Update "Entity-Management.-"

John McCardle 2025-12-28 13:26:16 +00:00
commit 2376e808b8

@ -1,6 +1,3 @@
# Entity Management
*Last modified: 2025-12-01*
# Entity Management
Entities are game objects that implement behavior and live on Grids. While Grids handle rendering and mediate interactions, Entities encapsulate game logic like movement, combat, and AI.
@ -17,10 +14,12 @@ Entities are game objects that implement behavior and live on Grids. While Grids
**Key Files:**
- `src/UIEntity.h` / `src/UIEntity.cpp`
- `src/UIEntityCollection.h` / `.cpp`
- `src/SpatialHash.h` / `src/SpatialHash.cpp` - Spatial indexing
**Related Issues:**
- [#115](../issues/115) - SpatialHash for fast queries (Open)
- [#117](../issues/117) - Memory Pool for entities (Open)
- [#115](../issues/115) - SpatialHash for fast queries ✅ Implemented
- [#117](../issues/117) - Memory Pool for entities (Deferred)
- [#159](../issues/159) - EntityCollection iterator optimization ✅ Fixed
---
@ -107,6 +106,51 @@ current_grid = entity.grid # Read-only, set by collection operations
---
## Spatial Queries with SpatialHash
As of commit 7d57ce2, grids use **SpatialHash** for efficient spatial queries. This provides O(k) query time where k is the number of nearby entities, instead of O(n) scanning all entities.
### entities_in_radius()
```python
# Query entities within a radius (uses SpatialHash internally)
nearby = grid.entities_in_radius(x, y, radius)
# Example: Find all entities within 10 cells of position (50, 50)
threats = grid.entities_in_radius(50, 50, 10)
for entity in threats:
print(f"Entity at ({entity.x}, {entity.y})")
```
### Performance Comparison
| Entity Count | O(n) Query | SpatialHash | Speedup |
|--------------|------------|-------------|---------|
| 100 | 0.037ms | 0.008ms | 4.6× |
| 500 | 0.061ms | 0.009ms | 7.2× |
| 1,000 | 0.028ms | 0.004ms | 7.8× |
| 2,000 | 0.043ms | 0.003ms | 13× |
| 5,000 | 0.109ms | 0.003ms | **37×** |
### N×N Visibility (AI "What can everyone see?")
| Entity Count | O(n) approach | SpatialHash | Speedup |
|--------------|---------------|-------------|---------|
| 1,000 | 21ms | 1ms | 35× |
| 2,000 | 85ms | 1ms | 87× |
| 5,000 | 431ms | 2ms | **217×** |
### When to Use Which Method
| Use Case | Method | Complexity |
|----------|--------|------------|
| Nearby entities (AI, combat) | `grid.entities_in_radius(x, y, r)` | O(k) |
| FOV-based visibility | `entity.visible_entities()` | O(n) + FOV |
| All entities iteration | `for e in grid.entities` | O(n) |
| Single cell lookup | `grid.at(x, y).entities` | O(n) filter |
---
## Field of View & Visibility
Entities track what they can see via `gridstate` - a per-cell record of visible and discovered states.
@ -134,7 +178,7 @@ entity.update_visibility()
### Querying Visible Entities
```python
# Get list of other entities this entity can see
# Get list of other entities this entity can see (uses FOV + line-of-sight)
visible_enemies = entity.visible_entities()
# With custom FOV settings
@ -142,6 +186,8 @@ nearby = entity.visible_entities(radius=5)
visible = entity.visible_entities(fov=mcrfpy.FOV.BASIC, radius=8)
```
**Note:** `visible_entities()` checks FOV and line-of-sight. For pure distance queries without FOV, use `grid.entities_in_radius()`.
### Fog of War with ColorLayers
```python
@ -217,37 +263,6 @@ if state.discovered:
- Changes to the `GridPoint` are immediately visible through `state.point`
- This is intentionally **not** a cached copy - for historical memory, implement your own system in Python
**Use case - Entity perspective queries:**
```python
def can_entity_see_walkable_path(entity, x, y):
"""Check if entity knows this cell is walkable."""
state = entity.at((x, y))
if state.point is None:
return None # Unknown - entity hasn't discovered it
return state.point.walkable
def get_known_entities_at(entity, x, y):
"""Get entities at cell if entity has discovered it."""
