Cellular Automaton Engine

An engine to help make cellular automata creation easy.

Requirements

Lua 5

LÖVE 11.2 - https://love2d.org/

Operation

Engine Controls

ctrl: Toggle showing extra data

spacebar or p: Toggle pause
	
right or d: Step forward, update	
	
s: Open save file prompt
	1. Enter filename
	2. Press enter to save, escape to quit
	3. Save filename = save_directory(set in conf.lua) .. filename entered

drop file on window: load file

Setting up a Game

1. Create a game file(use game_template.lua as template)

2. In engine.lua set import_filename = game_filename

3. Override any of the following values in game file

4. Use basic functionality from game_helper.lua by adding require "game_helper" at top of the game file

Setting defaults

Engine.cell_size = 25

Engine.states = {}

function Engine:mousepressed(normalized_x, normalized_y, button) end

function Engine:mousereleased(normalized_x, normalized_y, button) end

function Engine:keypressed(key) end

function Engine:keyreleased(key) end

Engine Settings

-- In conf.lua

update_delay: Delay in seconds between updates, false = No delay

Engine.save_directory: Directory to save files to by default

-- In game file

Engine.cell_size: Side length of cell

Creating Cell States

All cell states are stored as tables in Engine.states.

Create state as so

Engine.states[id] = {name="", color={255, 255, 255}, func=state_function}

Default state id = 1

State settings

name='': Name of state

color={255, 255, 255}: Color of state

func=stay same state: Function to call on each cell of state, returns new state

Adding Functionality

Can add state functionality or UI functionality.

Below is a list of all engine variables & functions to interact with, past that is function templates

Variables

Engine.cells = {{number}}  -- Table of columns of cell states

Engine.update_delay = seconds  -- Delay inbetween updates

paused = bool  -- If game is paused

player_pause = bool  -- If player command triggered pause, refocusing game wont trigger change

show_data = bool  -- Whether or not to show cell data

save_prompt = bool  -- Whether save prompt is showing or not

get_text_intput = bool  -- Whether or not to enable text input controls

input_buffer = ""  -- For logging text input when get_text_intput is true

last_time = love.timer.getTime()  -- Last update time(seconds)

Functions

Engine:create_cells()  -- Create new, empty cell matrix

Engine:update_states()  -- Update all cell states on matrix

Engine:get_color(state)  -- Get color associated with specific state

Engine:show_data()  -- Shows various game data in top

Engine:normalize_coords(x, y)  -- Converts screen pos coords to cell matrix indices

Engine:load_file(filename)  -- Load old cell matrix

Engine:save_file(filename)  -- Save current cell matrix

Engine:start_save_prompt()  -- Starts prompt for entering save name, then saves if can

State Function Templates

Set a state function in its table with func=state_function

function state_function(x, y, cell_matrix)

   --------------------------------------------------
   -- Update command for all cells of state
   -- @param {number} x X coord of cell
   -- @param {number} y Y coord of cell
   -- @param {table{table{number}}} cell_matrix 2d matrix of cell states
   -- @returns {number} New cell state
   --------------------------------------------------

   return new_state_id 
end

User Control Function Templates

On Mouse Click

function Engine:mousepressed(normalized_x, normalized_y, button)
   --------------------------------------------------
   -- Action to take on click
   -- @param {number} normalized_x Normalized x pos of mouse
   -- @param {number} normalized_y Normalized y pos of mouse
   -- @param {left=1, right=2, middle=3} button Mouse button pressed
   --------------------------------------------------

   return nil
end

On Mouse Unclick

function Engine:mousereleased(normalized_x, normalized_y, button)
   --------------------------------------------------
   -- Action to take on unclick
   -- @param {number} normalized_x Normalized x pos of mouse
   -- @param {number} normalized_y Normalized y pos of mouse
   -- @param {left=1, right=2, middle=3} button Mouse button released
   --------------------------------------------------
   
   return nil
end

On Keypress

function Engine:keypress(key)
   --------------------------------------------------
   -- On key press take action
   -- @param {love keyconstant} key Keyboard key pressed
   --------------------------------------------------
   
   return nil
end

On Keyrelease

function Engine:keyreleased(key)
   --------------------------------------------------
   -- On key release take action
   -- @param {love keyconstant} key Keyboard key released
   --------------------------------------------------
   
   return nil
end