Moving GRect: Bad Code or Bug?

[adamg106]

Hi Forum Members,

I'm trying to move a shape around the screen, wherever my mouse pointer is. However, moving around the pointer seems to "smear" the shape, for lack of better words. Is this coding issue, or a bug? I'm using Eclipse on my mac.

Here's the code:

import acm.graphics.*;
import acm.program.*;
import acm.util.*;

import java.applet.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;

public class Breakout extends GraphicsProgram {

/** Dimensions of the paddle */
	private static final int PADDLE_WIDTH = 60;
	private static final int PADDLE_HEIGHT = 10;

/** Offset of the paddle up from the bottom */
	private static final int PADDLE_Y_OFFSET = 30;

	public void run() {
		addMouseListeners();		
	}
	public void mouseMoved(MouseEvent e) {
		GRect paddle = new GRect(PADDLE_WIDTH, PADDLE_HEIGHT, (getWidth() - PADDLE_WIDTH)/2, getHeight() - PADDLE_Y_OFFSET);
		paddle.setFilled(false);
		add(paddle);
		paddle.move(e.getX(), egetY());
	}
}

Here's what it looks like when I move the paddle around:


Am I doing something wrong with my code?

Thanks in advance,
Adam

[m00nchile]

The thing is, you start of with a blank screen, then you draw a GRect on it. When you want to move it, you should first blank out the screen again, then draw the GRect again. Something to this effect:

void myDrawMethod() {
  Graphics g = this.getGraphics(); //get the graphics context of the current container
  g.setColor(Color.White);
  g.fillRect(0,0,this.getHeight(),this.getWidth());
  drawTheRect(g);
}

However, this style of drawing on screen will produce flickering. Do a bit of research on doubble buffering for a better way of drawing.

[Fubarable]

I'm not familiar with the acm library as it's not part of standard Java, but you appear to be creating a new GRect and adding this to your graphics program with mouse movement, but I don't ever see you removing the old GRect. Is it possible to create one GRect object but have the variable be a class field and in the mouse listener, rather than creating a new GRect, simply moving the one you've got. I looked at the API, and perhaps the move or setLocation methods will do this for you.

[Fubarable]

However, this style of drawing on screen will produce flickering. Do a bit of research on doubble buffering for a better way of drawing.

But as this isn't Swing or AWT but rather uses the ACM graphics libraries, do you know if you can do double buffering with the ACM graphics library? I'm not familiar with this, but if you are, please elucidate for me. Thanks.

[m00nchile]

Whoops, I kinda jumped the gun there a bit. As soon as I saw the image posted I threw down the response without even skimming through the code the OP posted. Unfortunately, my encounters with Java based graphics are limited to Swing.

[adamg106]

Hi guys - I appreciate the help. But is anyone able to run this and see if they get the same result?

[curmudgeon]

Hi guys - I appreciate the help. But is anyone able to run this and see if they get the same result?

First tell us: have you implemented the recommendation made by Fubarable in his first post?

[adamg106]

I feel like an idiot - I did not see that. That worked. Can someone explain to me why that worked?

[gcalvin]

Also, since I'm pretty sure you're working on the Breakout game from the Stanford CS106A course, your paddle should not be moving in the Y direction at all. It should stay near the bottom of the screen and just move side-to-side.

-Gary-

[gcalvin]

I feel like an idiot - I did not see that. That worked. Can someone explain to me why that worked?

Simple. The way you were doing it, you were putting a new GRect on the canvas every time the mouse moved.

-Gary-

[adamg106]

Gary - Thanks, I know about the Y constraints. I can do that, but haven't you always wanted to play breakout where you can move the paddle wherever you want? Isn't the whole point of programming to make the game more fun? :-)

[gcalvin]

Gary - Thanks, I know about the Y constraints. I can do that, but haven't you always wanted to play breakout where you can move the paddle wherever you want? Isn't the whole point of programming to make the game more fun? :-)

Good point. When I play ping pong, I like to stand on the middle of the table and swing my paddle at my opponent's head. :D (I'm not invited to play very often anymore.)

-Gary-