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Quick Start - Visualizing 3D Graphics

What's New

I've added a visualization system that displays animated 3D objects right in your console window!

New Features:

  1. ASCII Display System - View 3D graphics in your terminal
  2. Interactive Demo - Watch multiple 3D objects move and rotate in real-time
  3. Bezier Path Animation - Objects follow smooth curved paths
  4. Multiple Objects - Cube, pyramid, and more spinning together

Quick Start

Step 1: Install a C++ Compiler

Choose ONE option:

Option A: MinGW (Recommended - Lightweight)

# Install via Chocolatey (run as Administrator)
choco install mingw -y

Option B: Visual Studio

Step 2: Build the Project

cd "C:\Users\SAMPR\OneDrive\Desktop\GitHub Projects\C-graphic-driver\libtiny3d"
.\build-simple.ps1

Or if you prefer batch files:

.\build-simple.bat

Step 3: Run the Interactive Demo

.\build\bin\interactive.exe

What You'll See

The interactive demo shows:

  • Rotating Cube - Following a curved path (top)
  • Spinning Pyramid - Following another path (bottom)
  • Center Cube - Rotating in place at the center
  • Real-time Animation - Smooth 60 FPS motion
  • ASCII Art Rendering - 3D wireframes displayed using text characters

Demo Features

Objects Included:

  • Cube (8 vertices, 12 edges)
  • Pyramid (5 vertices, 8 edges)

Animation Features:

  • Bezier Curves - Smooth curved motion paths
  • Rotation - Objects spin on multiple axes
  • Path Following - Objects move along predefined curves
  • Depth Sorting - Proper wireframe rendering

Display:

  • Resolution: 800x800 internal canvas
  • Console Output: 120x40 character display
  • Grayscale: 65-level ASCII grayscale for depth
  • Frame Rate: ~60 FPS

Controls

Currently the demo runs automatically. Press Ctrl+C to exit.

Customization

Want to add your own objects? Edit demo/interactive.cpp:

Add a New Shape:

// Define vertices
vec3_t my_shape_vertices[4] = {
    {0, 1, 0},   // Top
    {-1, -1, 0}, // Bottom left
    {1, -1, 0},  // Bottom right
    {0, -1, 2}   // Back
};

// Define edges
const int my_shape_edges[6][2] = {
    {0,1}, {0,2}, {0,3},
    {1,2}, {2,3}, {3,1}
};

// In the render loop:
mat4 modelD = multiply(
    mat4::translation(2, 0, -7),  // Position
    mat4::rotation_xyz(t, t * 2, 0)  // Rotation
);

renderer_wireframe(
    canvas,
    my_shape_vertices, 4,
    my_shape_edges, 6,
    modelD, view, projection,
    SCREEN_W, SCREEN_H
);

Change Animation Paths:

// Modify the Bezier control points
vec3_t pathA0(-5, 2, -8);   // Start
vec3_t pathA1(-5, -2, -8);  // Control 1
vec3_t pathA2( 5, -2, -8);  // Control 2
vec3_t pathA3( 5, 2, -8);   // End

Adjust Display Size:

const int DISPLAY_W = 120;  // Width in characters
const int DISPLAY_H = 40;   // Height in characters

File Structure

demo/
├── main.cpp           - Original static demo
├── interactive.cpp    - NEW: Animated 3D demo

include/
├── display.h          - NEW: Display system header

src/
├── display.cpp        - NEW: ASCII display implementation

Next Steps

  1. Add More Shapes - Create complex 3D models
  2. Interactive Input - Add keyboard controls
  3. Camera Movement - Implement camera rotation
  4. Color Support - Use ANSI colors in terminal
  5. Export to Image - Save frames as image files

Troubleshooting

Demo runs too fast/slow?

  • Adjust the sleep time in the render loop
  • Change: int sleep_time = 16 - (int)elapsed.count(); (16ms = ~60 FPS)

ASCII art looks weird?

  • Use Windows Terminal or PowerShell 7+ for best results
  • Try adjusting DISPLAY_W and DISPLAY_H to fit your console

Want smooth graphics?

  • Maximize your console window
  • Use a monospace font (Consolas, Courier New)

Have Fun!

Experiment with different shapes, paths, and animations. The library is yours to explore!