state = entity.at((x, y))
if state.point is None:
return [] # Entity doesn't know this cell
return state.point.entities
```
**Ground truth access:**
If you need the actual cell data regardless of entity perspective, access it through the grid directly:
```python
# Entity perspective (respects discovered state)
state = entity.at((x, y))
point_or_none = state.point
# Ground truth (always returns GridPoint)
point = entity.grid.at(x, y)
```
---
## EntityCollection
@ -271,11 +286,18 @@ idx = grid.entities.index(entity)
n = grid.entities.count(entity)
found = grid.entities.find("entity_name") # Find by name
# Iteration
# Iteration (O(n) - optimized in #159)
for entity in grid.entities:
print(entity.pos)
```
### Iterator Performance (#159)
EntityCollection iteration was optimized in commit 8f2407b:
- **Before:** O(n²) due to index-based list traversal
- **After:** O(n) using proper list iterators
- **Speedup:** 103× at 2,000 entities
---
## Entity Lifecycle
@ -295,13 +317,13 @@ entity = mcrfpy.Entity(pos=(10, 10), sprite_index=0, name="player")
```python
grid.entities.append(entity)
# entity.grid is now set to grid
# Entity will be rendered with the grid
# Entity is automatically added to SpatialHash for fast queries
```
### Movement
```python
# Direct position change
# Direct position change (automatically updates SpatialHash)
entity.pos = (new_x, new_y)
# Animated movement
@ -318,7 +340,7 @@ entity.update_visibility()
# Method 1: Remove from collection
grid.entities.remove(entity)
# Method 2: Entity.die() - removes from parent grid
# Method 2: Entity.die() - removes from parent grid and SpatialHash
entity.die()
# After removal: entity.grid is None
@ -374,7 +396,7 @@ class Player:
if e.name and e.name.startswith("enemy")]
```
### Enemy Entity
### Enemy AI with SpatialHash
```python
class Enemy:
@ -382,21 +404,32 @@ class Enemy:
self.entity = mcrfpy.Entity(pos=pos, sprite_index=1, name="enemy")
self.aggro_range = aggro_range
self.health = 100
self.grid = grid
grid.entities.append(self.entity)
def update(self, player_pos):
dx = player_pos[0] - self.entity.x
dy = player_pos[1] - self.entity.y
dist = (dx*dx + dy*dy) ** 0.5
def update(self):
# Use SpatialHash for efficient nearby entity detection
nearby = self.grid.entities_in_radius(
self.entity.x, self.entity.y, self.aggro_range
)
if dist < self.aggro_range:
self.chase(player_pos)
# Find player in nearby entities
player = None
for e in nearby:
if e.name == "player":
player = e
break
if player:
self.chase((player.x, player.y))
else:
self.wander()
def chase(self, target):
# Use pathfinding
path = self.entity.path_to(target)
path = self.entity.grid.find_path(
self.entity.x, self.entity.y, target[0], target[1]
)
if path and len(path) > 1:
next_cell = path[1] # path[0] is current position
self.entity.pos = next_cell
@ -412,6 +445,17 @@ class Enemy:
self.entity.pos = new_pos
```
### Efficient Multi-Entity AI Loop
```python
def update_all_enemies(grid, enemies):
"""Update all enemies efficiently using SpatialHash."""
for enemy in enemies:
# Each query is O(k) not O(n)
nearby = grid.entities_in_radius(enemy.x, enemy.y, enemy.aggro_range)
enemy.react_to_nearby(nearby)
```
### Item Entity
```python
@ -436,13 +480,18 @@ For more interaction patterns (click handling, selection, context menus), see [[
Entities have built-in pathfinding via libtcod:
```python
# A* pathfinding to target
path = entity.path_to((target_x, target_y))
# A* pathfinding to target (via Grid)
path = grid.find_path(entity.x, entity.y, target_x, target_y)
# Returns list of (x, y) tuples, or empty if no path
if path:
next_step = path[1] # path[0] is current position
entity.pos = next_step
# Dijkstra for multi-target pathfinding
grid.compute_dijkstra(goal_x, goal_y)
distance = grid.get_dijkstra_distance(entity.x, entity.y)
path = grid.get_dijkstra_path(entity.x, entity.y)
```
Pathfinding respects `GridPoint.walkable` properties set on the grid.
@ -451,27 +500,29 @@ Pathfinding respects `GridPoint.walkable` properties set on the grid.
## Performance Considerations
**Current:** Entity queries are O(n):
```python
# Finding entities at position requires iteration
def entities_at(grid, x, y):
return [e for e in grid.entities if e.x == x and e.y == y]
```
### Current Performance (as of 2025-12-28)
**New in v1.0:** Use `GridPoint.entities` for cell-based queries:
```python
# O(n) but more convenient - filters grid.entities by position
entities_here = grid.at(x, y).entities
```
| Operation | Performance | Notes |
|-----------|-------------|-------|
| Entity Creation | ~90,000/sec | Sufficient for level generation |
| Iteration | ~9M reads/sec | Optimized iterators (#159) |
| Spatial Query | 0.003ms | SpatialHash O(k) (#115) |
| N×N Visibility (5000) | 2ms | 217× faster than O(n) |
**Workarounds:**
- Keep entity counts reasonable (< 200 for best performance)
- Use timer callbacks for AI updates, not per-frame
- Cache query results when possible
### Recommendations
**Future:** [#115](../issues/115) SpatialHash will provide O(1) position queries.
1. **Use `entities_in_radius()` for AI** - O(k) queries instead of iterating all entities
2. **Batch visibility updates** - Call `update_visibility()` once after all moves
3. **Use timer callbacks for AI** - Don't run expensive logic every frame
4. **Entity counts up to 5,000+** - SpatialHash makes large counts feasible
See [[Performance-and-Profiling]] for optimization guidance.
### Internal Architecture
- **SpatialHash:** Bucket-based spatial indexing (32-cell buckets)
- **Automatic updates:** Hash updates on entity add/remove/move
- **Weak references:** Hash doesn't prevent entity garbage collection
See [[Performance-and-Profiling]] for detailed optimization guidance.
---
@ -484,4 +535,4 @@ See [[Performance-and-Profiling]] for optimization guidance.
---
*Last updated: 2025-12-01*
*Last updated: 2025-12-28*