It’s not really SFML’s fault, the downside of using a language with a compile/link process from the 1970s. Frankly if you are new and are going to have trouble with SFML, this is probably the point that it will happen. ( No mention of requiring the DLLs for a dynamic build, while defining the process for static linking, but not actually setting up the appropriate libraries ).
The Windows tutorial is solid, although has a few problems that could trip up new users.
There are however getting started tutorials for Windows, Code Blocks, Linux, XCode/Mac and using CMake. This process is beyond the scope of this guide, so if you want more details be sure to watch the video. Simply extract the libraries and configure your IDE or makefile to point to the include and lib files, while the required DLLs are in the bin directory and need to be copied into your application folder or somewhere on your system’s path. If in doubt and running on Windows, select the 32bit version. Simply select the combination that is right for you. Ideally though, you will just use the precompiled binaries available here(2.3.1 link). I actually documented this process in the past, on both Windows and MacOS with CLion if you want more information. If your compiler isn’t supported out of the box, you will have to build it from scratch using CMake. I walk through the entire process for Visual Studio 2013 in the video if you need help.
are all huge potential tripping points for new developers. Configuring the linker, working directory, etc. Since SFML is a code only solution, I suppose it makes sense to jump right in with the coding experience eh? Installation is a breeze, assuming your compiler is supported out of the box and you have experience setting up a C++ project.
However as of version 2.2, there has been support for Android and iOS targets as well. SFML has traditionally been for desktop operating systems only, which I believe hindered it’s adoption to a degree. It should be made clear SFML is not and never will be a 3D library, although it can be used in conjunction with 3D libraries and is built over OpenGL. It is actually quite common to use SFML in place of libraries like GLut for handling window creation and input handling in a OpenGL 3D application, ignoring the graphics, audio and networking functionality available. For example, if you wanted to use SFML for gamepad support, you could simply link system and window. Your application or game has to always include the system module as all the other modules depend on it, but all others can be used independently.
NET bindings are officially supported, the rest are developed or contributed by the community and may be incomplete or lag behind the current release.
The full selection of language bindings is available here. There are language bindings available for many other languages including: It uses the cross platform CMake build system enabling you to create project files for your platform and IDE of choice. SFML is written in C++ and the source is hosted in this Github repository. In terms of scope and functionality it is very similar to LWJGL, Allegro or SDL. The library itself is very modular in nature and you only use what you need. Instead it provides the base technical building blocks your build your game or game engine on top of, including platform agnostic system classes, input, audio, networking and 2D graphics. SFML itself is not technically a game engine, it contains no concept of a scene graph, there are no tools, no level editor, etc. It’s a cross platform, open source, C++ based collection of libraries handling 2D graphics, input, audio and networking.Īn HD video of this guide is available here or embedded below. SFML stands for Simple and Fast Multimedia Library.
The Closer Look At series is a combination of an introduction, overview and getting started tutorial that is designed to help you quickly decide if a game engine/framework/library is right for you. In this Closer Look At we are going to be taking a closer look at the SFML framework.