NYC Open Data Week 2025 Workshop
Presented by Kiley Matschke (Post-Baccalaureate Fellow, Barnard College Vagelos Computational Science Center)
Email: kmatschk@barnard.edu
This workshop explores the intersection of data visualization and gameplay using real NYC squirrel census data. Participants will learn how to use the game engine LÖVE to work creatively with data through the lens of game design principles. This workshop is open to people from all backgrounds and coding levels! Beginner friendly.
Dataset: Squirrel Census Data
- Download Visual Studio Code
- Download LÖVE -> install under Applications (Mac) or Program Files (Windows)
- Download squirrels-template -> unzip and keep in Downloads!
- Hipchick font (For on-screen text)
- SunnyLand Woods Asset Pack (Cinnamon squirrels)
- Sprout Lands Asset Pack (Player + environment)
- Figma (Great for designing and modifying assets)
- Cozy Animal Crossing Music (Soundtrack)
- Labeled sprite sheets and coordinate plane:
Class = require 'lib/class'
push = require 'lib/push'
require 'lib/Animation'
require 'lib/StateMachine'
require 'lib/Util'
require 'src/entity_defs'
require 'src/Player'
require 'src/PlayState'
require 'src/Squirrel'
gFonts = {
['large'] = love.graphics.newFont('fonts/hipchick.ttf', 45)
}
gSounds = {
['music'] = love.audio.newSource('sounds/animalcrossing.wav', 'stream')
}
gTextures = {
['player'] = love.graphics.newImage('graphics/player.png'),
['grass'] = love.graphics.newImage('graphics/grass.png'),
['squirrels'] = love.graphics.newImage('graphics/squirrels.png'),
['tree'] = love.graphics.newImage('graphics/tree.png')
}
gFrames = {
['player'] = GenerateQuads(gTextures['player'], 48, 48),
['squirrels'] = GenerateQuads(gTextures['squirrels'], 32, 32)
} require 'src/dependencies'
VIRTUAL_WIDTH = 1280
VIRTUAL_HEIGHT = 720
function love.load()
love.window.setTitle('NYC Open Data Week 2025')
love.graphics.setDefaultFilter('nearest', 'nearest')
push:setupScreen(VIRTUAL_WIDTH, VIRTUAL_HEIGHT, VIRTUAL_WIDTH, VIRTUAL_HEIGHT, {
fullscreen = false,
vsync = true,
rezibale = true
})
gStateMachine = StateMachine {
['play'] = function() return PlayState() end
}
gStateMachine:change('play')
gSounds['music']:setLooping(true)
gSounds['music']:play()
end
function love.resize(w,h)
push:resize(w,h)
end
function love.keypressed(key)
love.keyboard.keysPressed[key] = true
if key == 'return' or key == 'enter' then
love.event.quit('restart')
end
if key == 'escape' then
love.event.quit()
end
end
function love.update(dt)
love.keyboard.keysPressed = {}
gStateMachine:update(dt)
end
function love.draw()
push:start()
love.graphics.draw(gTextures['grass'], 0, 0)
gStateMachine:render()
push:finish()
end ENTITY_DEFS = {
['player'] = {
animations = {
['walk-down'] = {frames = {1,2,3,4}, interval = 0.25, texture = 'player'},
['walk-up'] = {frames = {5,6,7,8}, interval = 0.25, texture = 'player'},
['walk-left'] = {frames = {9,10,11,12}, interval = 0.25, texture = 'player'},
['walk-right'] = {frames = {13,14,15,16}, interval = 0.25, texture = 'player'},
['idle-down'] = {frames = {1}, interval = 0, texture = 'player'},
['idle-up'] = {frames = {5}, interval = 0, texture = 'player'},
['idle-left'] = {frames = {9}, interval = 0, texture = 'player'},
['idle-right'] = {frames = {13}, interval = 0, texture = 'player'},
}
},
['gray-squirrel'] = {
animations = {
['wag-tail'] = {frames = {1,2}, interval = 0.5, texture = 'squirrels'}
}
},
['cinnamon-squirrel'] = {
animations = {
['wag-tail'] = {frames = {3,4}, interval = 0.5, texture = 'squirrels'}
}
},
['black-squirrel'] = {
animations = {
['wag-tail'] = {frames = {5,6}, interval = 0.5, texture = 'squirrels'}
}
}
} Player = Class{}
function Player:init()
self.speed = 300
self.x = 1
self.y = 1
self.animations = {}
for direction, def in pairs(ENTITY_DEFS['player'].animations) do
self.animations[direction] = Animation(def)
end
self.direction = 'idle-down'
self.currentAnimation = self.animations[self.direction]
end
function Player:update(dt)
if love.keyboard.isDown('down') then
self.direction = 'walk-down'
self.y = self.y + self.speed * dt
elseif love.keyboard.isDown('up') then
self.direction = 'walk-up'
