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Go + Godot 4.3 Go Reference

This module provides a safe performant way to work with Godot 4.3, in Go via the GDExtension interface.

You can support the project and prioritise issues here

// This file is all you need to start a project in Go + Godot.
// Save it somewhere, install the `gd` command and use `gd run` to get started.
package main

import (
	"fmt"

	"grow.graphics/gd"
	"grow.graphics/gd/gdextension"
)

type HelloWorld struct {
	gd.Class[HelloWorld, gd.SceneTree]
}

// Initialize implements the Godot MainLoop _initialize interface (virtual function).
func (h *HelloWorld) Initialize() {
	fmt.Println("Hello World from Go!")
}

func main() {
	godot, ok := gdextension.Link()
	if !ok {
		return
	}
	gd.Register[HelloWorld](godot)
}

Getting Started

The module includes a drop-in replacement for the go command called gd that makes it easy to work with projects that run within Godot. It enables you to start developing a new project from a single main.go file, to install it, make sure that your $GOPATH/bin is in your $PATH and run:

	go install grow.graphics/gd/cmd/gd@master

Now when you can run gd run, gd test on the main package in your project's directory, things will work as expected. The tool will create a "graphics" subdirectory where you can manage your assets via the Godot Editor.

Running the command without any arguments will startup the editor.

NOTE On linux (and macos if you have brew), gd will download Godot for you automatically!
HINT On Windows, you'll want to setup CGO.

If you don't want to use the gd command, you can build a shared library with the go command directly:

go build -o example.so -buildmode=c-shared

Design Principles

Godot classes are exported by the gd package and can be referred to by their standard Godot names, for example gd.Object is an Object reference. There's no inheritance, so to access the 'super' class, you need to call Super() on your custom 'Class'. All Godot classes have methods to cast to the classes they extend for example AsObject() or AsNode2D().

Methods have been renamed to follow Go conventions, so instead of underscores, methods are named as PascalCase. Keep this in mind when referring to the Godot documentation.

https://docs.godotengine.org/en/latest/index.html

Semi-Automatic Memory Management

Godot types are preferred over Go types, in order to keep allocations optional. All values are tied to a [gd.Lifetime] value, each extension class has two lifetimes:

(a) `Temporary` any values associated with it will be freed when Go returns to Godot.
(b) `KeepAlive` values will be associated with the class and will be freed when the 
     class is destroyed by Godot.

This module aims to offer memory safety for race-free extensions, if you discover a way to unintentionally do something unsafe (like double free, use-after-free or a segfault), using methods on types exported by the root gd package please open an issue.

Recommendations

Start with a main.go file, model your project in Go using structs to represent the world, space or state of your project. Go is an excellent language for textual representation. Use the gd command to launch the Godot editor when you want to create visual representation of your structures. The Godot editor is an excellent tool for importing media, managing assets and designing the visual and spatial aspects of a project. Don't forget to write tests!

Where Do I Find?

* Godot Class            -> gd.{ClassName}
* Godot Class Method     -> gd.{ClassName}.{pascal(MethodName)}
* Godot Utility Function -> gd.Lifetime.{pascal(UtilityName)} OR gd.{pascal(UtilityName)} (pure)
* Godot Enum             -> gd.{EnumName}
* Godot Enum Value       -> gd.{EnumName}{EnumValueName}
* Godot Singleton        -> gd.{ClassName}(gd.Lifetime) // function returns the singleton, they cannot be stored.

Low Level Rendering API

This module exposes an idiomatic implementation of the Godot RenderingDevice API, a low-level driver-agnostic rendering API.

gd.RenderingDevice(gd.Lifetime) // Full access to the low level RenderingDevice API (see grow.graphics/rd)

Performance

It's feasible to write high performance code using this module, keep to Godot types where possible and avoid escaping memory to the heap in frequently called functions.

Zero Allocations

Benchmarking shows method calls from Go -> Godot do not allocate in practice.

Allocations are currently unavoidable for GDScript -> Go calls (but not for class virtual method overrides such as Ready or Process, which should be allocation free).

We've got some ideas to reduce allocations for GDScript -> Go calls, when arguments fit entirely within registers. TBA.

Examples

There are a number of examples in the examples repo. All examples are designed to be run with gd run without any additional setup.

Testing

To run the go tests for this module cd internal && gd test.

Supported Platforms

  • Windows
  • Linux (including Steam Deck)
  • Mac (including Apple Silicon)
  • Android (including MetaQuest)
  • IOS (should work, untested)

Known Limitations

  • No support for indexed properties
  • No support for Godot class functions with varargs.
  • No support for script extensions.
  • 64bit support only.
  • No Web Export Yet (we have ideas on how to solve this)
  • No planned support for proprietary consoles.

See Also

Licensing

This project is licensed under an MIT license (the same license as Godot), you can use it in any manner you can use the Godot engine. If you use this for a commercially successful project, please consider financially supporting us.