CGALIB Library Updated

Monday, 5th September 2022

In the wake of the release of Team Droid comes an update to the CGALIB Graphics Library. Some extra functionality was added to the library for Team Droid (and for Barren Planet). The testing and release of Team Droid last month satisfies the testing requirements of the updated CGALIB Graphics Library.

The improvements to the library comprise the scr_putpart() and bit_putpart() functions. These will take just part of a bitmap, and put it on the screen or onto another bitmap. Previous games required an intermediate bitmap and the combined use of bit_get(), and scr_put() or bit_put().

One purpose for these new functions, used much on Team Droid, is easier double-buffering, where an unseen copy of the screen is used to apply individual updates, transferring them to the real screen all at once. This allows screen updates to appear smooth, even on slower machines.

The new library is available both in binary form, and in souce code form, here on its CGALIB Graphics Library web page and on its github page.