> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.flatredball.com/gum/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.flatredball.com/gum/code/getting-started/setup/adding-initializing-gum/silk.net.md). # Silk.NET ## Introduction This page assumes you have an existing Silk.NET project. This can be an empty project or an existing game. ## Adding Gum NuGet package The easiest way to add Gum to your project is to use the NuGet package. Open your project in your preferred IDE, or add Gum through the command line. Add the Gum.SilkNet NuGet package () Modify csproj: ```xml ``` Or add through command line: ```bash dotnet add package Gum.SilkNet ``` `Gum.SilkNet` renders through SkiaSharp and adds real Forms input (mouse, keyboard, focus) via `Silk.NET.Input`. Your project still owns window creation and the render loop; Gum takes an `SKCanvas` and an `IInputContext` you hand it. {% hint style="warning" %} Don't name your project `SilkNetGum`, that's the assembly name inside the `Gum.SilkNet` package. A same-named project produces a same-named output DLL that silently overwrites the runtime's copy in your `bin` folder, causing a `TypeLoadException` at runtime with no build warning. Gum's build now catches this for you: if your `AssemblyName` collides, the build fails with an error telling you to change it. {% endhint %} ## Adding Source (Optional) You can directly link your project to source instead of a NuGet package for improved debuggability, access to fixes and features before NuGet packages are published, or if you are interested in contributing. To add source, first clone the Gum repository: If you have already added the Gum NuGet package to your project, remove it. Add the following project to your solution: * \/Runtimes/SilkNetGum/SilkNetGum.csproj `SilkNetGum.csproj` already references `GumCommon` itself, so you do not need to add `GumCommon` separately. Next, add SilkNetGum as a project reference in your game project. Your project might look like this depending on the location of the Gum repository relative to your game project: ```xml ``` ## Initializing Gum Gum requires SkiaSharp to render in Silk.NET, and `Silk.NET.Windowing` to create the window and OpenGL/ANGLE context that SkiaSharp draws into. A full Silk.NET project requires a few hundred lines of code (window creation, ANGLE backend selection, the GL debug callback, and so on), so an entire Program file is not included here — the relevant setup and initialization code is shown below. Create the window and input context using `Silk.NET.Windowing.Window.Create`, then hand Gum the resulting `SKCanvas` and `IInputContext`: ```csharp // Initialize using Silk.NET.Windowing; using Silk.NET.Windowing.Sdl; using Silk.NET.Input; using SkiaSharp; using Gum; // Silk.NET.Windowing.Sdl must create and own the window (via window.Initialize()) for // Silk.NET.Input to ever receive events. Set the render backend, GraphicsAPI, and window // options, then create and initialize the window before anything else. SdlWindowing.Use(); Silk.NET.Windowing.IWindow window = Silk.NET.Windowing.Window.Create(options); window.Initialize(); // Create the SkiaSharp GL surface/canvas from the window's GL context (grContext, grGlInterface, // and renderTarget setup omitted here -- see the sample for the full ANGLE/backend setup). SKCanvas canvas = surface.Canvas; // Only after window.Initialize() has run does CreateInput() build an IInputContext that // actually receives events. IInputContext inputContext = window.CreateInput(); GumService.Default.Initialize(canvas, inputContext, "Content/GumProject/GumProject.gumx"); ``` Each frame, pump window events before updating and drawing Gum: ```csharp // Update window.DoEvents(); GumService.Default.Update(totalSeconds); ``` {% hint style="warning" %} The `IInputContext` you pass to `Initialize` must come from a window that `Silk.NET.Windowing` created and initialized itself — `Window.Create(options)` followed by `window.Initialize()`, then `window.CreateInput()`. Building an `IInputContext` by wrapping a window you created another way (for example via `SdlWindowing.CreateFrom(existingHandle)`) skips the normal event-subscription path. The resulting `IInputContext` looks valid, but it silently never receives events — no exception is thrown, and clicks, key presses, and typed text simply do nothing. {% endhint %} {% hint style="warning" %} If `window.CreateInput()` throws `NotSupportedException: Couldn't find a suitable input platform for this view`, your project is missing the `Silk.NET.Input.Sdl` package. `Silk.NET.Windowing.Sdl` only creates the window; `CreateInput()` finds its backend by scanning loaded assemblies for a matching `IInputPlatform`, and the SDL implementation lives in the separate `Silk.NET.Input.Sdl` package. Add it directly, matching your other Silk.NET package versions: ```xml ``` Once the packages are right, call `CreateInput()` immediately after `window.Initialize()` as shown above. Don't defer it to the window's `Load` event, that event only fires from inside `window.Run()`'s internal loop, and Gum's setup drives its own loop manually via `window.DoEvents()` (see below) rather than calling `window.Run()`. {% endhint %} ## Adding Expression Support (Optional) If your Gum project uses arithmetic expressions in variable references (such as `Width = OtherInstance.Width + 20`), you can add the `Gum.Expressions` NuGet package for full expression evaluation at runtime. Without this package, simple variable references like `Width = OtherInstance.Width` still work. Add the NuGet package: ```bash dotnet add package Gum.Expressions ``` Then call `GumExpressionService.Initialize()` after `GumService.Default.Initialize`. Expression support is typically used with a Gum project that has variable references defined in the tool: ```csharp // Initialize GumService.Default.Initialize(canvas, inputContext, "Content/GumProject/GumProject.gumx"); GumExpressionService.Initialize(); ``` If linking to source instead of NuGet, add `/Runtimes/GumExpressions/GumExpressions.csproj` to your solution. For more information, see the [Runtime Variable References](/gum/code/styling/runtime-variable-references.md) page. ## Adding a Button (Testing the Setup) Gum can be tested by adding a Button after Gum is initialized. To do so, add code to create a `Button` as shown in the following block of code after Gum is initialized: ```csharp // Initialize GumService.Default.Initialize(canvas, inputContext); var button = new Button(); button.AddToRoot(); button.Width = 200; button.Anchor(Anchor.Center); button.Click += (_, _) => button.Text = $"Clicked\n{System.DateTime.Now}"; ``` For a working project, see the Gum Silk.NET sample: {% embed url="" %}

Gum running in a Silk.NET project

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