trail

trail is a LÖVE library that... generates trails, you guessed it!

Setup

local trail = require "trail" --require the library

Usage

Create new trail

function love.load()
  myTrail = trail:new({
      type = "mesh",
      content = {
        source = love.graphics.newImage("image.png"),
        width = 26,
        mode = "stretch"
      },
      duration = .4
    })
  myTrail:setMotion(600, 0)
  myTrail:setPosition(x, y)
end

Update library

function love.update(dt)
  trail:update(dt)
end

Draw trail

function love.draw()
  myTrail:draw()
end

Trail settings

settings = {
  type,
  content = {}, --depends on trail type
  duration,
  amount,
  fade
}

Trail types

Point

settings = {
  type = "point",
  content = {
    --
    type = "image",
    source,
    --
    type = "rectangle",
    width,
    height,
    --
    type = "circle",
    radius
    --
  },
  fade --"shrink" or "grow"
}

Mesh

settings = {
  type = "mesh",
  content = {
    source, --image
    width,
    mode
  }
}

Methods

Methods can be chained.

myTrail:setPosition(...):setMotion(...)

Update trails

trail:update(dt)
--or update each trail separately
myTrail:update(dt)

Draw trail

--affected by love.graphics.setColor
myTrail:draw()

Create trail

myTrail = trail:new(settings)

Set trail position

myTrail:setPosition(x, y)

Set trail motion

myTrail:setMotion(x, y, vx, vy)

Set trail width (mesh)

myTrail:setWidth(width)

Enable/disable trail

myTrail:enable()
myTrail:disable()

myTrail:toggle()

---

Thanks to Spyro and Taehl for their work on trail meshes.