reilua-enhanced/SPLASH_SCREENS.md

Splash Screens

ReiLua includes a built-in splash screen system that displays splash screens before your game loads. This gives your game a polished appearance right from startup.

Overview

When you run your ReiLua game, it automatically shows two splash screens in sequence:

1. Custom Text - Clean, bold text on Raylib red background (similar to Squid Game style)
2. "Made using" - Text with Raylib and ReiLua logos displayed side-by-side

Each splash screen:

• Fades in over 0.8 seconds
• Displays for 2.5 seconds
• Fades out over 0.8 seconds
• Total display time: 8.2 seconds for both screens

Features

Always Embedded

The logo images are always embedded into the executable in both development and release builds. This means:

• ✅ No external logo files needed
• ✅ Consistent splash screens across all builds
• ✅ No risk of missing logo files
• ✅ Clean appearance from the start

Asset Loading Integration

The splash screens display before your game's asset loading begins. This means:

1. User starts your game
2. Splash screens play (~8 seconds)
3. Your RL.init() function runs
4. Asset loading with progress indicator (if you use it)
5. Your game starts

This creates a smooth, polished startup experience.

Skipping Splash Screens (Development)

During development, you often need to test your game repeatedly. Waiting for splash screens every time can slow down your workflow. Use the --no-logo flag to skip them:

# Windows
ReiLua.exe --no-logo

# Linux/Mac
./ReiLua --no-logo

# With other options
ReiLua.exe --log --no-logo
./ReiLua --no-logo path/to/game/

Note: The --no-logo flag only works in development. In release builds, users should see the full splash screen sequence.

Technical Details

How It Works

The splash screen system is implemented in C and runs before any Lua code executes:

1. Logo Embedding: During build, embed_logo.py converts PNG files to C byte arrays
2. Initialization: Before calling RL.init(), the engine initializes splash screens
3. Display Loop: A dedicated loop handles timing, fading, and rendering
4. Cleanup: After completion, resources are freed and Lua code begins

Files

• src/splash.c - Splash screen implementation
• include/splash.h - Header file
• embed_logo.py - Python script to embed logo images
• logo/raylib_logo.png - Raylib logo (embedded)
• logo/reilua_logo.png - ReiLua logo (embedded)

Build Integration

The CMakeLists.txt automatically:

1. Runs embed_logo.py during build
2. Generates embedded_logo.h with logo data
3. Defines EMBED_LOGO flag
4. Compiles splash.c with the project

No manual steps required - it just works!

Customization

Changing Splash Screen Text

To change the default text to your studio name:

1. Open src/splash.c
2. Find the splash drawing function
3. Change the text line:

   const char* text = "YOUR STUDIO NAME";
   

4. Rebuild the project

Note: Use ALL CAPS for the Squid Game-style aesthetic.

Changing Logos

To use different logos:

1. Replace logo/raylib_logo.png and/or logo/reilua_logo.png with your images
2. Recommended size: 256x256 or smaller (logos are auto-scaled to max 200px)
3. Format: PNG with transparency support
4. Rebuild the project - logos will be automatically embedded

Changing Timing

To adjust how long each screen displays:

1. Open src/splash.c
2. Modify these constants at the top:

   #define FADE_IN_TIME 0.8f    // Seconds to fade in
   #define DISPLAY_TIME 2.5f    // Seconds to display fully
   #define FADE_OUT_TIME 0.8f   // Seconds to fade out
   

3. Rebuild the project

Removing Splash Screens Entirely

If you don't want any splash screens:

1. Open src/main.c
2. Find this block:

   /* Show splash screens if not skipped */
   if ( !skip_splash ) {
       splashInit();
       // ... splash code ...
       splashCleanup();
   }
   

3. Comment out or remove the entire block
4. Rebuild the project

Example: Complete Startup Sequence

Here's what a typical game startup looks like with everything enabled:

ReiLua.exe MyGame/

User Experience:

1. Splash Screen 1 (4.1 seconds)

   • Custom text displayed in bold (default: "YOUR STUDIO NAME")
   • Red background (Raylib color #E62937)
   • Subtle zoom effect

2. Splash Screen 2 (4.1 seconds)

   • "Made using" text at top
   • Raylib + ReiLua logos side-by-side (max 200px each)
   • Black background

3. Asset Loading (varies)

   • Your loading screen with progress bar
   • Shows "Loading texture1.png", "3/10", etc.

4. Game Start

   • Your game's main screen appears
   • Player can interact

Best Practices

1. Keep --no-logo for Development: Always use --no-logo during active development
2. Test Without Flag: Occasionally test without --no-logo to ensure splash screens work
3. Customize for Your Studio: Change the text and logos to match your branding
4. Consider Total Time: Splash (~8s) + Loading (varies) = Total startup time
5. Optimize Loading: Keep asset loading fast to maintain a good first impression

Troubleshooting

Splash Screens Don't Show

Problem: Game starts immediately without splash screens

Solutions:

• Check you're not using --no-logo flag
• Verify logos exist in logo/ folder before building
• Check console output for embedding errors
• Rebuild project completely: cmake .. && make clean && make

Logos Appear Corrupted

Problem: Logos display incorrectly or not at all

Solutions:

• Verify PNG files are valid (open in image viewer)
• Check file sizes aren't too large (keep under 1MB each)
• Ensure PNGs use standard format (not progressive or exotic encoding)
• Rebuild project to regenerate embedded data

Compilation Errors

Problem: Build fails with logo-related errors

Solutions:

• Ensure Python 3 is installed and in PATH
• Check embed_logo.py has correct paths
• Verify logo/ folder exists with both PNG files
• Check CMake output for specific error messages

Command Reference

# Development (skip splash)
ReiLua --no-logo

# Development with logging
ReiLua --log --no-logo

# Production/testing (full splash)
ReiLua

# Help
ReiLua --help

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The splash screen system adds a polished touch to your ReiLua games with minimal effort. Customize it to match your studio's branding and give players a great first impression!