/VoxelCubeRenderer

Primary LanguageC++MIT LicenseMIT

Voxel Cube Renderer

This project is a simple voxel cube renderer using OpenGL, GLFW, and GLEW. The program displays a grid of colored cubes in a 3D space, allowing for interaction through mouse movement and scroll to zoom.

Features

  • Rendering: Renders a grid of mxnxp cubes, each with a unique color generated based on its index.
  • Camera Controls: Allows for camera movement through mouse interaction.
    • Mouse Movement: Rotates the camera around the scene.
    • Scroll: Zooms the camera in and out.
  • Lighting: Implements basic Phong lighting with ambient, diffuse, and specular components.

Requirements

  • C++ Compiler: Ensure you have a modern C++ compiler that supports C++11 or later.
  • OpenGL Libraries: Requires the following libraries:
    • GLFW: Used for window creation and input handling.
    • GLEW: Used for managing OpenGL extensions.
    • GLM: Used for matrix and vector operations.

Setup and Installation

  1. Install Dependencies:

    • Make sure to have GLFW, GLEW, and GLM installed on your system.
    • On Ubuntu, you can install them using: 
      sudo apt-get install libglfw3-dev libglew-dev
    • On Windows, you can download the binaries from their respective websites and add them to your project.

  2. Build the Project:

    • Use the following command to compile the project: 
      g++ -s -o voxel_renderer -O2 main8.cpp -lglfw -lGLEW -lGL -lGLU

  3. Run the Executable:

    • Execute the compiled binary: 
      ./voxel_renderer

Usage

  • Mouse Control:
    • Move the mouse to rotate the view.
    • Scroll to zoom in and out.
  • Window Resize: The viewport adjusts automatically when the window is resized.

Code Overview

  • main8.cpp: Contains the main logic for setting up the OpenGL context, rendering loop, and input handling.
  • Shaders:
    • Vertex and fragment shaders are embedded as C++ string literals for ease of distribution.

Troubleshooting

  • Ensure your graphics drivers are up-to-date.
  • Make sure all dependencies are properly installed and linked.
  • If you encounter errors related to GLEW initialization, ensure you have a compatible OpenGL context.

License

This project is open source and available under the MIT License.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please fork the repository and submit a pull request for any improvements or bug fixes.

TODO List for Voxel Cube Renderer

This document outlines future improvements and features that can be added to enhance the functionality and performance of the Voxel Cube Renderer.

Features

  • Instancing:Implement instancing to improve performance when rendering a large number of cubes.
  • Implement Dynamic Voxel Addition/Removal: Allow users to add or remove voxels interactively, enabling more flexible scene modifications.
  • Voxel Selection: Implement functionality to select and highlight individual voxels with the mouse.
  • Save/Load Scenes: Add support for saving and loading voxel configurations to/from files.
  • Advanced Lighting: Introduce more sophisticated lighting techniques such as shadow mapping or bloom effects.
  • Textures and Materials: Allow voxels to be textured with images or procedural patterns to enhance visual fidelity.
  • Multiple Light Sources: Add support for multiple dynamic light sources with adjustable properties.

Performance Improvements

  • Frustum Culling: Implement frustum culling to avoid rendering voxels outside the camera's view.
  • Level of Detail (LOD): Use LOD techniques to optimize rendering performance for distant voxels.
  • Multithreading: Explore multithreading options to improve rendering and input responsiveness.

Usability Enhancements

  • GUI Integration: Incorporate a graphical user interface using libraries like ImGui for easier interaction and control.
  • Customization Options: Provide user options for customizing voxel colors, lighting settings, and grid size.
  • Camera Controls: Enhance camera controls with features like reset view, snapping, and preset camera angles.

Code Quality

  • Refactor Code: Organize the codebase for better readability and maintainability.
  • Error Handling: Improve error handling and logging for easier debugging.
  • Unit Tests: Add unit tests to verify the correctness of key functionalities.

Documentation

  • In-depth Documentation: Expand the existing documentation to include a comprehensive user guide and developer reference.
  • Tutorials and Examples: Provide tutorials and example scenes to help new users get started.

Research

  • Explore Voxel Compression Techniques: Investigate methods for compressing voxel data to reduce memory usage.
  • Investigate Alternative Shading Models: Research and experiment with other shading models that might offer better performance or visual quality.

This list is intended to guide the development of the Voxel Cube Renderer. Contributions are welcome, and suggestions for additional features or improvements can be added to this list.