Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
This C programming course teaches you about direct pixel manipulation and graphics. By leveraging the cross-platform power of the SDL3 library, you will learn how to safely navigate modern operating system restrictions to build a low-level software renderer from scratch. This hands-on approach will demystify how computers handle memory and CPU instructions, ultimately culminating in rendering the classic Doom fire effect directly to a frame buffer.
Code: github.com/gustavopezzi/sdl3-framebuffer
❤️ Support for this channel comes from our friends at Scrimba – the coding platform that's reinvented interactive learning: scrimba.com/freecodecamp
⭐️ Chapters ⭐️
- 00:00:00 Introduction to the Course and Low-Level Pixel Manipulation
- 00:05:28 Understanding Monitor Resolutions and the Frame Buffer
- 00:09:13 Modern Operating System Restrictions vs. MS-DOS
- 00:13:36 Using SDL3 for Cross-Platform Hardware Access
- 00:17:47 Overview of SDL Initialization, Windows, Renderers, and Textures
- 00:24:47 Installing SDL3 on Mac OS, Linux, and Windows
- 00:28:12 Setting up `main.c`, Compiling, and Creating a Makefile
- 00:34:41 Defining the Frame Buffer Resolution and Array
- 00:37:38 Creating the SDL Window, Renderer, and Texture
- 00:46:13 Polling System Events and Creating the Main Game Loop
- 00:51:14 Binding the Frame Buffer Array to the SDL Texture
- 01:00:27 Implementing Error Checking for SDL Functions
- 01:04:48 The `put_pixel` Function: Mapping 2D Coordinates to a 1D Array
- 01:12:42 Controlling Timing and Capping the Frame Rate at 60 FPS
- 01:18:22 Implementing `clear_framebuffer` and Array Boundary Protections
- 01:24:19 Software (CPU) vs. Hardware (GPU) Rendering Explained
- 01:27:30 Bonus: Rendering the Classic Doom Fire Effect
🎉 Thanks to our Champion and Sponsor supporters:
👾 @omerhattapoglu1158
👾 @goddardtan
👾 @akihayashi6629
👾 @kikilogsin
👾 @anthonycampbell2148
👾 @tobymiller7790
👾 @rajibdassharma497
👾 @CloudVirtualizationEnthusiast
👾 @adilsoncarlosvianacarlos
👾 @martinmacchia1564
👾 @ulisesmoralez4160
👾 @_Oscar_
👾 @jedi-or-sith2728
👾 @justinhual1290
--
Learn to code for free and get a developer job: freecodecamp.org
Read hundreds of articles on programming: freecodecamp.org/news
This C programming course teaches you about direct pixel manipulation and graphics. By leveraging the cross-platform power of the SDL3 library, you will learn how to safely navigate modern operating system restrictions to build a low-level software renderer from scratch. This hands-on approach will demystify how computers handle memory and CPU instructions, ultimately culminating in rendering the classic Doom fire effect directly to a frame buffer.
Code: github.com/gustavopezzi/sdl3-framebuffer
❤️ Support for this channel comes from our friends at Scrimba – the coding platform that's reinvented interactive learning: scrimba.com/freecodecamp
⭐️ Chapters ⭐️
- 00:00:00 Introduction to the Course and Low-Level Pixel Manipulation
- 00:05:28 Understanding Monitor Resolutions and the Frame Buffer
- 00:09:13 Modern Operating System Restrictions vs. MS-DOS
- 00:13:36 Using SDL3 for Cross-Platform Hardware Access
- 00:17:47 Overview of SDL Initialization, Windows, Renderers, and Textures
- 00:24:47 Installing SDL3 on Mac OS, Linux, and Windows
- 00:28:12 Setting up `main.c`, Compiling, and Creating a Makefile
- 00:34:41 Defining the Frame Buffer Resolution and Array
- 00:37:38 Creating the SDL Window, Renderer, and Texture
- 00:46:13 Polling System Events and Creating the Main Game Loop
- 00:51:14 Binding the Frame Buffer Array to the SDL Texture
- 01:00:27 Implementing Error Checking for SDL Functions
- 01:04:48 The `put_pixel` Function: Mapping 2D Coordinates to a 1D Array
- 01:12:42 Controlling Timing and Capping the Frame Rate at 60 FPS
- 01:18:22 Implementing `clear_framebuffer` and Array Boundary Protections
- 01:24:19 Software (CPU) vs. Hardware (GPU) Rendering Explained
- 01:27:30 Bonus: Rendering the Classic Doom Fire Effect
🎉 Thanks to our Champion and Sponsor supporters:
👾 @omerhattapoglu1158
👾 @goddardtan
👾 @akihayashi6629
👾 @kikilogsin
👾 @anthonycampbell2148
👾 @tobymiller7790
👾 @rajibdassharma497
👾 @CloudVirtualizationEnthusiast
👾 @adilsoncarlosvianacarlos
👾 @martinmacchia1564
👾 @ulisesmoralez4160
👾 @_Oscar_
👾 @jedi-or-sith2728
👾 @justinhual1290
--
Learn to code for free and get a developer job: freecodecamp.org
Read hundreds of articles on programming: freecodecamp.org/news
