MicroMouse Simulator

A sophisticated micromouse maze simulator featuring pathfinding algorithms and interactive visualization.

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Table of Contents

• Features
• Prerequisites
• Quick Start
• Building the Project
• Running the Simulator
• Testing
• Troubleshooting

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Demo

Features

Maze Generators

• Recursive Backtracker: A classic randomized depth-first search algorithm that creates complex, perfect mazes.
• Eller's Algorithm: A memory-efficient algorithm that generates mazes row-by-row, allowing for potentially infinite maze generation.

Pathfinding Solvers

• Breadth-First Search (BFS): Guarantees the shortest path in an unweighted grid.
• Depth-First Search (DFS): Explores as far as possible along each branch before backtracking.
• A Search*: Uses heuristics (Manhattan distance) to find the most efficient path.
• Flood Fill: A popular algorithm for micromouse that calculates distances from the goal.
• Wall Follower: Implements the classic left-hand rule for maze navigation.

Interactive UI

• Real-time visualization of generation and solving processes.
• Adjustable simulation speed.
• Manual wall toggling and maze editing.
• Zoom and pan support for large mazes.

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Prerequisites

Before building, ensure you have:

• CMake (version 3.16 or higher)
• C++ Compiler (GCC, Clang, MSVC, or MinGW)
• Git (for cloning the repository)
• Build System (Make, Ninja, or MSBuild)
• Python 3 (for pre-commit hooks)

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Quick Start

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/kr8457/MicroMouse-Simulator
cd MicroMouse-Simulator

# Switch to development branch (recommended)
git checkout dev

# Configure with testing enabled
cmake -B build -DBUILD_TESTING=ON

# Build the project
cmake --build build

# Run tests
ctest --test-dir build --output-on-failure

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Building the Project

Basic Configuration

For a standard build without testing:

cmake -B build

Configuration with Testing

To enable GoogleTest for unit testing:

cmake -B build -DBUILD_TESTING=ON

This will automatically fetch and build GoogleTest from source.

Compile the Project

Build the configured project:

cmake --build build

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Running the Simulator

Run the simulator based on your system:

# For Unix-like systems
./build/mms

# For Windows (MinGW)
./build/mms.exe

# For Visual Studio builds
./build/Debug/mms.exe

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Testing

If you configured the project with -DBUILD_TESTING=ON, run the test suite using CTest:

ctest --test-dir build --output-on-failure

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Troubleshooting

CMake Configuration Fails

• Verify CMake is installed: cmake --version
• Ensure a C++ compiler is in your PATH
• Try specifying a generator explicitly with -G

Build Errors

• Check that all prerequisites are installed
• Ensure your compiler supports C++11 or higher
• Try cleaning and reconfiguring:

  rm -rf build/
  cmake -B build
  cmake --build build

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Additional Resources

• CMake Documentation
• GoogleTest GitHub
• Doxygen Documentation
• Sphinx Documentation