Document Raycast

doc/classes/Raycast.adoc

@@ -0,0 +1,223 @@
+= Raycast
+include::../../include/config.adoc[]
+include::../../include/types.adoc[]
+:description: Iterator of pointed things in a raycast / "line of sight"
+:keywords: ray, raycast, selection, pointing, shooting, line of sight
+
+Raycasts are used to simulate rays and determine which selection boxes they intersect with.
+
+With some limitations, they work almost exactly like the player pointing at things.
+
+== Pointed Thing
+
+Pointed things in-game as passed to various callbacks are either
+
+* Nothing (`{type = "nothing"}`), or
+* Objects (entities or players), or
+* Nodes (solids or liquids)
+
+Pointed thing tables are thus a "tagged union" type, taking the following forms for objects & nodes:
+
+=== Objects
+
+[%autowidth, frame=none]
+|===
+| `type` | `{type-string}` | `"object"`
+| `ref` | ObjectRef | The pointed ObjectRef
+|===
+
+=== Nodes
+
+[%autowidth, frame=none]
+|===
+| `type` | `{type-string}` | `"node"`
+| `under` | `{type-vector}` | The position of the pointed node
+ (the node which would be dug if using an appropriate tool)
+| `above` | `{type-vector}` | The position of the pointed node plus the pointed face normal
+ (the position of the node which would be placed if you were building)
+|===
+
+=== Additional Raycast Fields
+
+These fields are only available in pointed things returned by raycasts.
+
+[%autowidth, frame=none]
+|===
+| `box_id` | `{type-number}` | Only relevant for nodes: 1-indexed ID of the pointed selection box of the node
+| `intersection_normal` | `{type-vector}` | Normal vector pointing out of the face of the pointed thing the ray first hit
+| `intersection_point` | `{type-vector}` | Point on both face & ray where the ray & the selection box(es) of the pointed thing first intersect
+ (may be in the selection box if the raycast starts in the box)
+|===
+
+Raycasts do not emit "nothing" pointed things.
+
+== `minetest.line_of_sight(pos1, pos2)`
+
+Checks whether any non-air node is blocking the line of sight between two positions.
+
+You may use this to determine e.g. whether a target would be visible to a mob.
+Raycasts will often be preferable since they provide more fine-grained control
+(objects, liquids, looping over possibly blocking things in the line of sight).
+
+=== Arguments
+[%autowidth, frame=none]
+|===
+| `pos1` | `{type-vector}` | Starting position of the line ("segment") of sight
+| `pos2` | `{type-vector}` | Ending position of the line ("segment") of sight
+|===
+
+=== Returns
+[%autowidth, frame=none]
+|===
+| `free_sight` | `{type-bool}` | Whether any node is blocking the sight
+| `pos` | `{type-vector}` | Position of the "first" node (the node closest to `pos1`)
+ blocking the sight (only returned if `free_sight` is `false`)
+|===
+
+== `Raycast(from_pos, to_pos, include_objects, include_liquid_nodes)`
+
+Creates a raycast object; OOP-constructor-style alias for `minetest.raycast`.
+
+IMPORTANT: https://github.com/minetest/minetest/issues/12673[Raycasts work on selection-, not collision boxes,
+making them coherent with player pointing but not physics (collisions) unless selection- and collision boxes are identical.]
+
+TIP: Have selection boxes, collision boxes (and ideally even visuals) match for all nodes & entities if possible.
+
+IMPORTANT: https://github.com/minetest/minetest/issues/10304[Serverside raycasts do not support attachments properly;
+the server is unaware of model specificities, doesn't keep track of automatic rotation etc.]
+
+=== Arguments
+[%autowidth, frame=none]
+|===
+| `from_pos` | `{type-vector}` | Starting position of the raycast (usually eye position)
+| `to_pos` | `{type-vector}` | Ending position of the raycast (usually eye position + look direction times range)
+| `include_objects` | `{type-bool}` | Whether objects are included (considered pointable). Optional, defaults to `true`.
+| `include_liquids` | `{type-bool}` | Whether liquids are included (considered pointable). Optional, defaults to `true`.
+|===
+
+=== Returns
+[%autowidth, frame=none]
+|===
+| `ray` | Raycast iterator object | Non-restartable, stateful iterator of pointed things
+|===
+
+The Raycast iterator object is callable. Calling `ray()` is syntactic sugar for `ray:next()`.
+
+`ray:next()` returns the next pointed thing or `{type-nil}` if there is none and advances the iterator state.
+
+Pointed things are returned sorted by the intersection point, from `from_pos` to `to_pos`, from nearest to farthest.
+
+=== Usage
+
+Since raycasts are iterators, you can loop over them using a `for`-loop. You will usually use the concise
+
+[source,lua]
+----
+local ray = Raycast(...)
+for pointed_thing in ray do
+	-- do something
+end
+----
+
+which is just shorthand for
+
+[source,lua]
+----
+local ray = Raycast(...)
+for pointed_thing in ray.next, ray do
+	-- do something
+end
+----
+
+which again is syntactic sugar for
+
+[source,lua]
+----
+local ray = Raycast(...)
+local pointed_thing = ray:next()
+while pointed_thing ~= nil do
+	-- do something
+	pointed_thing = ray:next()
+end
+----
+
+There is absolutely no need to manually step through raycasts
+using the latter two more verbose loops.
+
+[IMPORTANT]
+.Iterator Restartability
+====
+Restartability is the ability of an iterator to start again. For example, `ipairs` is resumable:
+
+[source,lua]
+----
+local t = {1, 2, 3}
+for _ = 1, 3 do
+	for i, v in ipairs(t) do
+		print(i, v)
+	end
+end
+----
+
+will work just expected, printing the contents of `t` three times.
+
+*Raycasts are not restartable.* Iterating them _"consumes"_ the pointed things;
+they can't be iterated again. The following will not work as expected:
+
+[source,lua]
+----
+local ray = Raycast(...)
+for _ = 1, 3 do
+	for pt in ray do
+		print(pt)
+	end
+end
+----
+
+this will print the pointed things (table addresses) exactly once:
+after the first run of the inner `for` loop, all pointed things have been consumed;
+subsequent runs exit immediately, not entering the `for` loop at all.
+
+One advantage of this is that Raycasts remember their looping state. The following is thus possible:
+
+[source,lua]
+----
+local ray = Raycast(...)
+for pt in ray do
+	if ... then break end
+end
+for pt in ray do
+	-- will resume looping with the next pointed thing
+end
+----
+====
+
+== Examples
+
+=== Redo tool raycasts
+
+Useful to obtain the additional raycast pointed thing fields,
+to dynamically decide what is pointable and what is not,
+to determine the pointed thing periodically ("what am I looking at?") etc.
+
+[source,lua]
+----
+-- Calculate eye position including eye offset
+local eye_pos = player:get_pos()
+eye_pos.y = eye_pos.y + player:get_properties().eye_height
+local first, third = player:get_eye_offset()
+if not vector.equals(first, third) then
+	minetest.log("warning", "First & third person eye offsets don't match, assuming first person")
+end
+eye_pos = vector.add(eye_pos, vector.divide(first, 10)) -- eye offsets are in block space (10x), transform them back to metric
+
+local def = player:get_wielded_item():get_definition()
+
+for pointed_thing in minetest.raycast(eye_pos, vector.add(eye_pos, vector.multiply(player:get_look_dir(), def.range or 4)), true, def.liquids_pointable) do
+	if pointed_thing.ref ~= player then -- exclude the player
+		-- do something
+	end
+end
+----
+
+// TODO compare players by player name rather than by reference in the above example?