Multiple objects of Breakout in a single Picture Box

Question

I'm creating a program that simulates that of the Breakout Game using C#.

I've been learning various techniques on how to create the bricks, paddle and ball for the game but cannot work out on how to add them all into one picture box in Visual Studio.

The main issue I'm facing is that in order to move the ball for example, I have to clear the 'canvas' by using the following section of code: paper.Clear(Color.White); This basically clears the picture box to the colour white in order for the new coordinate (of the ball for example) to be dawn within the picture box and this is where my issue begins.

Each of the components within the Breakout game (that I have practised) all use the paper.Clear(Color.White); code. This means that if for example I want to move the paddle, display the bricks and bounce the ball simultaneously, the program just decides to do one function at a time. If I remove paper.Clear(Color.White); from one of my assets then the program just won't function in the way I want it to.

Is there a way for all these components to run simultaneously within the game without missing any of them out completely?

Answer 1

At its simplest you need to change your approach to have the 'layouting' or 'painting' be centrally controlled, presumably on a timer or similar, and do a single 'clear' operation and then redraw all your components. In other words, do not have each component clear the canvas, they should just be concerned with their own rendering.

The above is the simplest approach. Beyond that you could take an approach of only redrawing what has changed from one frame to another. This can make for much more optimized performance, especially if your game canvas is large or has many components. However it requires a completely different, and in some ways more complex design. You would need to determine the rectangle / rectangles that have had 'movement' or other modifications to them from the prior frame, clear only those rectangles and ask those components that are wholly or partially in those rectangles to re-draw themselves.