},
@var{y}) units relative to its current location.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-move-by-vec2 @var{rect} @var{v}
Return a new rectangle based on @var{rect} but moved by the 2D vector
@var{v} relative to its current location.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-inflate @var{rect} @var{width} @var{height}
Return a new rectangle based on @var{rect}, but expanded by
@var{width} units on the X axis and @var{height} units on the Y axis,
while keeping the rectangle centered on the same point.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-union @var{rect1} @var{rect2}
Return a new rectangle that completely covers the area of @var{rect1}
and @var{rect2}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-clip @var{rect1} @var{rect2}
Return a new rectangle that is the overlapping region of @var{rect1}
and @var{rect2}.  If the two rectangles do not overlap, a rectangle of
0 width and 0 height is returned.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} set-rect-x! @var{rect} @var{x}
Set the left X coordinate of @var{rect} to @var{x}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} set-rect-y! @var{rect} @var{y}
Set the bottom Y coordinate of @var{rect} to @var{y}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} set-rect-width! @var{rect} @var{width}
Set the width of @var{rect} to @var{width}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} set-rect-height! @var{rect} @var{height}
Set the height of @var{rect} to @var{height}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-move! @var{rect} @var{x} @var{y}
Move @var{rect} to (@var{x}, @var{y}) in-place.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-move-vec2! @var{rect} @var{v}
Move @var{rect} to the 2D vector @var{v} in-place.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-move-by! @var{rect} @var{x} @var{y}
Move @var{rect} by (@var{x}, @var{y}) in-place.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-move-by-vec2! @var{rect} @var{v}
Move @var{rect} by the 2D vector @var{v} in-place.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-inflate! @var{rect} @var{width} @var{height}
Expand @var{rect} by @var{width} and @var{height} in-place.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-union! @var{rect1} @var{rect2}
Modify @var{rect1} in-place to completely cover the area of both
@var{rect1} and @var{rect2}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-clip! @var{rect1} @var{rect2}
Modify @var{rect1} in-place to be the overlapping region of
@var{rect1} and @var{rect2}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} rect-clamp! @var{rect1} @var{rect2}
Adjust the location of @var{rect1} in-place so that its bounds are
completely within @var{rect2}.  An exception is thrown in the case
that @var{rect1} cannot fit completely within @var{rect2}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vec2-clamp-to-rect! @var{v} @var{rect}
Restrict the coordinates of the 2D vector @var{v} so that they are
within the bounds of @var{rect}.  @var{v} is modified in-place.
@end deffn

@node Grid
@subsection Grid

The @code{(chickadee math grid)} module provides a simple spatial
partitioning system for axis-aligned bounding boxes
(@pxref{Rectangles}) in 2D space.  The grid divides the world into
tiles and keeps track of which rectangles occupy which tiles.  When
there are lots of moving objects in the game world that need collision
detection, the grid greatly speeds up the process.  Instead of
checking collisions of each object against every other object (an
O(n^2) operation), the grid quickly narrows down which objects could
possibly be colliding and only performs collision testing against a
small set of objects.

In addition to checking for collisions, the grid also handles the
resolution of collisions.  Exactly how each collision is resolved is
user-defined.  A player bumping into a wall may slide against it.  An
enemy colliding with a projectile shot by the player may get pushed
back in the opposite direction.  Two players colliding may not need
resolution at all and will just pass through each other.  The way this
works is that each time an object (A) is moved within the grid, the
grid looks for an object (B) that may possibly be colliding with A.  A
user-defined procedure known as a ``filter'' is then called with both
A and B.  If the filter returns @code{#f}, it means that even if A and
B are colliding, no collision resolution is needed.  In this case the
grid won't waste time checking if they really do collide because it
doesn't matter.  If A and B are collidable, then the filter returns a
procedure that implements the resolution technique.  The grid will
then perform a collision test.  If A and B are colliding, the resolver
procedure is called.  It's the resolvers job to adjust the objects
such that they are no longer colliding.  The grid module comes with a
very simple resolution procedure, @code{slide}, that adjusts object A
by the smallest amount so that it no longer overlaps with B.  By using
this filtering technique, a game can resolve collisions between
different objects in different ways.

@deffn {Procedure} make-grid [@var{cell-size} 64]
Return a new grid partitioned into @var{cell-size} tiles.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} grid? @var{obj}
Return @code{#t} if @var{obj} is a grid.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} cell? @var{obj}
Return @code{#t} if @var{obj} is a grid cell.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} cell-count @var{cell}
Return the number of items in @var{cell}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} grid-cell-size @var{grid}
Return the cell size of @var{grid}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} grid-cell-count @var{grid}
Return the number of cells currently in @var{grid}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} grid-item-count @var{grid}
Return the number of items in @var{grid}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} grid-add @var{grid} @var{item} @var{x} @var{y} @
                            @var{width} @var{height}

Add @var{item} to @var{grid} represented by the axis-aligned bounding
box whose lower-left corner is at (@var{x}, @var{y}) and is
@var{width} x @var{height} in size.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} grid-remove @var{grid} @var{item}
Return @var{item} from @var{grid}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} grid-clear @var{grid}
Remove all items from @var{grid}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} grid-move @var{grid} @var{item} @var{position} @var{filter}
Attempt to move @var{item} in @var{grid} to @var{position} (a 2D
vector) and check for collisions.  For each collision, @var{filter}
will be called with two arguments: @var{item} and the item it collided
with.  If a collision occurs, @var{position} may be modified to
resolve the colliding objects.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} for-each-cell @var{proc} @var{grid} [@var{rect}]
Call @var{proc} with each cell in @var{grid} that intersects
@var{rect}, or every cell if @var{rect} is @code{#f}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} for-each-item @var{proc} @var{grid}
Call @var{proc} for each item in @var{grid}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} slide @var{item} @var{item-rect} @
                         @var{other} @var{other-rect} @var{goal}

Resolve the collision that occurs between @var{item} and @var{other}
when moving @var{item-rect} to @var{goal} by sliding @var{item-rect}
the minimum amount needed to make it no longer overlap
@var{other-rect}.
@end deffn

@node Matrices
@subsection Matrices

The @code{(chickadee math matrix)} module provides an interface for
working with the most common type of matrices in game development: 4x4
transformation matrices.

@subsubsection Another Note About Performance

Much like the vector API, the matrix API is commonly used in
performance critical code paths.  In order to reduce the amount of
garbage generated and improve matrix multiplication performance, there
are many procedures that perform in-place modifications of matrix
objects.

@subsubsection Matrix Operations

@deffn {Procedure} make-matrix4 @var{aa} @var{ab} @var{ac} @var{ad} @
                                @var{ba} @var{bb} @var{bc} @var{bd} @
                                @var{ca} @var{cb} @var{cc} @var{cd} @
                                @var{da} @var{db} @var{dc} @var{dd}

Return a new 4x4 matrix initialized with the given 16 values in
column-major format.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} make-null-matrix4
Return a new 4x4 matrix with all values initialized to 0.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} make-identity-matrix4
Return a new 4x4 identity matrix.  Any matrix multiplied by the
identity matrix yields the original matrix.  This procedure is
equivalent to the following code:

@example
(make-matrix4 1 0 0 0
              0 1 0 0
              0 0 1 0
              0 0 0 1)
@end example

@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} matrix4? @var{obj}
Return @code{#t} if @var{obj} is a 4x4 matrix.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} matrix4* . @var{matrices}
Return a new 4x4 matrix containing the product of multiplying all of
the given @var{matrices}.