self.y = self.y - self.speed * dt
elseif love.keyboard.isDown('left') then
self.direction = 'walk-left'
self.x = self.x - self.speed * dt
elseif love.keyboard.isDown('right') then
self.direction = 'walk-right'
self.x = self.x + self.speed * dt
else
self.direction = 'idle-' .. self.direction:sub(6)
end
self.currentAnimation = self.animations[self.direction]
self.currentAnimation:update(dt)
end
function Player:render()
self.currentAnimation:render(self.x, self.y)
end PlayState = Class{}
function PlayState:init()
self.player = Player()
local csv = require 'lib/csv'
local file = io.open('src/squirrel-data.csv', 'r')
local data = file:read('*a')
file:close()
local parks, park_names = {}, {}
local parsed_data = csv.openstring(data, {header=true})
for row in parsed_data:lines() do
parks[row.Park] = parks[row.Park] or {}
table.insert(parks[row.Park], row)
end
for park_name in pairs(parks) do
table.insert(park_names, park_name)
end
self.squirrels = {}
local function add_squirrel(row,color)
local x = math.random(128, VIRTUAL_WIDTH-128)
local y = math.random(128, VIRTUAL_HEIGHT-144)
local above_ground = string.find(row.Location, 'Above Ground') and true or false
table.insert(self.squirrels, {squirrel = Squirrel(x,y,color, above_ground), x=x, y=y})
end
self.selected_park = park_names[math.random(#park_names)]
self.gray_count, self.cinnamon_count, self.black_count = 0,0,0
for index, row in ipairs(parks[self.selected_park]) do
if row.Color == 'Gray' then
self.gray_count = self.gray_count + 1
add_squirrel(row, 'gray')
elseif row.Color == 'Cinnamon' then
self.cinnamon_count = self.cinnamon_count + 1
add_squirrel(row, 'cinnamon')
elseif row.Color == 'Black' then
self.black_count = self.black_count + 1
add_squirrel(row, 'black')
end
end
end
function PlayState:update(dt)
self.player:update(dt)
for index, squirrelData in ipairs(self.squirrels) do
squirrelData.squirrel:update(dt)
end
end
function PlayState:render()
love.graphics.push()
self.player:render()
for index, squirrelData in ipairs(self.squirrels) do
squirrelData.squirrel:render(squirrelData.x, squirrelData.y)
end
love.graphics.setFont(gFonts['large'])
love.graphics.setColor(103/255, 145/255, 70/255, 1)
love.graphics.printf(self.selected_park, 0, 32, VIRTUAL_WIDTH, 'center')
love.graphics.printf(string.format('Gray: ' .. self.gray_count .. ' Cinnamon: ' .. self.cinnamon_count .. ' Black: ' .. self.black_count),
0, VIRTUAL_HEIGHT-96, VIRTUAL_WIDTH, 'center')
love.graphics.pop()
end
function PlayState:enter() end
function PlayState:exit() end Squirrel = Class{}
function Squirrel:init(x, y, color, above_ground)
self.x = x
self.y = y
self.color = color
self.above_ground = above_ground
self.animations = {}
local squirrelDef = ENTITY_DEFS[color .. '-squirrel']
for direction, def in pairs(squirrelDef.animations) do
self.animations[direction] = Animation(def)
end
self.currentAnimation = self.animations['wag-tail']
end
function Squirrel:update(dt)
self.currentAnimation:update(dt)
end
function Squirrel:render(x,y)
if self.above_ground then love.graphics.draw(gTextures['tree'], x, y) end
self.currentAnimation:render(x,y)
endParent folder: squirrels-template
| Sub-folders | Contents |
|---|---|
| fonts | hipchick.ttf |
| graphics | grass.png, player.png, squirrels.png, tree.png |
| lib | Animation.lua, class.lua, csv.lua, push.lua, StateMachine.lua, Util.lua |
| sounds | animalcrossing.wav |
| src | dependencies.lua, entity_defs.lua, Player.lua, PlayState.lua, squirrel-data.csv, Squirrel.lua |
| main.lua (file) |
- Ensure that squirrels-template is in your laptop's Downloads folder
- For Mac users, check that you installed LÖVE into your laptop's Applications folder
- For Windows users, check that you installed LÖVE into your laptop's Program Files
- Open your laptop's terminal
- Copy + paste
cd Downloads/squirrels-templateinto your terminal, then hit enter - Copy + paste
/Applications/love.app/Contents/MacOS/love .into your terminal, then hit enter
- Open your laptop's command prompt or terminal
- Copy + paste
cd Downloads\squirrels-templateinto your terminal, then hit enter - Copy + paste
"C:\Program Files\LOVE\love.exe" .into your terminal, then hit enter