Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

SDL VS Paper.js

Compare SDL VS Paper.js and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

SDL logo SDL

Simple DirectMedia Layer is a cross-platform multimedia library designed to provide low level...

Paper.js logo Paper.js

Open source vector graphics scripting framework that runs on top of the HTML5 Canvas.
  • SDL Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-26
Not present

SDL features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    SDL supports multiple operating systems including Windows, Mac OS, Linux, iOS, and Android, allowing developers to write code once and run it on various platforms.
  • Simplified Development
    SDL provides a simple and straightforward API for handling graphics, sound, and input, making it easier for developers to create multimedia applications and games without needing to write platform-specific code.
  • Community Support
    SDL has a large and active community along with extensive documentation and tutorials, which can be immensely helpful for both new and experienced developers.
  • Extensible
    SDL is highly extensible with multiple add-on libraries available, such as SDL_image, SDL_mixer, and SDL_ttf, which provide additional functionality for handling images, audio, and fonts respectively.
  • Lightweight and Efficient
    SDL is designed to be lightweight and efficient, capable of running on a wide range of hardware with minimal overhead, making it suitable for performance-critical applications such as games.
  • Open Source
    SDL is open-source software, licensed under the zlib license, which allows developers to use, modify, and distribute their own SDL-based software freely.

Possible disadvantages of SDL

  • Limited 3D Support
    SDL is primarily designed for 2D graphics and does not include advanced 3D graphics functionality, limiting its use for 3D game development without integrating it with other libraries like OpenGL.
  • Learning Curve
    While simpler than many alternatives, SDL still requires a learning curve, especially for developers who are unfamiliar with C/C++ programming or game development concepts.
  • Less Abstracted than Some Frameworks
    SDL offers lower-level access to hardware and does not provide high-level abstractions found in some other game development frameworks, which can result in more complex code for certain tasks.
  • Controller and Input Limitations
    SDL's support for various controllers and input devices can be less comprehensive than some other libraries, requiring additional effort or third-party solutions to achieve full functionality.
  • Debugging and Profiling
    Debugging and profiling SDL applications can be more challenging compared to using certain other game development frameworks that come with integrated tools for these purposes.

Paper.js features and specs

  • Vector Graphics Support
    Paper.js excels in handling vector graphics, making it an excellent choice for creating and manipulating graphics with precision.
  • Scene Graph
    The library uses a scene graph, which facilitates hierarchical organization and management of graphical objects.
  • Rich API
    Paper.js offers a highly intuitive and rich API that simplifies tasks like working with paths, segments, and more.
  • Ease of Use
    With its clear documentation and straightforward syntax, Paper.js is beginner-friendly while remaining powerful for advanced users.
  • Cross-Platform
    Being JavaScript-based, Paper.js works across different platforms and browsers without requiring any additional plugins.
  • Interactive Graphics
    It allows for easy creation of interactive graphics, making it ideal for use in web applications needing dynamic graphic manipulation.
  • Built-In Animation Support
    Paper.js includes built-in support for animations, enabling smooth and complex animations with minimal effort.

Possible disadvantages of Paper.js

  • Performance
    Due to its high-level abstraction and ease of use, Paper.js may not perform as well as lower-level graphics libraries in performance-critical applications.
  • File Size
    Paper.js can be relatively large in terms of file size compared to some lightweight alternatives, which might affect load times.
  • Limited to Canvas
    Paper.js is limited to the HTML5 Canvas element, so it doesn't natively support other rendering contexts like SVG.
  • Animation Flexibility
    While it offers built-in animation support, the flexibility and feature set might not be as extensive as dedicated animation libraries.
  • Learning Curve for Complex Features
    Although it's beginner-friendly for simple tasks, mastering more complex aspects of Paper.js can have a steeper learning curve.
  • Community and Support
    Paper.js might not have as large a community or as extensive support as some other more widely-used JavaScript libraries such as D3.js or Three.js.

Analysis of Paper.js

Overall verdict

  • Paper.js is a great choice for those looking to create vector graphics and animations on the web. Its ease of use, powerful features, and active community support make it a strong contender in the realm of graphics frameworks.

Why this product is good

  • Paper.js is a powerful open-source vector graphics scripting framework that runs on top of the HTML5 Canvas. It's widely appreciated for its simplicity and flexibility, making it easier for developers to create complex graphics and animations with its concise syntax and intelligent object model. Its extensive and well-documented API, along with a thriving community, also contributes to its appeal.