Note: Remember that matrix multiplication is @strong{not} commutative!
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} orthographic-projection @var{left} @var{right} @
                                           @var{top} @var{bottom} @
                                           @var{near} @var{far}

Return a new 4x4 matrix that represents an orthographic (2D)
projection for the horizontal clipping plane @var{top} and
@var{bottom}, the vertical clipping plane @var{top} and @var{bottom},
and the depth clipping plane @var{near} and @var{far}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} perspective-projection @var{fov} @
                                          @var{aspect-ratio} @
                                          @var{near} @var{far}

Return a new 4x4 matrix that represents a perspective (3D) projection
with a field of vision of @var{fov} radians, an aspect ratio of
@var{aspect-ratio}, and a depth clipping plane defined by @var{near}
and @var{far}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} matrix4-translate @var{x}
Return a new 4x4 matrix that represents a translation by @var{x}, a 2D
vector, a 3D vector, or a rectangle (in which case the bottom-left
corner of the rectangle is used).
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} matrix4-scale @var{s}
Return a new 4x4 matrix that represents a scaling along the X, Y, and
Z axes by the scaling factor @var{s}, a real number.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} matrix4-rotate @var{q}
Return a new 4x4 matrix that represents a rotation about an arbitrary
axis defined by the quaternion @var{q}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} matrix4-rotate-z @var{theta}
Return a new 4x4 matrix that represents a rotation about the Z axis by
@var{theta} radians.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} matrix4-identity! @var{matrix}
Modify @var{matrix} in-place to contain the identity matrix.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} matrix4-mult! @var{dest} @var{a} @var{b}
Multiply the 4x4 matrix @var{a} by the 4x4 matrix @var{b} and store
the result in the 4x4 matrix @var{dest}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} matrix4-translate! @var{matrix} @var{x}
Modify @var{matrix} in-place to contain a translation by @var{x}, a 2D
vector, a 3D vector, or a rectangle (in which case the bottom-left
corner of the rectangle is used).
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} matrix4-scale! @var{matrix} @var{s}
Modify @var{matrix} in-place to contain a scaling along the X, Y, and
Z axes by the scaling factor @var{s}, a real number.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} matrix4-rotate! @var{matrix} @var{q}
Modify @var{matrix} in-place to contain a rotation about an arbitrary
axis defined by the quaternion @var{q}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} matrix4-rotate-z! @var{matrix} @var{theta}
Modify @var{matrix} in-place to contain a rotation about the Z axis by
@var{theta} radians.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} matrix4-2d-transform! @var{matrix} [#:origin] @
                                         [#:position] [#:rotation] @
                                         [#:scale] [#:skew]

Modify @var{matrix} in-place to contain the transformation described
by @var{position}, a 2D vector or rectangle, @var{rotation}, a scalar
representing a rotation about the Z axis, @var{scale}, a 2D vector,
and @var{skew}, a 2D vector.  The transformation happens with respect
to @var{origin}, a 2D vector.  If an argument is not provided, that
particular transformation will not be included in the result.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} transform! @var{matrix} @var{v}
Modify the 2D vector @var{v} in-place by multiplying it by the 4x4
matrix @var{matrix}.
@end deffn

@node Quaternions
@subsection Quaternions

In game development, the quaternion is most often used to represent
rotations.  Why not use a matrix for that, you may ask.  Unlike
matrices, quaternions can be interpolated (animated) and produce a
meaningful result.  When interpolating two quaternions, there is a
smooth transition from one rotation to another, whereas interpolating
two matrices would yield garbage.

@deffn {Procedure} quaternion @var{x} @var{y} @var{z} @var{w}
Return a new quaternion with values @var{x}, @var{y}, @var{z}, and
@var{w}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} quaternion? @var{obj}
Return @code{#t} if @var{obj} is a quaternion.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} quaternion-w @var{q}
Return the W component of the quaternion @var{q}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} quaternion-x @var{q}
Return the X component of the quaternion @var{q}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} quaternion-y @var{q}
Return the Y component of the quaternion @var{q}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} quaternion-z @var{q}
Return the Z component of the quaternion @var{q}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} make-identity-quaternion
Return the identity quaternion.
@end deffn

@node Easings
@subsection Easings

Easing functions are essential for animation.  Each easing function
provides a different path to go from an initial value to a final
value.  These functions make an excellent companion to the
@code{tween} procedure (@pxref{Tweening}).  Experiment with them to
figure out which function makes an animation look the best.

Pro tip: @code{smoothstep} provides nice results most of the time and
creates smoother animation than using @code{linear}.

@deffn {Procedure} linear @var{t}
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} smoothstep @var{t}
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} ease-in-quad @var{t}
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} ease-out-quad @var{t}
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} ease-in-out-quad @var{t}
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} ease-in-cubic @var{t}
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} ease-out-cubic @var{t}
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} ease-in-out-cubic @var{t}
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} ease-in-quart @var{t}
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} ease-out-quart @var{t}
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} ease-in-out-quart @var{t}
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} ease-in-quint @var{t}
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} ease-out-quint @var{t}
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} ease-in-out-quint @var{t}
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} ease-in-sine @var{t}
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} ease-out-sine @var{t}
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} ease-in-out-sine @var{t}
@end deffn

@node Bezier Curves
@subsection Bezier Curves

The @code{(chickadee math bezier)} module provides an API for
describing cubic Bezier curves in 2D space.  These curves are notably
used in font description, vector graphics programs, and when it comes
to games: path building.  With Bezier curves, it's somewhat easy to
create a smooth looking path for an enemy to move along, for example.
Bezier curves become particularly interesting when they are chained
together to form a Bezier ``path'', where the end point of one curve
becomes the starting point of the next.

Currently, the rendering of Bezier curves is rather crude and provided
mostly for visualizing and debugging curves that would be unseen in
the final game.  See @xref{Lines and Shapes} for more information.

@deffn {Procedure} make-bezier-curve @var{p0} @var{p1} @var{p2} @var{p3}
Return a new Bezier curve object whose starting point is @var{p0},
ending point is @var{p3}, and control points are @var{p1} and
@var{p2}.  All points are 2D vectors.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} bezier-curve? @var{obj}
Return @code{#t} if @var{obj} is a Bezier curve.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} bezier-curve-p0 @var{bezier}
Return the starting point of @var{bezier}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} bezier-curve-p1 @var{bezier}
Return the first control point of @var{bezier}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} bezier-curve-p2 @var{bezier}
Return the second control point of @var{bezier}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} bezier-curve-p3 @var{bezier}
Return the end point of @var{bezier}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} bezier-path . @var{control-points}
Return a list of connected bezier curves defined by
@var{control-points}.  The first curve is defined by the first 4
arguments and every additional curve thereafter requires 3 additional
arguments.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} bezier-curve-point-at @var{bezier} @var{t}
Return the coordinates for @var{bezier} at @var{t} (a value in the
range [0, 1] representing how far from the start of the curve to
check) as a 2D vector.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} bezier-curve-point-at! @var{dest} @var{bezier} @var{t}
Modify the 2D vector @var{dest} in-place to contain the coordinates
for @var{bezier} at @var{t}.
@end deffn

@node Path Finding
@subsection Path Finding

Most game worlds have maps.  Often, these games have a need to move
non-player characters around in an unscripted fashion.  For example,
in a real-time strategy game, the player may command one of their
units to attack something in the enemy base.  To do so, the unit must
calculate the shortest route to get there.  It wouldn't be a very fun
game if units didn't know how to transport themselves efficiently.
This is where path finding algorithms come in handy.  The
@code{(chickadee math path-finding)} module provides a generic
implementation of the popular A* path finding algorithm.  Just add a
map implementation!

The example below defines a very simple town map and finds the
quickest way to get from the town common to the school.

@example
(define world-map
  '((town-common . (town-hall library))
    (town-hall . (town-common school))
    (library . (town-common cafe))
    (school . (town-hall cafe))
    (cafe . (library school))))
(define (neighbors building)
  (assq-ref town-map building))
(define (cost a b) 1)
(define (distance a b) 1)
(define pf (make-path-finder))
(a* pf 'town-common 'school neighbors cost distance)
@end example

In this case, the @code{a*} procedure will return the list
@code{(town-common town-hall school)}, which is indeed the shortest
route.  (The other possible route is @code{(town-common library cafe
school)}.)

