love2d-assets-loader is a library for assets loading on demand. It works with Löve2D framework (compatible with Löve 0.8.0). The aim of this utility is to simplify in-game assets (fonts, audio, images) loading and management.

love2d-assets-loader have been highy inspired by Vrld's Proxy function.

##Features

• Loads required assets on demand.
• Automatic resources caching : when an asset is called for the first time, it is loaded and stored within the loader. Next calls will return the stored value.
• Grants access to Löve's default font (Vera.ttf)
• Loads external True Type (.ttf) fonts with custom size
• Loads .wav, .ogg and .mp3 audio formats as static or streaming sources.
• Loads .png, .jpg and .bmp images

##Installation Put the file loader.lua inside your project folder.
Call it using the require function.
It will return a reference to the public interface as a regular Lua table.

##Usage love2d-assets-loader is very simple to use. Say that your project folder is organized this way:

You will have to specify the paths to your Audio, Font and Image assets to the loader, and then initialize it. This should be done inside love.load callback.

function love.load()  
  loader = require 'loader'
  loader.setBaseImageDir('img')
  loader.setBaseAudioDir('audio')
  loader.setBaseFontDir('fonts')
  loader.init() -- Do not forget this!
end  

And that's it!

##Loading Fonts ###Loading Löve default font

Löve default font can be accessed via loader.Font

function love.draw()
  love.graphics.setFont(loader.Font[15]) -- Love default with size 15
  love.graphics.setFont(loader.Font(15)) -- Same as before
  
  love.graphics.setFont(loader.Font[18]) -- Love default with size 18
  love.graphics.setFont(loader.Font(18)) -- Same as before
  
  love.graphics.setFont(loader.Font()) -- Whith no arg, will use a customisable default font size
end

###Loading custom True-Type fonts

Löve custom fonts can be accessed via loader.extFont

function love.draw()
  -- Assuming you have a font named Arial.ttf inside your base font folder.
  love.graphics.setFont(loader.extFont.Arial[15]) -- Arial font size 15
  love.graphics.setFont(loader.extFont.Arial(15)) -- Same as before
  
  love.graphics.setFont(loader.extFont.Arial[18]) -- Arial font size 18
  love.graphics.setFont(loader.extFont.Arial(18)) -- Same as before
  
  love.graphics.setFont(loader.extFont.Arial()) -- Whith no arg, will use a customisable default font size
end

##Loading Audio

Audio files (.ogg, .wav and .mp3) can be loaded via loader.Audio.Stream (streaming playback) or loader.Audio.Static (static playback).

  -- Assuming you have an audio file name 'Love.ogg' in your base audio folder
  love.audio.play(loader.Audio.Stream.Love) -- Will be streamed
  love.audio.play(loader.Audio.Static.Love) -- will be decoded before playback
  
  -- Assuming you have an audio file name 'tick.wav' in your base audio folder
  love.audio.play(loader.Audio.Stream.tick) -- Will be streamed
  love.audio.play(loader.Audio.Static.tick) -- will be decoded before playback

  -- Assuming you have an audio file name 'stream.mp3' in your base audio folder
  love.audio.play(loader.Audio.Stream.stream) -- Will be streamed
  love.audio.play(loader.Audio.Static.stream) -- will be decoded before playback

##Loading Images

Images files (.png and .jpg) can be loaded via loader.Image

function love.draw()
  -- Assuming you have a 'player.png' or 'player.jpg' file in your base image folder
  love.graphics.draw(loader.Image.player,0,0)
end

A very interesting feature here is that loader.Image supports nested folders. Say that in your base image folder (here, "img/") you have the following tree:

img/
--> (folder) Maps/
   --> (file) map1.jpg
   --> (file) map2.jpg
	 --> (folder) Ground/
		    --> (file) g1.png
		    --> (file) g2.png
--> (file) player.png 

function love.draw()
  love.graphics.draw(loader.Image.Maps.Ground.g1,0,0) -- draws 'img/Maps/Ground/g1.png'
  love.graphics.draw(loader.Image.Maps.map2,0,0) -- draws 'img/Maps/map2.jpg'
  love.graphics.draw(loader.Image.player,0,0) -- draws 'img/player.png'
end

##Public Interface ###Setters

• loader.setBaseFontDir(dir): sets dir as the base font folder.
• loader.setBaseImageDir(dir): sets dir as the base image folder
• loader.setBaseAudioDir(dir): sets dir as the base audio folder
• loader.setBaseFontSize(integer): sets integer as the default font size

###Getters

• loader.getBaseFontDir(dir): returns the base font folder.
• loader.getBaseImageDir(dir): returns the base image folder
• loader.getBaseAudioDir(dir): returns the base audio folder
• loader.getBaseFontSize(integer): returns the default font size

###Initialization

• loader.init(): Inits the loader. Should be called after using setters.

###Loading routines

• loader.Font: access to Löve default font
• loader.extFont: access to custom true type fonts
• loader.Audio.Stream: loads audio files for streaming playback.
• loader.Audio.Static: loads audio files for static playback.
• loader.Image: loads images

##Final Notes

love2d-assets-loader checks for love namespace before running, to prevent this lib being used without Love2D. Also, parts of love2d-assets-loader are relevant to Love2D's modules.

• loader.Audio requires love.audio and love.sound
• loader.Image requires love.image and love.graphics
• loader.Font and loader.extFont both require love.graphics

Be sure to have these modules activated through your configuration file.

##License This work is released under the terms of MIT-LICENSE
Copyright (c) 2012 Roland Yonaba

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a
copy of this software and associated documentation files (the
"Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including
without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish,
distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to
permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to
the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included
in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS
OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT.
IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY
CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT,
TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE
SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.