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Arcade Library in Python

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For many years, Python game programmers were limited to the Pygame Module. But, now we have other choices as well i.e Arcade Python Library. The Arcade library is a modern Python Module used widely for developing 2D video games with compelling graphics and sound. Arcade is an object-oriented library. It can be installed like any other Python Package. It was written by Paul Vincent Craven, a computer science professor at Simpson College in Iowa, USA. 

Installation

To install this module, just simply run the following command on your command prompt:

pip install arcade






Implementation

The following steps illustrate how to create a basic drawing using an arcade module:

  • Import module.
  • Specify the parameters for your output screen like width, height, etc.
  • Open the window using the inbuilt open_window() in the arcade. This command opens a window with a given size i.e width and height along with the screen title.

Syntax-

arcade.open_window(Width, Height, Title)

  • Set a background color (optional). It can be done using set_background_color() method built into arcade

Syntax-

arcade.set_background_color(arcade.color.color_name)

  • Tell your module to start drawing using start_render() command which is again built into arcade.

Syntax-

arcade.start_render()

  • Start designing, you can use functions already available with arcade to do so.
  • Tell arcade module that you have completed the drawing using finish_render().

Syntax-

arcade.finish_render()

  • Run your code using run().

Syntax-

arcade.run()

Example 1: Python program that uses arcade to draw a circle.

Python3




# Import module
import arcade
 
# Specify Parameters
Width = 500
Height = 700
Title = "Welcome to Arcade"
Radius = 100
 
# Open the window
arcade.open_window(Width, Height, Title)
 
# Set the background color
arcade.set_background_color(arcade.color.BLUE)
 
# start drawing
arcade.start_render()
 
# Draw a Pink circle
arcade.draw_circle_filled(
    Width/2 , Height/2 , Radius , arcade.color.PINK
)
# Finish drawing
arcade.finish_render()
 
# Display everything
arcade.run()


 
 

Output:

 

 

Example 2: Python program that creates a pattern of circles using the arcade

 

Python3




# Import module
import arcade
 
#Specify Parameters
Width = 500
Height = 700
Title = "Welcome to Arcade"
Radius = 200
 
# Open the window
arcade.open_window(Width, Height, Title)
 
# Set the background color
arcade.set_background_color(arcade.color.BLACK)
 
# start drawing
arcade.start_render()
 
# Draw a BLUE circle
arcade.draw_circle_filled(
    Width/2 , Height/2 , Radius , arcade.color.BLUE
)
 
# Draw a Red circle
arcade.draw_circle_filled(
    Width/2 , Height , Radius , arcade.color.RED
)
 
# Finish drawing
arcade.finish_render()
# Display everything
arcade.run()


 
 

Output:

 

Arcade is a set of python modules which is a modern Python framework used in designing 2D video games. In Arcade, we have gripping computer graphics and sound libraries in order to design high quality and user-friendly games. Arcade was developed by Paul Vincent Craven. Arcade needs support for OpenGL 3.3+.

Interesting facts about Arcade Library:

  • Arcade is built on top of Pyglet and OpenGL.
  • In order to replace Pygame, Arcade came into existence.
  • Arcade runs on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.
  • Arcade requires Python 3.6 or newer. It does not run on Python 2.x.
  • Arcade needs support for OpenGL 3.3+. It does not run on Raspberry Pi or Wayland. If on Linux, sound support needs at least GLIB 2.29+.
  • Arcade uses SoLoud. which Supports panning and volume.
  • It is possible to create open-source free, shareware, and commercial games with it.
  • Supports Python 3 type hinting.
  • Basic drawing does not require knowledge on how to define functions or classes or how to do loops.
  • Uses a standard coordinate system you learned about in math. (0, 0) is in the lower left, and not upper left. Y-coordinates are not reversed.
  • API documentation for the commands is better.

Active road-map of Arcade version 2 development :

  1. Version 2.4.3 was released 2020-09-30. It is the latest version of arcade that has Added PyInstalled hook and tutorial, ShapeLists have no longer share position between instances and with GUI improvement.
  2. Version 2.4.2 was released 2020-09-08. It has GPU transformations with the mouse and Updates downloadable .zip for platformer example code to match current code in documentation and much more.
  3.  Arcade 2.4.1 was released 2020-07-13. Support for defining your own frame buffers, shaders, and more advanced OpenGL programming, PyMunk engine for a platform, etc.


Last Updated : 02 Nov, 2020
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