The @code{a*} procedure does not know anything about about any kind of
map and therefore must be told how to look up neighboring nodes, which
is what the @code{neighbors} procedure in the example does. To
simulate different types of terrain, a cost procedure is used.  In
this example, it is just as easy to move between any two nodes because
@code{cost} always returns 1.  In a real game, perhaps moving from
from a field to a rocky hill would cost a lot more than moving from
one field to another.  Finally, a heuristic is used to calculate an
approximate distance between two nodes on the map.  In this simple
association list based graph it is tough to calculate a distance
between nodes, so the @code{distance} procedure isn't helpful and
always returns 1.  In a real game with a tile-based map, for example,
the heuristic could be a quick Manhattan distance calculation based on
the coordinates of the two map tiles.  Choose an appropriate heuristic
for optimal path finding!

@deffn {Procedure} make-path-finder
Return a new path finder object.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} path-finder? @var{obj}
Return @code{#t} if @var{obj} is a path finder.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} a* @var{path-finder} @var{start} @var{goal} @
                      @var{neighbors} @var{cost} @var{distance}

Return a list of nodes forming a path from @var{start} to @var{goal}
using @var{path-finder} to hold state.  @var{neighbors} is a procedure
that accepts a node and returns a list of nodes that neighbor it.
@var{cost} is a procedure that accepts two neighboring nodes and
returns the cost of moving from the first to the second as a real
number.  @var{distance} is a procedure that accepts two nodes and
returns an approximate distance between them.
@end deffn

@node Graphics
@section Graphics

Chickadee aims to make hardware-accelerated graphics rendering as
simple and efficient as possible by providing high-level APIs that
interact with the low-level OpenGL API under the hood.  Anyone that
has worked with OpenGL directly knows that it has a steep learning
curve and a lot of effort is needed to render even a single triangle.
The Chickadee rendering engine attempts to make it easy to do common
tasks like rendering a sprite while also providing all of the building
blocks to implement additional rendering techniques.

@menu
* Textures::                    2D images.
* Sprites::                     Draw 2D images.
* Tile Maps::                   Draw 2D tile maps.
* Lines and Shapes::            Draw line segments and polygons.
* Fonts::                       Drawing text.
* Particles::                   Pretty little flying pieces!
* Blending and Depth Testing::  Control how pixels are combined.
* Framebuffers::                Render to texture.
* Viewports::                   Restrict rendering to a particular area.
* Rendering Engine::            Rendering state management.
* GPU Buffers::                 Send data to the GPU.
* Shaders::                     Create custom GPU programs.
@end menu

@node Textures
@subsection Textures

@deffn {Procedure} load-image @var{file} [#:min-filter nearest] @
       [#:mag-filter nearest] [#:wrap-s repeat] [#:wrap-t repeat]

Load the image data from @var{file} and return a new texture object.

@var{min-filter} and @var{mag-filter} describe the method that should
be used for minification and magnification when rendering,
respectively.  Possible values are @code{nearest} and @code{linear}.

@var{wrap-s} and @var{wrap-t} describe how to interpret texture
coordinates that are greater than @code{1.0}.  Possible values are
@code{repeat}, @code{clamp}, @code{clamp-to-border}, and
@code{clamp-to-edge}.

@end deffn

@node Sprites
@subsection Sprites

For those who are new to this game, a sprite is a 2D rectangular
bitmap that is rendered to the screen.  For 2D games, sprites are the
most essential graphical abstraction.  They are used for drawing maps,
players, NPCs, items, particles, text, etc.  In Chickadee, bitmaps are
stored in textures (@pxref{Textures}) and can be used to draw sprites
via the @code{draw-sprite} procedure.

@deffn {Procedure} draw-sprite @var{texture} @var{position} @
       [#:origin] [#:scale] [#:rotation] [#:blend-mode alpha] @
       [#:rect] [#:shader]

Draw @var{texture} at @var{position}.

Optionally, other transformations may be applied to the sprite.
@var{rotation} specifies the angle to rotate the sprite, in radians.
@var{scale} specifies the scaling factor as a 2D vector.  All
transformations are applied relative to @var{origin}, a 2D vector,
which defaults to the lower-left corner.

Alpha blending is used by default but the blending method can be
changed by specifying @var{blend-mode}.

The area drawn to is as big as the texture, by default.  To draw to an
arbitrary section of the screen, specify @var{rect}.

Finally, advanced users may specify @var{shader} to change the way the
sprite is rendered entirely.
@end deffn

It's not uncommon to need to draw hundreds or thousands of sprites
each frame.  However, GPUs (graphics processing units) are tricky
beasts that prefer to be sent few, large chunks of data to render
rather than many, small chunks.  Using @code{draw-sprite} on its own
will involve at least one GPU call @emph{per sprite}, which will
quickly lead to poor performance.  To deal with this, a technique
known as ``sprite batching'' can be used.  Instead of drawing each
sprite immediately, the sprite batch will build up a large of buffer
of sprites to draw and defer rendering until the last possible moment.
Batching isn't a panacea, though.  Batching only works if the sprites
being drawn share as much in common as possible.  Every time you draw
a sprite with a different texture or blend mode, the batch will be
sent off to the GPU.  Therefore, batching is most useful if you
minimize such changes.  A good strategy for reducing texture changes
is to stuff many bitmaps into a single image file and create a
``texture atlas'' (@pxref{Textures}) to access the sub-images within.

Taking advantage of sprite batching in Chickadee is easy, just wrap
the code that is calling @code{draw-sprite} a lot in the
@code{with-batched-sprites} form.

@deffn {Syntax} with-batched-sprites @var{body} @dots{}
Use batched rendering for all @code{draw-sprite} calls within
@var{body}.
@end deffn

With a basic sprite abstraction in place, it's possible to build other
abstractions on top of it.  One such example is the ``nine patch''.  A
nine patch is a sprite that can be rendered at various sizes without
becoming distorted.  This is achieved by dividing up the sprite into
nine regions:

@itemize
@item
the center, which can be scaled horizontally and vertically
@item
the four corners, which can never be scaled
@item
the left and right sides, which can be scaled vertically
@item
the top and bottom sides, which can be scaled horizontally
@end itemize

The one caveat is that the bitmap regions must be designed in such a
way so that they are not distorted when stretched along the affected
axes.  For example, that means that the top and bottom sides could
have varying colored pixels vertically, but not horizontally.

The most common application of this technique is for graphical user
interface widgets like buttons and dialog boxes.  By using a nine
patch, they can be rendered at any size without unappealing scaling
artifacts.

@deffn {Procedure} draw-nine-patch @var{texture} @var{rect} @
       [#:margin 0] [#:top-margin margin] [#:bottom-margin margin] @
       [#:left-margin margin] [#:right-margin margin] @
       [#:origin] [#:scale] [#:rotation] [#:blend-mode alpha] @
       [#:shader]

Draw a nine patch sprite.  A nine patch sprite renders @var{texture}
as a @var{width} x @var{height} rectangle whose stretchable areas are
defined by the given margin measurements @var{top-margin},
@var{bottom-margin}, @var{left-margin}, and @var{right-margin}. The
@var{margin} argument may be used to configure all four margins at
once.

Refer to @code{draw-sprite} (@pxref{Sprites}) for information about
the other arguments.
@end deffn

@node Tile Maps
@subsection Tile Maps

A tile map is a scene created by composing lots of small sprites,
called ``tiles'', into a larger image.  One program for editing such
maps is called @url{http://mapeditor.org,Tiled}.  Chickadee has native
support for loading and rendering Tiled maps in the @code{(chickadee
render tiled)} module.

@deffn {Procedure} load-tile-map @var{file-name}
Load the Tiled formatted map in @var{file-name} and return a new tile
map object.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} draw-tile-map @var{tile-map} [#:layers] [#:region] @
       [#:origin] [#:position] [#:scale] [#:rotation]

Draw the layers of @var{tile-map}.  By default, all layers are drawn.
To draw a subset of the available layers, pass a list of layer ids
using the @var{layers} keyword argument.

