Introduction

neoGFX is a C++ app/game engine and development platform targeted at app and game developers that wish to leverage modern GPUs for performant application user interfaces and game graphics. neoGFX is still a work in progress (incomplete) so is not yet suitable for making apps or games. Currently neoGFX has only been built for and tested on Windows.

neoGFX uses C++20 features; although C++20 compiler support is currently patchy this isn't a problem given the expected neoGFX 1.0 release date of Q4, 2021.

Features (when version 1.0 released)

• clean modern C++ design including full exception safety supporting various widget allocation patterns (stack, member variable or free store);
• use of standard non-proprietary C++ data types including using standard string classes (UTF-8 encoding) and containers from the C++ standard library;
• simple, easy to use multi-threaded event system (an improvement over traditional signals and slots);
• no baggage: neoGFX primarily contains only the GUI and graphics related functionality needed for creating apps and games;
• full library of widgets and layout managers specifiable in an RJSON (Relaxed JSON) derived declarative UI description language drag/drop editable using the included design tool, neoGFX Design Studio;
• CSS3 style sheet support with support for custom skins;
• scripting engine, neos, that will be able to support a wide range of scripting languages (on release: neoscript, JavaScript and Lua);
• sub-pixel text rendering;
• simple window style for specifying that a window is "nested" rather than being a separate native desktop window;
• "text_edit" widget supports multiple fonts, text colours (with optional gradient effects), colour emojis and rendering text in columns;
• "Green" and "Arcade" modes to optimize CPU power consumption, fight #ClimateChange!
• GPU shader rendered CSS3 compliant gradients with optional gaussian smoothing;
• MVC (model-view-controller) related classes supporting robust and fast app design;
• optional MDI support utilizing "nested" windows;
• 2D, 2.5D and 3D game support: sprites, objects and physics;
• Pure ECS (Entity-component-system) usable by both games and apps;
• flexible asset management: texture images (e.g PNGs) can be stored in .zip archives which can be optionally embedded inside the program binary accessible using simple URLs;
• support for OpenGL, DirectX and Vulkan.

Roadmap

Implementation Progress

Last updated: 10/10/2020