Develop Reference

HTML5 Canvas, Having Trouble Running Multiple Animations At Once

I have written code that takes two arrays, both of which contain co-ordinates for a four-cornered shape (effectively a start frame and an end frame), a canvas ID and a time value. The function then calculates dX and dY of each corner and uses window.performance.now() to create a timestamp. Then, on every requestAnimationFrame(), it calculates what the co-ordinates should be by using dX, dY, the old timestamp, a new timestamp and the time value from the function call. It looks like this:
function doAnim(cv, startFrame, endFrame, animTime)
{
this.canvas = document.getElementById(cv);
this.ctx = this.canvas.getContext('2d');
if(startFrame.length != endFrame.length)
{
return('Error: Keyframe arrays do not match in length');
};
this.animChange = new Array();
for(i=1;i<=startFrame.length;i++)
{
var a = startFrame[i];
var b = endFrame[i]
var c = b - a;
this.animChange[i] = c;
}
this.timerStart = window.performance.now();
function draw()
{
this.requestAnimationFrame(draw, cv);
this.ctx.clearRect(0,0,this.canvas.width,this.canvas.height);
this.currentFrame = new Array();
for(i=1;i<=startFrame.length;i++)
{
this.currentFrame[i] = startFrame[i]+(this.animChange[i]*((window.performance.now()-this.timerStart)/animTime));
}
if((window.performance.now()-this.timerStart)>=animTime)
{
this.ctx.beginPath()
this.ctx.moveTo(endFrame[1], endFrame[2]);
this.ctx.lineTo(endFrame[3], endFrame[4]);
this.ctx.lineTo(endFrame[5], endFrame[6]);
this.ctx.lineTo(endFrame[7], endFrame[8]);
this.ctx.fill();
return;
}
else
{
this.ctx.beginPath()
this.ctx.moveTo(this.currentFrame[1], this.currentFrame[2]);
this.ctx.lineTo(this.currentFrame[3], this.currentFrame[4]);
this.ctx.lineTo(this.currentFrame[5], this.currentFrame[6]);
this.ctx.lineTo(this.currentFrame[7], this.currentFrame[8]);
this.ctx.fill();
}
}
draw();
}
The goal is to have multiple animations of objects happening at once. I took the whole co-ordinate approach because I want the objects to appear as if they are coming from the horizon, creating a fake 3D perspective effect (all objects' starting frames would be a single point at the center of the canvas), and I do not want to warp the objects' textures.
Well, it works great for a single animation, but if I try to start a new animation on a completely different canvas while the first one is running, then the first animation stops dead in its tracks.
As you can see from my JS, I've tried getting around this with gratuitous use of this (I do not fully understand how this works yet, and every explanation I've read has left me even more confused), but it has not worked. I also tried a horrific approach which stored all the functions' own variables in one global array (the first time the function runs, all the variables are put in entries 1-30, the second time they're put in 31-60, etc). Unsurprisingly, that did not work either.
Here is a JSFiddle so you can see this scenario for yourself and play with my code. I am officially out of ideas. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Like markE linked too, trying to call requestAnimationFrame multiple times won't work.
Instead you make multiple objects and then call some sort of function on them each frame.
I have created an example using your code:
https://jsfiddle.net/samcarlin/2bxn1r79/7/
var anim0frame1 = new Array();
anim0frame1[1] = 0;
anim0frame1[2] = 0;
anim0frame1[3] = 50;
anim0frame1[4] = 0;
anim0frame1[5] = 50;
anim0frame1[6] = 150;
anim0frame1[7] = 0;
anim0frame1[8] = 150;
var anim0frame2 = new Array();
anim0frame2[1] = 200;