Refer to @code{draw-sprite} (@pxref{Sprites}) for information about
the other arguments.
@end deffn

@node Lines and Shapes
@subsection Lines and Shapes

Sprites are fun, but sometimes simple, untextured lines and polygons
are desired.  That's where the @code{(chickadee render shapes)} module
comes in!

@deffn {Procedure} draw-line @var{start} @var{end} @
       [#:thickness 0.5] [#:feather 1.0] [#:cap round] [#:color] @
       [#:shader]

Draw a line segment from @var{start} to @var{end}. The line will be
@var{thickness} pixels thick with an antialiased border @var{feather}
pixels wide.  The line will be colored @var{color}. @var{cap}
specifies the type of end cap that should be used to terminate the
lines, either @code{none}, @code{butt}, @code{square}, @code{round},
@code{triangle-in}, or @code{triangle-out}.  Advanced users may use
the @var{shader} argument to override the built-in line segment
shader.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} draw-bezier-curve @var{bezier} [#:segments 32] @
                                     [#:control-points?] [#:tangents?] @
                                     [#:control-point-size 8] @
                                     [#:control-point-color yellow] @
                                     [#:tangent-color yellow] @
                                     [#:thickness 0.5] [#:feather 1.0] @
                                     [#:matrix]

Draw the curve defined by @var{bezier} using a resolution of N
@var{segments}.  When @var{control-points?} is @code{#t}, the control
points are rendered as squares of size @var{control-point-size} pixels
and a color of @var{control-point-color}.  When @var{tangents?} is
@code{#t}, the tangent lines from terminal point to control point are
rendered using the color @var{tangent-color}.

All line segments rendered use @code{draw-line}, and thus the
arguments @var{thickness} and @var{feather} have the same effect as in
that procedure.

A custom @var{matrix} may be passed for applications that require more
control over the final output.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} draw-bezier-path @var{path} [#:segments 32] @
                                    [#:control-points?] [#:tangents?] @
                                    [#:control-point-size 8] @
                                    [#:control-point-color yellow] @
                                    [#:tangent-color yellow] @
                                    [#:thickness 0.5] [#:feather 1.0] @
                                    [#:matrix]

Render @var{path}, a list of bezier curves.  See the documentation for
@code{draw-bezier-curve} for an explanation of all the keyword
arguments.
@end deffn

@node Fonts
@subsection Fonts

Unlike the traditional TrueType font format that many are accustomed
to, Chickadee loads and renders bitmap fonts in the
@url{http://www.angelcode.com/products/bmfont/doc/file_format.html,
Angel Code format}.  But why use this seemingly obscure format?  It's
easy to find TTFs but not easy to find FNTs (the canonical file
extension used for Angel Code fonts) and bitmap fonts don't scale
well.  The reason is efficiency.

If all of the glyphs of a font are pre-rendered and packed into an
image file then it becomes possible to use a texture atlas
(@pxref{Textures}) and a sprite batch (@pxref{Sprites}) when
rendering, which is a more efficient way to render fonts than using,
say, @url{https://www.libsdl.org/projects/SDL_ttf/, SDL_ttf} or other
solutions that involve using the FreeType library directly.

Now what about scaling?  In libraries that use TTF fonts, one must
choose the size that the glyphs will be rasterized at up front.  To
use @code{n} sizes of the same font, one must load @code{n} variants
of that font.  If the size of the text is dynamic, some kind of
texture scaling algorithm must be used and the text will inevitably
look blurry.  At first glance, using bitmap fonts seem to have an even
worse issue.  Instead of just loading the same font @code{n} times at
different sizes, one would need to generate @code{n} image files for
each font size needed.  This is where the ``signed distance field''
rendering technique comes in.  Introduced by
@url{http://www.valvesoftware.com/.../2007/SIGGRAPH2007_AlphaTestedMagnification.pdf,
Valve} in 2007, signed distance field fonts can be efficiently stored
in a bitmap and be rendered at arbitrary scale factors with good
results.

While Chickadee does not yet offer a tool for converting TTF fonts
into FNT fonts, tools such as
@url{https://github.com/libgdx/libgdx/wiki/Hiero, Hiero} may be used
in the meantime.

The following procedures can be found in the @code{(chickadee render
font)} module.

@deffn {Procedure} load-font @var{file}
Load the Angel Code formatted XML document in @var{file} and return a
new font object.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} font? @var{obj}
Return @code{#t} if @var{obj} is a font object.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} font-face @var{font}
Return the name of @var{font}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} font-line-height @var{font}
Return the line height of @var{font}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} font-line-height @var{font}
Return the line height of @var{font}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} font-bold? @var{font}
Return @code{#t} if @var{font} is a bold font.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} font-italic? @var{font}
Return @code{#t} if @var{font} is an italicized font.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} draw-text @var{font} @var{text} @var{position}
       [#:origin] [#:scale] [#:rotation] [#:blend-mode]
       [#:start 0] [#:end @code{(string-length text)}]

Draw the string @var{text} with the first character starting at
@var{position} using @var{font}.

@example
(draw-text font "Hello, world!" (vec2 128.0 128.0))
@end example

To render a substring of @var{text}, use the @var{start} and @var{end}
arguments.

Refer to @code{draw-sprite} (@pxref{Sprites}) for information about
the other arguments.
@end deffn

@node Particles
@subsection Particles

Effects like smoke, fire, sparks, etc. are often achieved by animating
lots of little, short-lived sprites known as ``particles''.  In fact,
all of these effects, and more, can be accomplished by turning a few
configuration knobs in a ``particle system''.  A particle system takes
care of managing the many miniscule moving morsels so the developer
can quickly produce an effect and move on with their life.  The
@code{(chickadee render particles)} module provides an API for
manipulating particle systems.

Below is an example of a very simple particle system that utilizes
nearly all of the default configuration settings:

@example
(use-modules (chickadee render particles))
(define texture (load-image "particle.png"))
(define particles (make-particles 2000 #:texture texture))
@end example

In order to put particles into a particle system, a particle
``emitter'' is needed.  Emitters know where to spawn new particles,
how many of them to spawn, and for how long they should do it.

Below is an example of an emitter that spawns 16 particles per frame
at the coordinates @code{(320, 240)}:

@example
(use-modules (chickadee math vector))
(define emitter (make-particle-emitter (vec2 320.0 240.0) 16))
(add-particle-emitter particles emitter)
@end example

To see all of the tweakable knobs and switches, read on!

@deffn {Procedure} make-particles @var{capacity} [#:blend-mode @code{alpha}] @
       [#:color white] [#:end-color transparent] [#:texture] @
       [#:animation-rows 1] [#:animation-columns 1] [#:width] [#:height] @
       [#:speed-range (vec2 0.1 1.0)] [#:acceleration-range (vec2 0.0 0.1)] @
       [#:direction-range (vec2 0 (* 2 pi))] [#:lifetime 30] [#:sort]

Return a new particle system that may contain up to @var{capacity}
particles.  Achieving the desired particle effect involves tweaking
the following keyword arguments as needed:

- @var{blend-mode}: Pixel blending mode.  @code{alpha} by default.
(@pxref{Blending and Depth Testing} for more about blend modes).

- @var{start-color}: The tint color of the particle at the beginning of its
life.  White by default.

- @var{end-color}: The tint color of the particle at the end of of its
life.  Completely transparent by default for a fade-out effect.  The
color in the middle of a particle's life will be an interpolation of
@var{start-color} and @var{end-color}.

- @var{texture}: The texture applied to the particles.  The texture
may be subdivided into many animation frames.

- @var{animation-rows}: How many animation frame rows there are in the
texture.  Default is 1.

- @var{animation-columns}: How many animation frame columns there are
in the texture.  Default is 1.

- @var{width}: The width of each particle.  By default, the width of
an animation frame (in pixels) is used.

- @var{height}: The height of each particle.  By default, the height
of an animation frame (in pixels) is used.

- @var{speed-range}: A 2D vector containing the min and max particle
speed.  Each particle will have a speed chosen at random from this
range.  By default, speed ranges from 0.1 to 1.0.

