Raycast

[SirAlabar]

Raycasting Testing Setup and Implementation Guide

Initial Setup Requirements

Core Files Needed

1. Map files (.cub extension) containing:
   • Wall textures (NO, SO, WE, EA)
   • Floor/ceiling colors
   • Valid map layout with walls (1), spaces (0), and player position (N/S/E/W)

Essential Structures

1. Player Structure:

   • Position (x, y)
   • Direction vector
   • Camera plane vector
   • Movement speed
   • Rotation speed

2. Ray Structure:

   • Direction vector
   • Delta distance
   • Side distance
   • Map position
   • Step direction
   • Wall hit side

3. Game/Window Structure:

   • MLX pointers (display, window)
   • Image buffer
   • Window dimensions
   • FOV settings

Test Maps

1. Basic square room
2. Simple corridor
3. Complex maze
4. Map with all possible orientations
5. Edge cases (player near walls)

Implementation Steps

Phase 1: Environment Setup

1. Initialize window and graphics context
2. Load and verify map parsing
3. Setup player initial position and direction
4. Implement basic movement controls
5. Create frame buffer

Phase 2: Basic Raycasting

1. Calculate ray position and direction
2. Setup DDA (Digital Differential Analysis) algorithm
3. Calculate distance to walls
4. Determine wall height
5. Render basic vertical lines

Phase 3: Texturing

1. Load wall textures
2. Calculate texture coordinates
3. Apply textures to walls
4. Implement different textures for different sides
5. Add floor and ceiling colors

Phase 4: Movement and Controls

1. Forward/backward movement
2. Left/right strafe
3. Rotation (left/right)
4. Collision detection
5. Smooth movement

Phase 5: Optimization and Polish

1. Frame timing
2. Double buffering
3. Performance optimization
4. Memory management
5. Bug fixing

Testing Checklist

Basic Functionality

• Window opens and closes properly
• Map loads correctly
• Player spawns in correct position
• Basic movement works
• Walls are rendered

Visual Tests

• Correct wall heights
• Proper texture mapping
• No visual artifacts
• Floor/ceiling colors
• Texture alignment

Movement Tests

• Smooth player movement
• Proper collision detection
• Correct rotation
• No clipping through walls
• Consistent movement speed

Performance Tests

• Stable frame rate
• No memory leaks
• Efficient rendering
• Smooth texture loading
• Clean program exit

Common Issues to Watch For

1. Fish-eye effect
2. Texture stretching
3. Wall flickering
4. Movement stuttering
5. Memory leaks
6. Incorrect wall distances
7. Texture misalignment
8. Performance drops in complex areas

Debugging Tools Needed

1. Frame rate counter
2. Position display
3. Ray visualization
4. Collision detection visualization
5. Memory usage monitoring

Test Map Template

NO ./path_to_north_texture.xpm
SO ./path_to_south_texture.xpm
WE ./path_to_west_texture.xpm
EA ./path_to_east_texture.xpm
F 220,100,0
C 225,30,0

111111
100001
100N01
111111