Recommended for

  • Developers who need to create intricate vector graphics and animations.
  • Artists and designers looking for a tool to bring their designs to the web.
  • Educators and students interested in learning about graphics programming.
  • Projects that require dynamic and interactive graphics.

SDL videos

Useful review features in SDL Trados Studio

More videos:

  • Review - Reviewing translations in SDL Trados Studio 2019
  • Review - Doral SDL-A All-Season TIRE REVIEW + SNOW

Paper.js videos

Revision clouds in AutoCAD using Paper.js

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to SDL and Paper.js)
Game Engine
100 100%
0% 0
Javascript UI Libraries
0 0%
100% 100
Game Development
100 100%
0% 0
Flowcharts
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare SDL and Paper.js

SDL Reviews

We have no reviews of SDL yet.
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Paper.js Reviews

20+ JavaScript libraries to draw your own diagrams (2022 edition)
Paper.js is an open source vector graphics scripting framework that runs on top of the HTML5 Canvas. It offers a clean Scene Graph / Document Object Model and a lot of powerful functionality to create and work with vector graphics and bezier curves, all neatly wrapped up in a well designed, consistent and clean programming interface. It’s based on (and largely compatible)...
8 Best Free and Open-Source Drawing Libraries in JavaScript
The Paper.js library is another free and open-source solution for people who want to draw using JavaScript. The library uses canvas to handle its drawing animations. However, its primary focus is vector-based drawings instead of raster images.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, SDL should be more popular than Paper.js. It has been mentiond 19 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

SDL mentions (19)

  • New Year, New Game Engine - Nikola Engine Devlog 0
    You see, for the past several years I have used many programming languages and many more game frameworks and libraries. Programming languages like Java, C#, C++, and even, sadly, JavaScript (I know...). Game frameworks like LWJGL, SDL2, Raylib, MonoGame, SFML, and many more. Essentially, I have seen it all. Out of all of them, I think SDL2 was closer to what I was looking for, though, Raylib was the one I used the... - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • How was Pico8 made?
    In addition to the excellent video /u/DookieChumo linked, you can also look in the manual to see some of the technologies used. It's written in C, using SDL. If you're interested in something like a devlog, you could read the changelog to see its changes and the development of features over the years. Lua is fairly easy to embed into other programs, so you can write programs that use Lua scripts to decide what to... Source: over 2 years ago
  • How does one make their own GUI from scratch? (no GUI libraries)
    You could use the cross-platform library SDL. It has Python bindings: PySDL2. Source: over 2 years ago
  • I want to become a game dev one day, can you guys help me?
    You can use SDL, which is pretty easy to get into, has straight-forward (if somewhat sparse) documentation and has lots of pretty decent tutorials - see the links on the web site. Source: over 2 years ago
  • what #include<iostream> does in C++ Program ?
    Official website is https://libsdl.org where you can read more about download and install this library because it might not work on your computer. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

Paper.js mentions (11)

  • How Framer/Figma is built?
    I started with angular and paper.js: http://paperjs.org/. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Polygon JS libraries
    In a thread in the Processing forum, Boolean operations in polygons , user ErraticGenerator suggests using g.js or Paper.js. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Looking for a javascript library with good wrapping support
    It is likely that paper.js provides the functionality needed. I will probably investigate it at some point since it appears to be the more popular library Compare paper.js & bezier.js. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Animating an svg
    Just remember you can do some SVG displacement with Paper.JS. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Diagnosing RangeError: Maximum call stack size exceeded in React KeyEscapeUtils
    Our webapp is written with React and Redux using the official react-redux bindings. Another primary library used in this web app is PaperJS. We recently transitioned this to being a Redux app, though it has used React for a while. Source: about 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing SDL and Paper.js, you can also consider the following products

Rev.com - Transcriptions, captions, and subtitles that are affordable, fast, and high-quality.

p5.js - JS library for creating graphic and interactive experiences

ABBYY - ABBYY's leading AI and machine learning technology solutions range from process analysis, data capture, pdf editor, text and content recognition (OCR) and extraction, combining process and content insights to deliver digital intelligence.

Three.js - A JavaScript 3D library which makes WebGL simpler.

Lilt - Interactive, adaptive translation platform

Konva - Konva is 2d Canvas JavaScript framework for drawings shapes, animations, node nesting, layering, filtering, event handling, drag and drop and much more.