- @var{acceleration-range}: A 2D vector containing the min and max
particle acceleration.  Each particle will have an acceleration chosen
at random from this range.  By default, acceleration ranges from 0.0
to 0.1.

- @var{direction-range}: A 2D vector containing the min and max
particle direction as an angle in radians.  Each particle will have a
direction chosen at random from this range.  By default, the range
covers all possible angles.

- @var{lifetime}: How long each particle lives, measured in
updates. 30 by default.

- @var{sort}: @code{youngest} if youngest particle should be drawn
last or @code{oldest} for the reverse.  By default, no sorting is
applied at all.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} particles? @var{obj}
Return @code{#t} if @var{obj} is a particle system.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} update-particles @var{particles}
Advance the simulation of @var{particles}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} draw-particles @var{particles}
Render @var{particles}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} draw-particles* @var{particles} @var{matrix}
Render @var{particles} with @var{matrix} applied.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} make-particle-emitter @var{spawn-area} @
       @var{rate} [@var{duration}]

Return a new particle emitter that spawns @var{rate} particles per
frame within @var{spawn-area} (a rectangle or 2D vector) for
@var{duration} frames.  If @var{duration} is not specified, the
emitter will spawn particles indefinitely.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} particle-emitter? @var{obj}
Return @code{#t} if @var{obj} is a particle emitter.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} particle-emitter-spawn-area @var{emitter}
Return the spawn area for @var{emitter}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} particle-emitter-rate @var{emitter}
Return the number of particles that @var{emitter} will spawn per
frame.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} particle-emitter-life @var{emitter}
Return the number of frames remaining in @var{emitter}'s lifespan.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} particle-emitter-done? @var{emitter}
Return @code{#t} if @var{emitter} has finished spawning particlces.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} add-particle-emitter @var{particles} @var{emitter}
Add @var{emitter} to @var{particles}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} remove-particle-emitter @var{particles} @var{emitter}
Remove @var{emitter} to @var{particles}
@end deffn

@node Blending and Depth Testing
@subsection Blending and Depth Testing

Rendering a scene often involves drawing layers of objects that
overlap each other.  Blending determines how two overlapping pixels
are combined in the final image that is rendered to the screen.
Chickadee provides the following blend modes:

@itemize

@item @code{replace}
Use the latest color, ignoring all others.

@item @code{alpha}
Blend pixels according to the values of their alpha channels.  This is
the most commonly used blend mode and thus is Chickadee's default
mode.

@item @code{add}
Add all pixel color values together.  The more colors blended
together, the more white the final color becomes.

@item @code{subtract}
Subtract all pixel color values.  The more colors blended together,
the more black the final color becomes.

@item @code{multiply}

@item @code{darken}

@item @code{lighten}

@item @code{screen}

@end itemize

@node Framebuffers
@subsection Framebuffers

A framebuffer is a chunk of memory that the GPU can render things
onto.  By default, the framebuffer that is used for rendering is the
one belonging to the game window, but custom framebuffers can be used
as well.  A common use-case for custom framebuffers is applying
post-processing effects: The entire scene is rendered to a
framebuffer, and then the contents of that framebuffer are applied to
a post-processing shader and rendered to the game window.  The
post-processing shader could do any number of things: scaling,
antialiasing, motion blur, etc.

@deffn {Procedure} make-framebuffer @var{width} @var{height} [#:min-filter 'linear] [#:mag-filter 'linear] [#:wrap-s 'repeat] [#:wrap-t 'repeat]

Create a new framebuffer that is @var{width} pixels wide and @var{height} pixels high.

@var{min-filter} and @var{mag-filter} determine the scaling algorithm
applied to the framebuffer when rendering.  By default, linear scaling
is used in both cases. To perform no smoothing at all, use
@code{nearest} for simple nearest neighbor scaling.  This is typically
the best choice for pixel art games.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} framebuffer? @var{obj}
Return @code{#t} if @var{obj} is a framebuffer.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} framebuffer-texture @var{fb}
Return the texture backing the framebuffer @var{fb}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} framebuffer-viewport @var{fb}
Return the default viewport (@pxref{Viewports}) used by the
framebuffer @var{fb}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} null-framebuffer
The default framebuffer.
@end deffn

@node Viewports
@subsection Viewports

A viewport represents a subset of the screen (or framebuffer).  When
rendering a frame, the resulting image will only appear within that
viewport.  These aren't often needed, and Chickadee's default viewport
occupies the entire screen, but there are certain situations where
they are useful.  For example, a split-screen multiplayer game may
render to two different viewports, each occupying a different half of
the screen.  For information about how to set the current viewport,
see @code{with-viewport} in @ref{Rendering Engine}.

The @code{(chickadee render viewport)} module provides the following
API:

@deffn {Procedure} make-viewport @var{x} @var{y} @var{width} @var{height} @
       [#:clear-color] [#:clear-flags]

Create a viewport that covers an area of the window starting from
coordinates (@var{x}, @var{y}) and spanning @var{width} @code{x}
@var{height} pixels.  Fill the viewport with @var{clear-color} when
clearing the screen.  Clear the buffers denoted by the list of symbols
in @var{clear-flags}.

Possible values for @var{clear-flags} are @var{color-buffer},
@var{depth-buffer}, @var{accum-buffer}, and @var{stencil-buffer}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} viewport? @var{obj}
Return @code{#t} if @var{obj} is a viewport.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} viewport-x @var{viewport}
Return the left edge of @var{viewport}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} viewport-y @var{viewport}
Return the bottom edge of @var{viewport}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} viewport-width @var{viewport}
Return the width of @var{viewport}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} viewport-height @var{viewport}
Return the height of @var{viewport}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} viewport-clear-color @var{viewport}
Return the clear color for @var{viewport}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} viewport-clear-flags @var{viewport}
Return the list of clear flags for @var{viewport}.
@end deffn

@node Rendering Engine
@subsection Rendering Engine

Chickadee defines rendering using a metaphor familiar to Scheme
programmers: procedure application.  A shader (@pxref{Shaders}) is
like a procedure for the GPU to apply.  Shaders are passed arguments:
A vertex array containing the geometry to render (@pxref{GPU Buffers})
and zero or more keyword arguments that the shader understands.
Similar to how Scheme has @code{apply} for calling procedures,
Chickadee provides @code{gpu-apply} for calling shaders.

Additionally, there is some dynamic state that effects how
@code{gpu-apply} will behave.  Things like the current viewport,
framebuffer, and blend mode are stored as dynamic state because it
would be tedious to have to have to specify them each time
@code{gpu-apply} is called.

The following procedures and syntax can be found in the
@code{(chickadee render)} module.

@deffn {Syntax} gpu-apply @var{shader} @var{vertex-array} @
       [#:uniform-key @var{uniform-value} ...]
@deffnx {Syntax} gpu-apply* @var{shader} @var{vertex-array} @
        @var{count} [#:uniform-key @var{uniform-value} ...]

Render @var{vertex-array} using @var{shader} with the uniform values
specified in the following keyword arguments.

While @code{gpu-apply} will draw every vertex in @var{vertex-array},
@code{gpu-apply*} will only draw @var{count} vertices.
@end deffn

@deffn {Syntax} gpu-apply/instanced @var{shader} @var{vertex-array} @
       @var{n} [#:uniform-key @var{uniform-value} ...]
@deffnx {Syntax} gpu-apply/instanced @var{shader} @var{vertex-array} @
        @var{count} @var{n} [#:uniform-key @var{uniform-value} ...]

Render @var{vertex-array} @var{n} times using @var{shader} with the
uniform values specified in the following keyword arguments.

Instanced rendering is very beneficial for rendering the same object
many times with only small differences for each one.  For example, the
particle effects described in @ref{Particles} use instanced rendering.

