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About VertexNova

VertexNova Engine (VNE) is a modern, multi-platform rendering and visualization project focused on clarity, portability, and steady evolution.

What and Why​

VertexNova provides a clean C++ backbone with strict ownership and predictable lifetimes, a multi-backend rendering layer (xgl) for OpenGL Desktop, OpenGL ES/Web, Metal, and Vulkan (WIP), along with platform utilities (xwin) and visualization helpers (xviz).

Key Features​

Multi-Backend Rendering​

VertexNova's xgl layer provides a unified API across multiple graphics backends:

  • OpenGL Desktop - Full OpenGL support for desktop platforms
  • OpenGL ES / WebGL - Mobile and web rendering
  • Metal - Native macOS and iOS rendering
  • Vulkan - Modern low-level API (Work in Progress)

Cross-Platform Support​

  • macOS - Native Metal and OpenGL support
  • iOS - Metal and OpenGL ES
  • Windows - OpenGL and Vulkan (WIP)
  • Linux - OpenGL and Vulkan (WIP)
  • Web - WebGL via Emscripten

Modern C++ Design​

  • C++17+ with modern best practices
  • Strict ownership semantics
  • Predictable lifetimes
  • Thin abstractions over platform APIs

Design Principles​

  • Modern C++ with clarity over cleverness
  • Thin abstractions and clear layering
  • Multi-backend design via unified API
  • Build to learn first; scale responsibly later

Current Status​

  • Simple demos run on macOS, iOS, OpenGL desktop, and Web (Emscripten/WebGL)
  • Vulkan backend is in progress
  • More demos and tests are being added to cover concepts thoroughly

Roadmap​

Short-term​

  • Strengthen xgl multi-backend: OpenGL ES/Web, Metal; first Vulkan demo
  • Expand demo coverage and automated tests
  • Keep tightening platform build pipelines (macOS, iOS, Web)

Mid-term​

  • Add more sample scenes (materials, textures, shadows, post-processing)
  • Improve resource management, validation layers, and debug tooling
  • Simple content pipeline and live-reload where possible

Long-term​

  • Animation system, basic physics playground, scene graph/editor
  • Deeper Vulkan feature set, cross-platform parity
  • Performance profiling and scalability work

Motivation​

This project was started as a learning journey in computer graphics and engine architecture. The goal is to build a clean, modern codebase that can be maintained long-term while learning from excellent references like The Cherno's engine series, libigl, and LLGL.

Quality and Testing​

  • Small demos to prove each concept in isolation
  • Tests added as features land to avoid regressions
  • CI runs across platforms where possible

References​