Thread: Pixel grid vs Hitbox (collision detection)

If you're asking which one to use, it really depends on the game. Some games can get away with basic collision detection. Others need precision. There are also a ton of other ways to deal with collision detection.

A note: passing around huge arrays isn't a big deal, since it's a single reference no matter how big the array is. Passing an array of a trillion Objects costs the same as passing an array of 2 ints. It's iterating through the array that gets you (and memory, but who cares about that these days).

You could also take a hybrid approach: use the cheap hitbox detection, and then only bother with the pixel-by-pixel detection if the cheap method returns true.

But like I said, it really depends on the specifics of your game, how you're running it, what system you're shooting for, etc.

Originally Posted by Alex555

You didnt say what game you are makeing so it would be a little hard to find out, but if its a shooter then pixel grid(otherwise bullet collision would look a bit wierd.), if its a Mario brothers style game - that doesnt really matter, wichever suits you.

I don't want to be pedantic, but I would argue that very few shooters require pixel-by-pixel collision detection. They're more "is the bullet inside the object?" than "which exact piece did I hit?".

Originally Posted by Alex555

Most shooters have headshots =) lol

Eh, so that's two hitboxes instead of one. No need for pixel-by-pixel detection. Even if you wanted to test for eyes, nose, and mouth hits, that's still not pixel-by-pixel. Pixel-by-pixel detection is more for stuff like fluids and substances.

Originally Posted by DOLZero

Its going to be more of a mario style game. It also sounds like I should be just fine with the pixel based system that I already started building. Thanks guys

A platformer like Mario probably only needs hitboxes or a grid-based detection system. Although passing the arrays of pixels isn't the problem, iterating through them is. It's a ton of overkill to check every pixel of your player and every block, when all you really care about are the outlines of each, and you only care about the blocks near the player.