While @code{gpu-apply/instanced} will draw every vertex in
@var{vertex-array}, @code{gpu-apply*} will only draw @var{count}
vertices.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} current-viewport
Return the currently bound viewport (@pxref{Viewports}).
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} current-framebuffer
Return the currently bound framebuffer (@pxref{Framebuffers}).
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} current-blend-mode
Return the currently bound blend mode (@pxref{Blending and Depth
Testing}).
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} current-depth-test
Return @code{#t} if depth testing is currently enabled (@pxref{Blending and Depth Testing}).
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} current-texture
Return the currently bound texture (@pxref{Textures}).
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} current-projection
Return the currently bound projection matrix (@pxref{Matrices}).
@end deffn

@deffn {Syntax} with-viewport @var{viewport} @var{body} ...
Evaluate @var{body} with the current viewport bound to @var{viewport} (@pxref{Viewports}).
@end deffn

@deffn {Syntax} with-framebuffer @var{framebuffer} @var{body} ...
Evaluate @var{body} with the current framebuffer bound to
@var{framebuffer} (@pxref{Framebuffers}).
@end deffn

@deffn {Syntax} with-blend-mode @var{blend-mode} @var{body} ...
Evaluate @var{body} with the current blend mode bound to
@var{blend-mode} (@pxref{Blending and Depth Testing}).
@end deffn

@deffn {Syntax} with-depth-test @var{depth-test?} @var{body} ...
Evaluate @var{body} with the depth-test disabled if @var{depth-test?}
is @code{#f}, or enabled otherwise (@pxref{Blending and Depth
Testing}).
@end deffn

@deffn {Syntax} with-texture @var{texture} @var{body} ...
Evaluate @var{body} with the current texture bound to @var{texture}
(@pxref{Textures}).
@end deffn

@deffn {Syntax} with-projection @var{projection} @var{body} ...
Evaluate @var{body} with the current projection matrix bound to
@var{projection} (@pxref{Matrices}).
@end deffn

@node GPU Buffers
@subsection GPU Buffers

Alright, let's brush aside all of those pretty high level abstractions
and discuss what is going on under the hood.  The GPU exists as a
discrete piece of hardware separate from the CPU.  In order to make it
draw things, we must ship lots of data out of our memory space and
into the GPU.  The @code{(chickadee render buffer}) module provides an
API for manipulating GPU buffers.

In OpenGL terminology, a chunk of data allocated on the GPU is a
``vertex buffer object'' or VBO.  For example, here is a bytevector
that could be transformed into a GPU buffer that packs together vertex
position and texture coordinates:

@example
(use-modules (chickadee render buffer) (srfi srfi-4))
(define data
  (f32vector -8.0 -8.0 ; 2D vertex
             0.0 0.0   ; 2D texture coordinate
             8.0 -8.0  ; 2D vertex
             1.0 0.0   ; 2D texture coordinate
             8.0 8.0   ; 2D vertex
             1.0 1.0   ; 2D texture coordinate
             -8.0 8.0  ; 2d vertex
             0.0 1.0)) ; 2D texture coordinate
@end example

This data represents a textured 16x16 square centered on the
origin. To send this data to the GPU, the @code{make-buffer} procedure
is needed:

@example
(define buffer (make-buffer data #:stride 16)
@end example

The @code{#:stride} keyword argument indicates how many bytes make up
each element of the buffer.  In this case, there are 4 floats per
element: 2 for the vertex, and 2 for the texture coordinate.  A 32-bit
float is 4 bytes in length, so the buffer's stride is 16.

Within a VBO, one or more ``attributes'', as OpenGL calls them, may be
present.  Attributes are subregions within the buffer that have a
particular data type.  In this case, there are two attributes packed
into the buffer.  To provided a typed view into a buffer, the
@code{make-typed-buffer} is needed:

@example
(define vertices
  (make-typed-buffer #:buffer buffer
                     #:type 'vec2
                     #:component-type 'float
                     #:length 4))
(define texcoords
  (make-typed-buffer #:buffer buffer
                     #:type 'vec2
                     #:component-type 'float
                     #:length 4
                     #:offset 8))
@end example

To render a square, the GPU needs to draw two triangles, which means
we need 6 vertices in total.  However, the above buffer only contains
data for 4 vertices.  This is becase there are only 4 unique vertices
for a square, but 2 of them must be repeated for each triangle.  To
work with deduplicated vertex data, an ``index buffer'' must be
created.

@example
(define index-buffer
  (make-buffer (u32vector 0 3 2 0 2 1)
               #:target 'index)
(define indices
  (make-typed-buffer #:type 'scalar
                     #:component-type 'unsigned-int
                     #:buffer index-buffer))
@end example

Note the use of the @code{#:target} keyword argument.  It is required
because the GPU treats index data in a special way and must be told
which data is index data.

Now that the typed buffers representing each attribute have been
created, all that's left is to bind them all together in a ``vertex
array object'', or VAO.  Vertex arrays associate each typed buffer
with an attribute index on the GPU.  The indices that are chosen must
correspond with the indices that the shader (@pxref{Shaders}) expects
for each attribute.

@example
(define vertex-array
  (make-vertex-array #:indices indices
                     #:attributes `((0 . ,vertices)
                                    (1 . ,texcoords))))
@end example

With the vertex array created, the GPU is now fully aware of how to
interpret the data that it has been given in the original buffer.
Actually rendering this square is left as an exercise to the reader.
See the @ref{Shaders} section and the @code{gpu-apply} procedure in
@ref{Rendering Engine} the remaining pieces of a successful draw call.
Additionally, consider reading the source code for sprites, shapes, or
particles to see GPU buffers in action.

Without further ado, the API reference:

@deffn {Procedure} make-buffer @var{data} [#:name "anonymous"] @
       [#:length] [#:offset 0] [#:stride 0] [#:target @code{vertex}] @
       [#:usage @code{static}]

Upload @var{data}, a bytevector, to the GPU.  By default, the entire
bytevector is uploaded.  A subset of the data may be uploaded by
specifying the @var{offset}, the index of the first byte to be
uploaded, and @var{length}, the number of bytes to upload.

If @var{data} is @code{#f}, allocate @var{length} bytes of fresh GPU
memory instead.

@var{target} and @var{usage} are hints that tell the GPU how the
buffer is intended to be used.

@var{target} may be:

@itemize
@item @code{vertex}
Vertex attribute data.

@item @code{index}
Index buffer data.

@end itemize

@var{usage} may be:

@itemize
@item @code{static}
The buffer data will not be modified after creation.

@item @code{stream}
The buffer data will be modified frequently.

@end itemize

@var{name} is simply an arbitrary string for debugging purposes that
is never sent to the GPU.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} buffer? @var{obj}
Return @code{#t} if @var{obj} is a GPU buffer.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} index-buffer? @var{buffer}
Return @code{#t} if @var{buffer} is an index buffer.
@end deffn

@defvar null-buffer
Represents the absence of a buffer.
@end defvar

@deffn {Procedure} buffer-name @var{buffer}
Return the name of @var{buffer}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} buffer-length @var{buffer}
Return the length of @var{buffer}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} buffer-stride @var{buffer}
Return the amount of space, in bytes, between each element in
@var{buffer}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} buffer-target @var{buffer}
Return the the intended usage of @var{buffer}, either @code{vertex} or
@code{index}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} buffer-usage @var{buffer}
Return the intended usage of @var{buffer}, either @code{static} for
buffer data that will not change once sent to the GPU, or
@code{stream} for buffer data that will be frequently updated from the
client-side.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} buffer-data @var{buffer}
Return a bytevector containing all the data within @var{buffer}.  If
@var{buffer} has not been mapped (see @code{with-mapped-buffer}) then
this procedure will return @code{#f}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Syntax} with-mapped-buffer @var{buffer} @var{body} @dots{}
Evaluate @var{body} in the context of @var{buffer} having its data
synced from GPU memory to RAM.  In this context, @code{buffer-data}
will return a bytevector of all the data stored in @var{buffer}.  When
program execution exits this form, the data (including any
modifications) is synced back to the GPU.

