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FAQ / Common Pitfalls

Nothing appears on screen​

Check this first:

  1. you called app.Run()
  2. you registered a scene and activated it with ChangeScene()
  3. the entity has Transform and SpriteRenderer
  4. the texture exists or at least the path is correct
  5. you did not hide the sprite with Hide() or SetVisible(false)

Text does not appear​

Usually it is one of two things:

  • you did not call UI::Bind(app)
  • no default font has been loaded

The engine loads the default PixelStormMini.ttf font automatically. If you replace it, load another font with Application::LoadFont() and select it with Application::SetDefaultFont().

The collider does not rotate with the sprite​

That is expected.

The public physics system uses AABB:

  • the Transform rotation only affects drawing
  • the collider remains axis-aligned
  • the Transform scale does not change the collider either

Changing Scenes Clears My World​

That is also expected.

SceneManager::ChangeScene() clears the world before entering the new scene. If you need persistence, keep it outside the world or rebuild it on entry.

Entity Became Invalid​

An entity becomes invalid if:

  • it never existed
  • it was destroyed
  • the registry no longer owns it

Use IsValid() before operating on it if the reference might expire.

Input::GetAxis2D("move") Returns Zero​

Check that:

  • the window is initialized
  • you are calling it inside an updated frame
  • you did not clear the default bindings
  • you are not querying a different action name that does not exist

My Sprite Uses a Strange Texture​

If SpriteRenderer.TextureName is empty, the engine uses the procedural fallback texture. That helps debugging, but it also means forgetting to load a texture name still leaves something visible.

Text Follows the Camera When I Do Not Want It To​

Use followCamera = false in UI::Print() or Application::DrawText().

The Camera Moves Too Slowly​

FollowCamera() uses smoothing when followSpeed > 0.

If you want instant follow, use followSpeed = 0.0f.

Play(name) in Animation Does Nothing​

That method does not throw if the clip does not exist.

Check:

  • that you added the clip with AddClip()
  • that the name matches exactly
  • that Animator and SpriteRenderer exist on the entity

Particles Are Not Spawning​

Check:

  • that the emitter has Active = true
  • that you called EmitBurst()
  • that AutoEmit and EmitRate are configured if you want continuous emission

The Screen Uses Strange Coordinates​

PixelStorm works with a fixed logical resolution defined by the initial window. GetMousePosition() and the camera use that logical space, not the physical framebuffer.

The Scene Changes But Some State Still Looks Wrong​

That usually means the state lives outside the world, or the camera was not reset the way you expected. The engine resets camera tracking on scene changes, but your own global variables remain under your control.

tip

If something "works but does not show up", the problem is usually in the resource, the active scene, or the coordinate space.