anim0frame2[2] = 200;
anim0frame2[3] = 300;
anim0frame2[4] = 250;
anim0frame2[5] = 300;
anim0frame2[6] = 300;
anim0frame2[7] = 200;
anim0frame2[8] = 250;
//Call global
animations = [];
requestAnimationFrame( GlobalStep );
function GlobalStep(delta){
//Functions called by request animation frame have the new time as an argument
//so delta should be approximately the same as window.performance.now()
//especially in realtime applications, which this is
//Check if we have any animation objects
if(animations.length > 0){
//Iterate through and call draw on all animations
for(var i=0; i<animations.length; i++){
if(animations[i].draw(delta)){
//Basically we have it so if the draw function returns true we stop animating the object
//And remove it from the array, so have the draw function return true when animation is complete
animations[i].splice(i, 0);
//We removed an object from the array, so we decrement i
i--;
}
}
}
//And of course call requestAnimationFrame
requestAnimationFrame( GlobalStep );
}
function AnimationObject(cv, startFrame, endFrame, animTime){
//Add this object to the objects arrays
animations.push(this);
//We need to store start and end frame
this.startFrame = startFrame;
this.endFrame = endFrame;
this.animTime = animTime;
//Your code
this.canvas = document.getElementById(cv);
this.ctx = this.canvas.getContext('2d');
if (startFrame.length != endFrame.length) {
return ('Error: Keyframe arrays do not match in length');
};
this.animChange = new Array();
for (i = 1; i <= startFrame.length; i++) {
var a = startFrame[i];
var b = endFrame[i]
var c = b - a;
this.animChange[i] = c;
}
this.timerStart = window.performance.now();
}
//This adds a function to an object, but in such a way that every object shares the same function
//Imagine a kitchen, each object is a person, and this function is a spoon
//by defining this function in this manner Object.prototype.function_name = function(arguments){}
//We make it so one function definition is needed, essentially allowing all the people to share one spoon,
//the 'this' variable still refers to whichever object we call this method, and we save memory etc.
AnimationObject.prototype.draw = function(newTime){
//I added this to start frame so we get what we stored earlier
this.ctx.clearRect(0, 0, this.canvas.width, this.canvas.height);
this.currentFrame = new Array();
for (i = 1; i <= this.startFrame.length; i++) {
this.currentFrame[i] = this.startFrame[i] + (this.animChange[i] * ((newTime - this.timerStart) / this.animTime));
}
if ((newTime - this.timerStart) >= this.animTime) {
this.ctx.beginPath()
this.ctx.moveTo(this.endFrame[1], this.endFrame[2]);
this.ctx.lineTo(this.endFrame[3], this.endFrame[4]);
this.ctx.lineTo(this.endFrame[5], this.endFrame[6]);
this.ctx.lineTo(this.endFrame[7], this.endFrame[8]);
this.ctx.fill();
return;
} else {
this.ctx.beginPath()
this.ctx.moveTo(this.currentFrame[1], this.currentFrame[2]);
this.ctx.lineTo(this.currentFrame[3], this.currentFrame[4]);
this.ctx.lineTo(this.currentFrame[5], this.currentFrame[6]);
this.ctx.lineTo(this.currentFrame[7], this.currentFrame[8]);
this.ctx.fill();
}
}
Notes:
Everytime you press the button a new object is added and simply overwrites previous ones for each frame, you should implement your program so that it checks if a specific animation has already started, you could also use the builtin mechanism to stop animation when complete (read the comments in the code)
You also need to change the on button click code
<button onclick="new AnimationObject('canvas1', anim0frame1, anim0frame2, 3000);">
Lastly if you have further questions feel free to contact me