This form is useful for streaming buffers that need to update their
contents dynamically, such as a sprite batch.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} make-typed-buffer #:buffer #:type @
       #:component-type #:length [#:offset 0] [#:divisor] @
       [#:name "anonymous"]

Return a new typed buffer view for @var{buffer} starting at byte index
@var{offset} of @var{length} elements, where each element is of
@var{type} and composed of @var{component-type} values.

Valid values for @var{type} are:

@itemize
@item @code{scalar}
single number

@item @code{vec2}
2D vector

@item @code{vec3}
3D vector

@item @code{vec4}
4D vector

@item @code{mat2}
2x2 matrix

@item @code{mat3}
3x3 matrix

@item @code{mat4}
4x4 matrix
@end itemize

Valid values for @var{component-type} are:

@itemize

@item @code{byte}
@item @code{unsigned-byte}
@item @code{short}
@item @code{unsigned-short}
@item @code{int}
@item @code{unsigned-int}
@item @code{float}
@item @code{double}

@end itemize

@var{divisor} is only needed for instanced rendering applications (see
@code{gpu-apply/instanced} in @ref{Rendering Engine}) and represents
how many instances each vertex element applies to.  A divisor of 0
means that a single element is used for every instance and is used for
the data being instanced.  A divisor of 1 means that each element is
used for 1 instance.  A divisor of 2 means that each element is used
for 2 instances, and so on.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} typed-buffer? @var{obj}
Return @code{#t} if @var{obj} is a typed buffer.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} typed-buffer->buffer @var{typed-buffer}
Return the buffer that @var{typed-buffer} is using.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} typed-buffer-name @var{typed-buffer}
Return the name of @var{typed-buffer}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} typed-buffer-offset @var{typed-buffer}
Return the byte offset of @var{typed-buffer}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} typed-buffer-type @var{typed-buffer}
Return the data type of @var{typed-buffer}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} typed-buffer-component-type @var{typed-buffer}
Return the component data type of @var{typed-buffer}
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} typed-buffer-divisor @var{typed-buffer}
Return the instance divisor for @var{typed-buffer}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Syntax} with-mapped-typed-buffer @var{typed-buffer} @var{body} @dots{}

Evaluate @var{body} in the context of @var{typed-buffer} having its
data synced from GPU memory to RAM.  See @code{with-mapped-buffer} for
more information.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} make-vertex-array #:indices #:attributes @
       [#:mode @code{triangles}]

Return a new vertex array using the index data within the typed buffer
@var{indices} and the vertex attribute data within @var{attributes}.

@var{attributes} is an alist mapping shader attribute indices to typed
buffers containing vertex data:

@example
`((1 . ,typed-buffer-a)
  (2 . ,typed-buffer-b)
  ...)
@end example

By default, the vertex array is interpreted as containing a series of
triangles.  If another primtive type is desired, the @var{mode}
keyword argument may be overridden.  The following values are
supported:

@itemize
@item @code{points}
@item @code{lines}
@item @code{line-loop}
@item @code{line-strip}
@item @code{triangles}
@item @code{triangle-strip}
@item @code{triangle-fan}
@end itemize

@end deffn

@defvar null-vertex-array
Represents the absence of a vertex array.
@end defvar

@deffn {Procedure} vertex-array? @var{obj}
Return @code{#t} if @var{obj} is a vertex array.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vertex-array-indices @var{vertex-array}
Return the typed buffer containing index data for @var{vertex-array}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vertex-array-attributes @var{vertex-array}
Return the attribute index -> typed buffer mapping of vertex attribute
data for @var{vertex-array}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} vertex-array-mode @var{vertex-array}
Return the primitive rendering mode for @var{vertex-array}.
@end deffn

@node Shaders
@subsection Shaders

Shaders are programs that the GPU can evaluate that allow the
programmer to completely customized the final output of a GPU draw
call.  The @code{(chickadee render shader)} module provides an API for
building custom shaders.

Shaders are written in the OpenGL Shading Language, or GLSL for short.
Chickadee aspires to provide a domain specific language for writing
shaders in Scheme, but we are not there yet.

Shader programs consist of two components: A vertex shader and a
fragment shader.  A vertex shader receives vertex data (position
coordinates, texture coordinates, normals, etc.) and transforms them
as desired, whereas a fragment shader controls the color of each
pixel.

Sample vertex shader:

@example
@verbatim
#version 130

in vec2 position;
in vec2 tex;
out vec2 fragTex;
uniform mat4 mvp;

void main(void) {
    fragTex = tex;
    gl_Position = mvp * vec4(position.xy, 0.0, 1.0);
}
@end verbatim
@end example

Sample fragment shader:

@example
@verbatim
#version 130

in vec2 fragTex;
uniform sampler2D colorTexture;

void main (void) {
    gl_FragColor = texture2D(colorTexture, fragTex);
}
@end verbatim
@end example

This manual will not cover GLSL features and syntax as there is lots
of information already available about this topic.

One way to think about rendering with shaders, and the metaphor
Chickadee uses, is to think about it as a function call: The shader is
a function, and it is applied to some ``attributes'' (positional
arguments), and some ``uniforms'' (keyword arguments).

@example
(define my-shader (load-shader "vert.glsl" "frag.glsl"))
(define vertices (make-vertex-array ...))
(gpu-apply my-shader vertices #:color red)
@end example

@xref{Rendering Engine} for more details about the @code{gpu-apply}
procedure.

Shaders are incredibly powerful tools, and there's more information
about them than we could ever fit into this manual, so we highly
recommend searching the web for more information and examples.  What
we can say, though, is how to use our API:

@deffn {Procedure} strings->shader @var{vertex-source} @var{fragment-source}
Compile @var{vertex-source}, the GLSL code for the vertex shader, and
@var{fragment-source}, the GLSL code for the fragment shader, into a
GPU shader program.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} load-shader @var{vertex-source-file} @
       @var{fragment-source-file}

Compile the GLSL source code within @var{vertex-source-file} and
@var{fragment-source-file} into a GPU shader program.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} make-shader @var{vertex-port} @var{fragment-port}
Read GLSL source from @var{vertex-port} and @var{fragment-port} and
compile them into a GPU shader program.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} shader? @var{obj}
Return @code{#t} if @var{obj} is a shader.
@end deffn

@defvar null-shader
Represents the absence shader program.
@end defvar

@deffn {Procedure} shader-uniform @var{shader} @var{name}
Return the metadata for the uniform @var{name} in @var{shader}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} shader-uniforms @var{shader}
Return a hash table of uniforms for @var{shader}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} shader-attributes @var{shader}
Return a hash table of attributes for @var{shader}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} uniform? @var{obj}
Return @code{#t} if @var{obj} is a uniform.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} uniform-name @var{uniform}
Return the variable name of @var{uniform}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} uniform-type @var{uniform}
Return the data type of @var{uniform}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} uniform-value @var{uniform}
Return the current value of @var{uniform}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} uniform-default-value @var{uniform}
Return the default value of @var{uniform}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} attribute? @var{obj}
Return @code{#t} if @var{obj} is an attribute.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} attribute-name @var{attribute}
Return the variable name of @var{attribute}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} attribute-location @var{attribute}
Return the binding location of @var{attribute}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} attribute-type @var{attribute}
Return the data type of @var{attribute}.
@end deffn

@node Scripting
@section Scripting

Game logic is a web of asynchronous events that are carefully
coordinated to bring the game world to life.  In order to make an
enemy follow and attack the player, or move an NPC back and forth in
front of the item shop, or do both at the same time, a scripting
system is a necessity.  Chickadee comes with an asynchronous
programming system in the @code{(chickadee scripting)} module.
Lightweight, cooperative threads known as ``scripts'' allow the
programmer to write asynchronous code as if it were synchronous, and
allow many such ``threads'' to run concurrently.

But before we dig deeper into scripts, let's discuss the simple act
of scheduling tasks.

@menu
* Agendas::                     Scheduling tasks.
* Scripts::                     Cooperative multitasking.
* Tweening::                    Animations.
* Channels::                    Publish data to listeners.
@end menu

@node Agendas
@subsection Agendas

To schedule a task to be performed later, an ``agenda'' is used.
There is a default, global agenda that is ready to be used, or
additional agendas may be created for different purposes.  The
following example prints the text ``hello'' when the agenda has
advanced to time unit 10.

