Druid - powerful Defold component UI framework that empowers developers to create stunning and customizable GUIs by leveraging a wide range of embedded components or effortlessly designing their own game-specific components.

Try the HTML5 version of the Druid example app.

Setup

Dependency

To integrate the Druid extension into your own project, add this project as a dependency in your Defold game. Open your game.project file and add the following line to the dependencies field under the project section:

Druid v0.11.0

https://github.com/Insality/druid/archive/refs/tags/0.11.0.zip

Here is a list of all releases.

Size: 67.16 KB

The size metrics exlcude the extended components, which are including only on demand.

Input Bindings

Druid utilizes the /builtins/input/all.input_binding input bindings. For custom input bindings, refer to the Input Binding section in the Advanced Setup.

Usage

Basic usage

To utilize Druid, begin by creating a Druid instance to instantiate components and include the main functions of Druid: update, final, on_message, and on_input.

When using Druid components, provide a node name string as an argument. If you don't have the node name available in some cases, you can pass gui.get_node() instead.

All Druid and component methods are invoked using the : operator, such as self.druid:new_button().

local druid = require("druid.druid")

-- All component callbacks pass "self" as first argument
-- This "self" is a context data passed in `druid.new(context)`
local function on_button_callback(self)
    print("The button clicked!")
end

function init(self)
    self.druid = druid.new(self)
    self.button = self.druid:new_button("button_node_name", on_button_callback)
end

-- "final" is a required function for the correct Druid workflow
function final(self)
    self.druid:final()
end

-- "update" is used in progress bar, scroll, and timer basic components
function update(self, dt)
    self.druid:update(dt)
end

-- "on_message" is used for specific Druid events, like language change or layout change
function on_message(self, message_id, message, sender)
    self.druid:on_message(message_id, message, sender)
end

-- "on_input" is used in almost all Druid components
-- The return value from `druid:on_input` is required!
function on_input(self, action_id, action)
    return self.druid:on_input(action_id, action)
end

For all Druid instance functions, see here.

API Documentation

Druid offers a wide range of components and functions. To facilitate usage, Druid provides comprehensive API documentation with examples and annotations.

Start reading the API documentation here.

Druid provide the EmmyLua annotations to add autocomplete inside your IDE. Check EmmyLua Setup here.

Create custom components

If you want to create your own components, refer to the Create Custom Components section in the documentation.

Custom components are one of the most powerful features of Druid. They allow you to create your own components effortlessly and utilize them in your game.

Druid Components

Here is full Druid components list.

Basic Components

Basic components always included in the build and available for use.

Name	Description	Example	Preview
Button	Logic over GUI Node. Handle the user click interactions: click, long click, double click, etc.	Button Example
Text	Logic over GUI Text. By default Text component fit the text inside text node size area with different adjust modes.	Text Example
Scroll	Logic over two GUI Nodes: input and content. Provides basic behaviour for scrollable content.	Scroll Example
Blocker	Logic over GUI Node. Don't pass any user input below node area size.	❌
Back Handler	Call callback on user "Back" action. It's a Android back button or keyboard backspace key	❌
Static Grid	Logic over GUI Node. Component to manage node positions with all equal node sizes.	Static Gid Example
Hover	Logic over GUI Node. Handle hover action over node. For both: mobile touch and mouse cursor.	❌
Swipe	Logic over GUI Node. Handle swipe gestures over node.	Swipe Example
Drag	Logic over GUI Node. Handle drag input actions. Can be useful to make on screen controlls.	Drag Example

Extended components

Extended components before usage should be registered in Druid with druid.register() function. On usage of unregistered Druid component the next log will be shown in the console.

local data_list = require("druid.extended.data_list")
druid.register("data_list", data_list)

Name	Description	Example	Preview
Checkbox	Switch node state on click event.	Checkbox Example
Checkbox group	Group of checkbox components.	Checkbox group Example
Radio group	Like checkbox group but with single choise only.	Radio Group Example
Dynamic Grid	Logic over GUI Node. Component to manage node positions with all different node sizes. Only one direction: horizontal or vertical.	Dynamic Grid Example
Data List	Logic over Scroll and Grid components. Create only visible GUI nodes or components to make "infinity" scroll befaviour	Data List Example
Input	Logic over GUI Node and GUI Text (or Text component). Provides basic user text input.	Input Example
Lang text	Logic over Text component to handle localization. Can be translated in real-time with druid.on_language_change	❌
Progress	Logic over GUI Node. Handle node size and scale to handle progress node size.	Progress Example
Slider	Logic over GUI Node. Handle draggable node with position restrictions.	Slider Example
Timer	Logic over GUI Text. Handle basic timer functions.	❌
Hotkey	Allow to set callbacks for keyboard hotkeys with key modificators.	Hotkey Example
Layout	Logic over GUI Node. Handle node size depends on layout mode and screen aspect ratio. Contains helpers to build more complex UI layout.	Layout Example

For a complete overview, see: components.md.

Druid Events

Any Druid components as callbacks use Druid Events. In component API (button example) pointed list of component events. You can manually subscribe to these events with the following API:

• event:subscribe(callback)

• event:unsubscribe(callback)

• event:clear()

You can subscribe several callbacks to a single event.

Details

• Druid processes input in a stack-based manner. The most recently created button will be checked first. Create your input GUI components from back to front.
• Remember to include return in the on_input function: return self.druid:on_input(). This is necessary if you have multiple input sources (multiple Druid instances, other input systems, etc.).
• Druid automatically calls acquire_input_focus if you have input components. Therefore, manual calling of acquire_input_focus is not required.
• When deleting a Druid component node, make sure to remove it using druid:remove(component).

Examples

Try the HTML5 version of the Druid example app.

Each example page provides a direct link to the corresponding example code, making it easier for you to understand how to use Druid.

Or refer directly to the example folder for code examples demonstrating how to use Druid.

If you want to see examples of GUIs created with Druid, please refer to the game_examples.md file.

Documentation

To better understand Druid, read the following documentation:

• How To GUI in Defold
• Druid components
• Create custom components
• See FAQ article
• Druid styles

You can find the full Druid documentation here.

Licenses

• Developed and supported by Insality
• Original idea by AGulev
• Assets from Kenney

Issues and suggestions

If you have any issues, questions or suggestions please create an issue or contact me: [email protected]

History

For a complete history of the development of Druid, please check the changelog.

❤️ Support project ❤️

Your donation helps me stay engaged in creating valuable projects for Defold. If you appreciate what I'm doing, please consider supporting me!