SDL_PenMotionEvent(3type)

💖 SDL_PenMotionEvent — a datatype, bestie 💖

okay so this is from the SDL3 DATATYPES corner of the SDL3 manual, and it's literally the page for SDL_PenMotionEvent(3type). it's giving "pen goes wiggle, struct tells you about it". no cap. 🖊️✨

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🌸 NAME 🌸

SDL_PenMotionEvent — the pressure-sensitive pen motion event structure (you'll find it living at event.pmotion.*, iykyk) 🎀

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🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

#include <SDL3/SDL_events.h>

typedef struct SDL_PenMotionEvent
{
    SDL_EventType type; /**< SDL_EVENT_PEN_MOTION */
    Uint32 reserved;
    Uint64 timestamp;   /**< In nanoseconds, populated using SDL_GetTicksNS() */
    SDL_WindowID windowID; /**< The window with pen focus, if any */
    SDL_PenID which;        /**< The pen instance id */
    SDL_PenInputFlags pen_state;   /**< Complete pen input state at time of event */
    float x;                /**< X coordinate, relative to window */
    float y;                /**< Y coordinate, relative to window */
    SDL_PenDeviceType device_type; /**< the device type of the pen, if known (added in 3.4.18). */
} SDL_PenMotionEvent;

so yeah, that's the whole struct, verbatim, every field accounted for, we do not skip a single one here 💅

• type — always SDL_EVENT_PEN_MOTION, that's the whole personality of this event 🫶
• reserved — reserved. don't touch it. it's not for you, bestie 🙈
• timestamp — in nanoseconds, populated using SDL_GetTicksNS(). yes, nanoseconds, we're precise like that ⭐
• windowID — the window with pen focus, if any. "if any" is doing a lot of work there 😭
• which — the pen instance id 🖊️
• pen_state — the complete pen input state at time of event. the whole vibe check, captured in one field 🌈
• x — X coordinate, relative to window 📍
• y — Y coordinate, relative to window 📍
• device_type — the device type of the pen, if known (added in 3.4.18). lowkey a newer field, we love growth 👑

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💜 DESCRIPTION 💜

okay so here's the tea ☕ depending on the hardware, you may get motion events when the pen is not touching a tablet — that's for tracking a pen even when it isn't drawing. so like, the pen is hovering, being mysterious, main character energy, and you're still getting motion events. iconic honestly. ✨

so how do you know if the pen is actually "drawing"?? you should either:

• listen for SDL_EVENT_PEN_DOWN and SDL_EVENT_PEN_UP events, or
• check pen_state & SDL_PEN_INPUT_DOWN

either way, do that when you're dealing with pen motion. that's the move. periodt. 💅

ngl, don't just assume a motion event means the pen is down — the hardware might be tracking a hovering pen, and that's a whole different situation 🫶

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🎀 AVAILABILITY 🎀

This struct is available since SDL 3.2.0. yes bestie, it's been around, it's not new-new, it's just that one field that's newer 👑

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that's the whole page, fr fr 💖 thanks for reading to the end, you ate that. this was brought to you by Simple Directmedia Layer, version SDL 3.4.18, and yes the manual section is SDL_PenMotionEvent(3type) in case you need to cite your sources. slay, bye 🦋🌸💅