@example
(at 10 (display "hello\n"))
@end example

Most of the time it is more convenient to schedule tasks relative to
the current time.  This is where @code{after} comes in handy:

@example
(after 10 (display "hello\n"))
@end example

Time units in the agenda are in no way connected to real time.  It's
up to the programmer to decide what agenda time means.  A simple and
effective approach is to map each call of the update hook
(@pxref{Kernel}) to 1 unit of agenda time, like so:

@example
(add-hook! update-hook (lambda (dt) (update-agenda 1)))
@end example

It is important to call @code{update-agenda} periodically, otherwise
no tasks will ever be run!

In addition to using the global agenda, it is useful to have multiple
agendas for different purposes.  For example, the game world can use a
different agenda than the user interface, so that pausing the game is
a simple matter of not updating the world's agenda while continuing to
update the user interface's agenda.  The current agenda is dynamically
scoped and can be changed using the @code{with-agenda} special form:

@example
(define game-world-agenda (make-agenda))

(with-agenda game-world-agenda
  (at 60 (spawn-goblin))
  (at 120 (spawn-goblin))
  (at 240 (spawn-goblin-king)))
@end example

@deffn {Procedure} make-agenda
Return a new task scheduler.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} agenda? @var{obj}
Return @code{#t} if @var{obj} is an agenda.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} current-agenda
@deffnx {Procedure} current-agenda @var{agenda}
When called with no arguments, return the current agenda.  When called
with one argument, set the current agenda to @var{agenda}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Syntax} with-agenda @var{agenda} @var{body} @dots{}
Evaluate @var{body} with the current agenda set to @var{agenda}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} agenda-time
Return the current agenda time.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} update-agenda @var{dt}
Advance the current agenda by @var{dt}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} schedule-at @var{time} @var{thunk}
Schedule @var{thunk}, a procedure of zero arguments, to be run at
@var{time}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} schedule-after @var{delay} @var{thunk}
Schedule @var{thunk}, a procedure of zero arguments, to be run after
@var{delay}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} schedule-every @var{interval} @var{thunk} [@var{n}]
Schedule @var{thunk}, a procedure of zero arguments, to be run every
@var{interval} amount of time.  Repeat this @var{n} times, or
indefinitely if not specified.
@end deffn

@deffn {Syntax} at @var{time} @var{body} @dots{}
Schedule @var{body} to be evaluated at @var{time}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Syntax} after @var{delay} @var{body} @dots{}
Schedule @var{body} to be evaluated after @var{delay}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Syntax} every @var{interval} @var{body} @dots{}
@deffnx {Syntax} every (@var{interval} @var{n}) @var{body} @dots{}
Schedule @var{body} to be evaluated every @var{interval} amount of
time.  Repeat this @var{n} times, or indefinitely if not specified.
@end deffn

@node Scripts
@subsection Scripts

Now that we can schedule tasks, let's take things to the next level.
It sure would be great if we could make procedures that described a
series of actions that happened over time, especially if we could do
so without contorting our code into a nest of callback procedures.
This is where scripts come in.  With scripts we can write code in a
linear way, in a manner that appears to be synchronous, but with the
ability to suspend periodically in order to let other scripts have a
turn and prevent blocking the game loop.  Building on top of the
scheduling that agendas provide, here is a script that models a child
trying to get their mother's attention:

@example
(script
  (while #t
    (display "mom!")
    (newline)
    (sleep 60))) ; where 60 = 1 second of real time
@end example

This code runs in an endless loop, but the @code{sleep} procedure
suspends the script and schedules it to be run later by the agenda.
So, after each iteration of the loop, control is returned back to the
game loop and the program is not stuck spinning in a loop that will
never exit.  Pretty neat, eh?

Scripts can suspend to any capable handler, not just the agenda.
The @code{yield} procedure will suspend the current script and pass
its ``continuation'' to a handler procedure.  This handler procedure
could do anything.  Perhaps the handler stashes the continuation
somewhere where it will be resumed when the user presses a specific
key on the keyboard, or maybe it will be resumed when the player picks
up an item off of the dungeon floor; the sky is the limit.

Sometimes it is necessary to abruptly terminate a script after it has
been started.  For example, when an enemy is defeated their AI routine
needs to be shut down.  When a script is spawned, a handle to that
script is returned that can be used to cancel it when desired.

@example
(define script (script (while #t (display "hey\n") (sleep 60))))
;; sometime later
(cancel-script script)
@end example

@deffn {Procedure} spawn-script @var{thunk}
Apply @var{thunk} as a script and return a handle to it.
@end deffn

@deffn {Syntax} script @var{body} @dots{}
Evaluate @var{body} as a script and return a handle to it.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} script? @var{obj}
Return @code{#t} if @var{obj} is a script handle.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} script-cancelled? @var{obj}
Return @code{#t} if @var{obj} has been cancelled.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} script-running? @var{obj}
Return @code{#t} if @var{obj} has not yet terminated or been
cancelled.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} script-complete? @var{obj}
Return @code{#t} if @var{obj} has terminated.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} cancel-script @var{co}
Prevent further execution of the script @var{co}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} yield @var{handler}
Suspend the current script and pass its continuation to the
procedure @var{handler}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} sleep @var{duration}
Wait @var{duration} before resuming the current script.
@end deffn

@deffn {Syntax} forever @var{body} @dots{}
Evaluate @var{body} in an endless loop.
@end deffn

@node Tweening
@subsection Tweening

Tweening is the process of transitioning something from an initial
state to a final state over a pre-determined period of time.  In other
words, tweening is a way to create animation.  The @code{tween}
procedure can be used within any script like so:

@example
(define x 0)
(script
  ;; 0 to 100 in 60 ticks of the agenda.
  (tween 60 0 100 (lambda (y) (set! x y))))
@end example

@deffn {Procedure} tween @var{duration} @var{start} @var{end} @var{proc} [#:step 1 #:ease @code{smoothstep} #:interpolate @code{lerp}]
Transition a value from @var{start} to @var{end} over @var{duration},
sending each succesive value to @var{proc}.  @var{step} controls the
amount of time between each update of the animation.

To control how the animation goes from the initial to final state, an
``easing'' procedure may be specified.  By default, the
@code{smoothstep} easing is used, which is a more pleasing default
than a simplistic linear function.  @xref{Easings} for a complete list
of available easing procedures.

The @var{interpolate} procedure computes the values in between
@var{start} and @var{end}.  By default, linear interpolation (``lerp''
for short) is used.
@end deffn

@node Channels
@subsection Channels

Channels are a tool for communicating amongst different scripts.  One
script can write a value to the channel and another can read from it.
Reading or writing to a channel suspends that script until there is
someone on the other end of the line to complete the transaction.

Here's a simplistic example:

@example
(define c (make-channel))

(script
 (forever
  (let ((item (channel-get c)))
    (pk 'got item))))

(script
 (channel-put c 'sword)
 (channel-put c 'shield)
 (channel-put c 'potion))
@end example

@deffn {Procedure} make-channel
Return a new channel
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} channel? @var{obj}
Return @code{#t} if @var{obj} is a channel.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} channel-get @var{channel}
Retrieve a value from @var{channel}.  The current script suspends
until a value is available.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} channel-put @var{channel} @var{data}
Send @var{data} to @var{channel}.  The current script suspends until
another script is available to retrieve the value.
@end deffn

A low-level API also exists for using channels outside of a script via
callback procedures:

@deffn {Procedure} channel-get! @var{channel} @var{proc}
Asynchronously retrieve a value from @var{channel} and call @var{proc}
with that value.
@end deffn

@deffn {Procedure} channel-put! @var{channel} @var{data} [@var{thunk}]
Asynchronously send @var{data} to @var{channel} and call @var{thunk}
after it has been received.
@end deffn