naturalWidth and naturalHeight returns 0 using onload event

I have read countless of answers of this issue and I came up with the following, but it doesn't work either.
function fitToParent(objsParent, tagName) {
var parent, imgs, imgsCant, a, loadImg;
//Select images
parent = document.getElementById(objsParent);
imgs = parent.getElementsByTagName(tagName);
imgsCant = imgs.length;
function scaleImgs(a) {
"use strict";
var w, h, ratioI, wP, hP, ratioP, imgsParent;
//Get image dimensions
w = imgs[a].naturalWidth;
h = imgs[a].naturalHeight;
ratioI = w / h;
//Get parent dimensions
imgsParent = imgs[a].parentNode;
wP = imgsParent.clientWidth;
hP = imgsParent.clientHeight;
ratioP = wP / hP;
//I left this as a test, all this returns 0 and false, and they shouldn't be
console.log(w);
console.log(h);
console.log(ratioI);
console.log(imgs[a].complete);
if (ratioP > ratioI) {
imgs[a].style.width = "100%";
} else {
imgs[a].style.height = "100%";
}
}
//Loop through images and resize them
var imgCache = [];
for (a = 0; a < imgsCant; a += 1) {
imgCache[a] = new Image();
imgCache[a].onload = function () {
scaleImgs(a);
//Another test, this returns empty, for some reason the function fires before aplying a src to imgCache
console.log(imgCache[a].src);
}(a);
imgCache[a].src = imgs[a].getAttribute('src');
}
}
fitToParent("noticias", "img");
To summarise, the problem is the event onload triggers before the images are loaded (or that is how I understand it).
Another things to add:
I don't know at first the dimensions of the parent nor the child,
because they varied depending of their position on the page.
I don't want to use jQuery.
I tried with another function, changing the onload event to
window, and it worked, but it takes a lot of time to resize because
it waits for everything to load, making the page appear slower,
that's how I came to the conclusion the problem has something to do
with the onload event.
EDIT:
I made a fiddle, easier to look at the problem this way
https://jsfiddle.net/whn5cycf/

for some reason the function fires before aplying a src to imgCache
Well, the reason is that you are calling the function immedeatly:
imgCache[a].onload = function () {
}(a);
// ^^^ calls the function
You call the function and assign undefined (the return value of that function) to .onload.
If you want to use an IIFE to capture the current value of a, you have to make it return a function and accept a parameter to which the current value of a is assigned to:
imgCache[a].onload = function (a) {
return function() {
scaleImgs(a);
};
}(a);
Have a look again at JavaScript closure inside loops – simple practical example .

Javascript - canvas - drawImage does not work

I have read all the other similar posts but I don't understand why it I have this problem.
I have a canvas (#canvas) and an image (hero.png) on the page, and a JS file loaded at the end of the body. In the JS code...
This works:
var game = {};
game.canvas = document.getElementById('canvas');
game.ctx = game.canvas.getContext("2d");
game.draw = function(){
game.ctx.drawImage(game.hero, 200, 200);
}
game.hero = new Image();
game.hero.src = "hero.png";
game.hero.onload = game.draw;
And this doesn't work:
var game = {};
game.canvas = document.getElementById('canvas');
game.ctx = game.canvas.getContext("2d");
game.hero = new Image();
game.hero.src = "hero.png";
game.hero.onload = game.draw;
game.draw = function(){
game.ctx.drawImage(game.hero, 200, 200);
}
Nothing appears. No error in the console. Why???
Thanks!

You can call functions before define them only with this syntax:
function draw()
{
//COde here
}
By writting
game.draw = function(){};
You define a method to your object, you don't define a JavaScript function: that's why you can't call it before define it :)

In your second hunk of code, you're defining
game.hero.onload = game.draw;
When game.draw is undefined, so your onload is undefined and nothing happens when the image is done loading.

game.draw is not set when you assign it in your second example, you are copying an undefined value into hero.onload.
One workaround is to wrap the function you want to call in an anonymous function and call yours from there:
game.hero.onload = function(){ game.draw(); };
Have in mind that if hero loads before the definition of game.draw is finished, this code will fail.

When to load an image to use the Javascript function drawImage()?

