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.
Features (when version 1.0 released)
- clean modern C++ design leveraging C++20 and 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
| Version |
ETA |
Features |
| v0.99 |
WID* |
Windows OpenGL; widget library feature complete; UI design tool |
| v1.00 |
WID + 12 months |
Linux OpenGL; scripting engine |
| v1.10 |
WID + 24 months |
Vulkan; Android support; physics engine |
| v1.20 |
WID + 36 months |
macOS support |
* When It's Done
Implementation Progress
| Feature |
% done |
TODO |
| Window |
95 |
Drop shadow |
| Dialog |
90 |
Default button |
| Message Box |
100 |
|
| Menu |
100 |
|
| Nested windows |
90 |
|
| MDI |
0 |
|
| Tabs |
95 |
Vertical tabs |
| Toolbars |
90 |
Drop-down button support |
| Layout Managers |
95 |
Need to fully support size policies |
| Label |
100 |
|
| Button |
100 |
|
| Table View |
95 |
Selection; cell widget |
| Tree View |
95 |
|
| List View |
95 |
|
| Text Edit |
90 |
Columns; rich text (HTML); undo/redo |
| Line Edit |
100 |
|
| Spin Box |
100 |
|
| Slider |
90 |
Keyboard |
| Check Box |
100 |
|
| Radio Button |
100 |
|
| Combo Box |
95 |
Glob and regex filters; review UX. |
| Group Box |
100 |
|
| Tool Tips |
0 |
|
| Status Bar |
100 |
|
| Progress Bar |
95 |
|
| Docks |
75 |
|
| Font Picker |
99 |
Monospace filter |
| Colour Gradient Selector |
95 |
Swatch library |
| Colour Picker |
100 |
|
| Date/Time |
0 |
|
| File Browsers (Native) |
99 |
|
| Drag and drop |
75 |
|
| UI/Resource Description (RJSON) |
40 |
|
| tool: neoGFX Design Studio |
10 |
|
| i18n |
70 |
|
| l10n |
0 |
UK English, US English, French, German, Chinese |
| HID: Game Controllers |
80 |
Calibration/settings UI; DirectInput button mapping |
| Multi-monitor |
50 |
DPI changes when changing or dragging between monitors |
| Scene Graph |
0 |
|
| Skins |
40 |
|
