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Asher Scott
Asher Scott

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Simple Grid Based Movement

1.) Set up initial files

  • Create your HTML, JS, and CSS files
  • Create initial HTML structure and link JS and CSS files

initial setup

2.) Create and Display your Sprite

HTML

    <body>
        <div id="sprite"></div>
    </body>
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CSS

#sprite {
    background-color: black;
    height: 20px;
    width: 20px;
    position: absolute;
    /* Initial coordinates of sprite */
    left: 100px;
    bottom: 500px;
}
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3.) Add an addEventListener for keydown events

// set equal to sprite's initial cooridinates
let position = {
    x: 100, 
    y: 500
};
// dimensions of the sprite
size = 20;

document.addEventListener('keydown', (event) => chooseDirection(event));

function chooseDirection(event) {
    // if key pressed = an arrow key --> change position
    switch(event.key) {
        case 'ArrowRight':
            position.x += size;
            sprite.style.left = position.x + 'px';
            break;
        case 'ArrowLeft':
            position.x -= size;
            sprite.style.left = position.x + 'px';
            break;
        case 'ArrowUp':
            position.y += size;
            sprite.style.bottom = position.y + 'px';
            break;
        case 'ArrowDown':
            position.y -= size;
            sprite.style.bottom = position.y + 'px';
            break;
    }
}
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That's it! Now using the arrow keys (or whatever keys you want!), you can move the sprite all across the screen.

Extras!

- Change based on window size

window.addEventListener('resize', displaySprite)

function displaySprite() {
    // remove any previous sprite
    document.querySelector('body').innerHTML = '';

    const sprite = document.createElement('div');
    sprite.id = 'sprite';
    document.querySelector('body').append(sprite);

    sprite.style.height = size + 'vmin';
    sprite.style.width  = size + 'vmin';
    sprite.style.left   = position.x + 'vmin';
    sprite.style.bottom = position.y + 'vmin';
}
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By changing from px units to vmin units, we can dynamically change the size of the sprite.

For Example:
sprite.style.bottom = position.y + 'px' --> sprite.style.bottom = position.y + 'vmin'

changing window size

- Add a Grid

function displayGrid() {
    const grid = document.createElement('div');
    grid.id = 'grid';
    document.querySelector('body').append(grid);

    let cellClass = 'darkerTile';
    let isDark = true;

    for(let i = 0; i < gridSize; i++) {
        const column = document.createElement('div');
        column.className = 'column';
        grid.append(column);

        for(let i = 0; i < gridSize; i++) {
            (isDark) ? cellClass = 'darkerTile' : cellClass = 'lighterTile';
            isDark = !isDark;

            const cell = document.createElement('div');
            cell.className = cellClass;
            cell.style.height = size + 'vmin';
            cell.style.width = size + 'vmin';

            column.append(cell);
        }
    }
}
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Don't forget the CSS!

#grid {
    display: flex;
    position: relative;
    width: fit-content;
    border: 2vmin solid darkgreen;
}

.darkerTile {
    background-color: green;
}

.lighterTile {
    background-color: lightgreen;
}
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If your having trouble with your sprite aligning to your grid:

  • try making your sprite the child of your grid element, and setting the grid's position to relative
  • make sure your starting position aligns with the grid
  • make sure all size related units are tied to the same variable

- Add border collision to contain your sprite

const bounds = {
    min: 0,
    max: (gridSize - 1) * size
};

function chooseDirection(event) {
    switch(event.key) {
        case 'ArrowRight':
            isAtBorder('x', 'max') ? null : move('x', 'left', true);
            break;
        case 'ArrowLeft':
            isAtBorder('x', 'min') ? null : move('x', 'left', false);
            break;
        case 'ArrowUp':
            isAtBorder('y', 'max') ? null : move('y', 'bottom', true);
            break;
        case 'ArrowDown':
            isAtBorder('y', 'min') ? null : move('y', 'bottom', false);
            break;
    }
}

function isAtBorder(axis, boundary) {
    return (position[axis] === bounds[boundary]) ? true : false;
}

function move(spriteAxis, windowAxis, moveMaxy) {
    (moveMaxy === true) 
    ? position[spriteAxis] += size
    : position[spriteAxis] -= size;

    sprite.style[windowAxis] = position[spriteAxis] + 'vmin';
}
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- Change your sprite's appearance

Instead of a div, change your sprite to an img and mess around with different sources.

Final Product

final

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