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A look back on what I learned
why?
I came across an art/rendering style called "sprite stacking". I found sprite stacking very interesting in comparison to traditional methods, and wanted to experiment with the style.
challenge
This was my first big graphics-based project. Computer graphics at the low-level was new to me. I took this as an opportunity to learn the basics of OpenGL. This learning process was the most difficult part of the project, especially the domain-specific rendering techniques used.
how?
I found some great tutorials to get started, and though these helped, I also did a lot of individual learning through experimentation and discussion with peers.
results
In the end, the library had most of the functionality I originally wanted. The library can draw up to 256 layers of icons in a grid, with optional offsets and tints per icon. Here's an example with only 7 library calls:
evaluation
Besides learning the basics of OpenGL, I also learned how to use CMake to help build the library. Also, I set up continuous integration for automated testing on a git commit. If I were to rewrite this library, I would definitely invest more into the automated testing process.