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BUILDING.md

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Building the prototype

This is a C++ 3D voxel game prototype with modular architecture: window management, input handling, 2D/3D rendering, camera control, block system with frustum culling, and debug overlay.

Project Structure

B-Lec/
├── include/              # Header files
│   ├── window/          # Window management
│   ├── input/           # Input handling
│   ├── render/          # Rendering, fonts, camera, and mesh
│   ├── world/           # Block system and frustum culling
│   └── debug/           # Debug overlay
├── src/                 # Implementation files
│   ├── window/
│   ├── input/
│   ├── render/          # Includes camera.cpp and mesh.cpp
│   ├── world/           # Includes block_system.cpp
│   ├── debug/
│   └── main.cpp         # Entry point
├── code_testing/        # Unit tests
│   ├── test_framework.h
│   ├── window/
│   ├── input/
│   ├── render/
│   ├── world/
│   └── debug/
└── CMakeLists.txt       # Build configuration

Prerequisites

  • CMake 3.20+
  • C++17 compiler (MSVC, GCC, or Clang)
  • Internet access for first configure (GLFW and GLM are fetched by CMake)
  • OpenGL 2.1 or higher (for 3D rendering)

Dependencies

The project uses FetchContent to automatically download dependencies:

  • GLFW 3.4: Window creation and input management
  • GLM 0.9.9.8: Mathematics library for 3D transformations (header-only)

Both are downloaded automatically during the first CMake configure.

Configure and build

Windows (Visual Studio)

mkdir build
cd build
cmake -G "Visual Studio 17 2022" -A x64 ..
cmake --build . --config Release

Run:

.\bin\Release\blec.exe

Linux/macOS

mkdir build
cd build
cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ..
cmake --build . --parallel

Run:

./bin/blec

Building with Tests

Add -DBUILD_TESTS=ON to the cmake configuration command:

Windows:

cmake -G "Visual Studio 17 2022" -A x64 -DBUILD_TESTS=ON ..
cmake --build . --config Release

Linux/macOS:

cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DBUILD_TESTS=ON ..
cmake --build . --parallel

Run tests:

cmake --build build --target run_tests

See code_testing/README.md for detailed testing information.

Controls

General

  • F12: Toggle debug overlay
  • ESC: Toggle pause menu (unlocks mouse, shows Resume/Quit buttons)

3D Controls (Camera)

  • W: Move forward
  • S: Move backward
  • A: Strafe left
  • D: Strafe right
  • SPACE: Move up
  • CTRL: Move down
  • MOUSE: Look around (move mouse to rotate camera view)

Module Overview

Window Module

Manages GLFW window creation, lifecycle, and properties. Cross-platform window management with OpenGL context.

Input Module

Handles keyboard and mouse input tracking, with callbacks and state queries. Includes mouse look delta for camera control.

Render Module

Provides 2D and 3D rendering operations:

  • Renderer: 2D drawing primitives, 3D matrix setup, and OpenGL state management
  • BitmapFont: 5x7 pixel font rendering for text display
  • Camera: Free-flying 3D camera with WASD movement and mouse look (yaw/pitch rotation)
  • Mesh: 3D geometry storage and rendering with back-face culling

World Module

Manages the voxel game world and optimization:

  • BlockSystem: 3D voxel grid with block storage and queries
  • Frustum Culling: Automatically determines which blocks are visible in the camera's view to optimize rendering
  • Configurable grid dimensions and block sizes

UI Module

Manages user interface and game state:

  • UIManager: Crosshair, pause menu, and mouse lock management
  • Crosshair: Always-visible crosshair in screen center for aiming
  • Pause Menu: ESC-toggleable menu with Resume and Quit buttons
  • Mouse Lock: Automatic cursor locking during gameplay for seamless camera control

Debug Module

Displays comprehensive real-time debug information including:

  • FPS and performance metrics
  • Camera position and orientation
  • Block counts (total and visible in frustum)
  • Input state and error tracking