Can you plot mazes with ggplot2?

[kstreet13]

It would be great if there was a way to plot mazes with ggplot2, but unfortunately I am not the right person for that job. If anybody reading this has the know-how and wants to become an author on this package, please let me know!

[trevorld]

• Theoretically should be possible to use gridGraphics::grid.echo() to convert a {base} graphics function into a {grid} "grob" object

• Once you can generate {grid} "grob" object versions of the mazes should either be possible to:

  1. create a custom {gridpattern} / {ggpattern} pattern which could be plotted to {ggplot2} via the various {ggpattern} geoms:

     • https://trevorldavis.com/R/gridpattern/dev/articles/developing-patterns.html
     • I might attempt to make a 'maze' pattern using either this package and/or {mazealls}: https://github.com/trevorld/gridpattern/issues/56
     • Perhaps use gridpattern::alphaMaskGrob() to "clip" to arbitrary boundaries...

  2. Alternatively write a custom {ggplot2} geom extension: https://ggplot2.tidyverse.org/articles/extending-ggplot2.html

  3. Straight up add the grid grob to {ggplot2} image via {gggrid}: https://github.com/pmur002/gggrid

[trevorld]

• I think I'll try to figure something out to facilitate plotting in {grid} and {ggplot2}.
• I was thinking of adding an as.data.frame.maze() method that would generate the relevant columns for plotting with points or line segments. This may be enough on its own with some examples but it may be possible to go further and write an autolayer.maze() and/or autoplot.maze() method as well.