Calculate Mouse Position
How can I calculate the distance of the mouse cursor from the edges of the window?
Calculating the distance of the mouse cursor from the edges of the SDL window is straightforward. You need to know the current position of the mouse cursor and the dimensions of the window.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Get Mouse Position: Capture the current position of the mouse cursor using SDL events.
- Get Window Dimensions: Retrieve the dimensions of the SDL window.
- Calculate Distances: Use basic arithmetic to calculate the distances from each edge of the window.
Example Code
Here's a complete example demonstrating how to calculate the distance of the mouse cursor from the edges of the window:
#include <SDL.h>
#include <iostream>
void CalculateMouseDistances(
int mouseX, int mouseY,
int windowWidth, int windowHeight
) {
int distanceFromLeft = mouseX;
int distanceFromTop = mouseY;
int distanceFromRight = windowWidth - mouseX;
int distanceFromBottom = windowHeight - mouseY;
std::cout << "Distance from left: "
<< distanceFromLeft << '\n';
std::cout << "Distance from top: "
<< distanceFromTop << '\n';
std::cout << "Distance from right: "
<< distanceFromRight << '\n';
std::cout << "Distance from bottom: "
<< distanceFromBottom << '\n';
}
int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
if (SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_VIDEO) != 0) {
std::cerr << "SDL_Init Error: "
<< SDL_GetError() << '\n';
return 1;
}
SDL_Window* window = SDL_CreateWindow(
"Mouse Distance Calculation",
100, 100, 640, 480, SDL_WINDOW_SHOWN);
if (window == nullptr) {
std::cerr << "SDL_CreateWindow Error: "
<< SDL_GetError() << '\n';
SDL_Quit();
return 1;
}
int windowWidth, windowHeight;
SDL_GetWindowSize(
window, &windowWidth, &windowHeight);
SDL_Event event;
bool running = true;
while (running) {
while (SDL_PollEvent(&event)) {
if (event.type == SDL_QUIT) {
running = false;
} else if (event.type == SDL_MOUSEMOTION) {
int mouseX = event.motion.x;
int mouseY = event.motion.y;
CalculateMouseDistances(
mouseX, mouseY,
windowWidth, windowHeight
);
}
}
}
SDL_DestroyWindow(window);
SDL_Quit();
return 0;
}
Distance from left: 100
Distance from top: 150
Distance from right: 540
Distance from bottom: 330
Explanation
- Initialization: SDL is initialized, and a window is created.
- Window Size:
SDL_GetWindowSize()
retrieves the width and height of the window. - Event Loop: The event loop captures
SDL_MOUSEMOTION
events to get the current position of the mouse cursor. - Distance Calculation: The
CalculateMouseDistances()
function computes the distances from the mouse cursor to each edge of the window using simple arithmetic.
Calculations
- Distance from Left:
mouseX
- Distance from Top:
mouseY
- Distance from Right:
windowWidth - mouseX
- Distance from Bottom:
windowHeight - mouseY
Summary
By combining the current mouse position with the window dimensions, you can easily calculate the distance from the mouse cursor to any edge of the window.
This technique is useful for implementing features like edge scrolling or snapping UI elements to window edges.
Mouse Input Basics
Discover how to process mouse input, including position tracking and button presses