I would like to use the drawImage() function to load an image in a Javascript animation, but the image does not load with my current code. I think I need to specifically ask for the image to be loaded at some point, but I'm not sure when or how. The idea is to make a cloud that goes across the canvas. Thank you for your help.
function draw(x,y){
var canvas = document.getElementById('canvas');
var ctx = canvas.getContext('2d');
x += 2;
if(x>1000){
x=0;
}
var cloud = new image();
cloud.src='small_cloud.png';
ctx.drawImage(cloud,x,0);
var loopTimer = setTimeout('draw('+x+','+y+')',20);
}

Try new Image()rather than new image()
Also move
var canvas = document.getElementById('canvas');
var ctx = canvas.getContext('2d');
var cloud = new image();
cloud.src='small_cloud.png';
to outside the draw()function, as you only want to set these things up once. Delay this setting up until the browser has had time to parse the document, for example using
window.onload = function(){ ... };
(Though in reality you'd have to make sure not to overwrite any existing window.onload listeners by using proper even handler registration.) Also delay the first invocation to draw()until the image has loaded, for example like so:
cloud.onload = function(){
draw(cloud, 0, 0);
}
I'd also change
var loopTimer = setTimeout('draw('+x+','+y+')',20);
to
setTimeout(function(){ draw(x, y); }, 20);
since you seem not to be using the loopTimer variable, and since passing setTimeout an anonymous function rather than a string is considered better practice.
Finally, it would look like this:
window.onload = function() {
var canvas = document.getElementById('canvas');
var ctx = canvas.getContext('2d');
var cloud = new image();
cloud.src='small_cloud.png';
cloud.onload = function(){
draw(ctx, cloud, 0, 0);
};
};
function draw(ctx, cloud, x,y){
x += 2;
if(x>1000){
x=0;
}
ctx.drawImage(cloud,x,0);
setTimeout(function(){ draw(ctx, cloud, x, y); }, 20);
}
Note that, since ctx is no longer defined inside the draw() function, as it is local to the anonymous window.onload function, you also has to pass ctx to the draw() function.

drawImage() not drawing pre-loaded image object. Using OO javascript

I'm writing a simple 2D side scroller game using JavaScript + Canvas. I am trying to do this while learning OO JavaScript. I'm encountering an issue where my image will not draw to the canvas, despite being loaded correctly. Here's the code:
//===================================
// class - Canvas
//===================================
var classCanvas = function(id){
canvas = document.getElementById(id);
context = canvas.getContext("2d");
}
//===================================
// abstract class - Image Drawer
//===================================
var classImageDrawer = function(that){
this.draw = function(){
context.drawImage(that.img,
that.spriteCoordsX,
that.spriteCoordsY,
that.width,
that.height,
that.posX,
that.posY,
that.width,
that.height);
}
}
//===================================
// class - Level
//===================================
var classLevel = function(name, src){
this.name = name;
this.img = new Image();
this.img.src = src;
this.img.onload = function(){ };
this.spriteCoordsX = 0;
this.spriteCoordsY = 0;
this.posY = 0;
this.posX = 0;
this.height = 400;
this.width = 600;
this.drawer = new classImageDrawer(this);
}
//==================================
// Begin
//==================================
var game = new classCanvas("playground");
game.LevelOne = new classLevel("LevelOne", "images/foreground-land.png");
game.LevelOne.drawer.draw();
I have checked the code, and I know the image is getting loaded correctly. No errors occur during runtime, the image "foreground-land.png" simply DOESN'T show up on the canvas!

Your image may be loading fine, but as far as I can tell your call to game.LevelOne.drawer.draw() has no guarantee that foreground-land.png has loaded at that point (remember, images are loaded asynchronously without blocking the execution of other code).
Your onload function for the image object in your classLevel class is empty and anonymous. Nothing happens when the image is finished loading. I'm not sure how you want to structure your code given everything else you have going on, but you should only allow the call to game.LevelOne.drawer.draw() to succeed if the resources it depends upon have been fully loaded. The best way to do this would be to hook into the onload callback for all resources you require for that object (in this case, it's just the one image).

Loading images is an async operation, you are (basically) ignoring the loading process, and acting as though it is sync operations.
One thing you could look at is using a 3rd parameter as a callback ("LevelOne", "images/foreground-land.png", function() { this.drawer.draw() }) and doing that as the onload