Intro to Velaptor
Velaptor is an open-source framework for building high-performant, high-quality, cross-platform 2D games using C#/dotnet.
Here is a good explanation of a framework vs a library.
Overview
Velaptor focuses on building your game instead of having to write low-level code. Rendering graphics, keyboard and mouse input, sound, and other common features required by games can take hours (trust me, I know). This is where Velaptor can help!!
Now you can just focus on developing your game!!
Velaptor is currently only in preview and under development. You can create games with Velaptor in its current state to run on Windows. We are constantly adding improvements and there are plans for Velaptor to run on other platforms such as Linux, Android, and iOS. As of right now, there are no plans to support MacOS.
Single Codebase
The goal of Velaptor is to be able to write 2D games from a single code base and to run them on multiple platforms. Now, you don't have to maintain multiple languages and tech stacks to be able to run your game on the desired platforms.
Performant
Velaptor has been built with performance in mind and we strive for it to be as performant as possible.
Simple
Creating games can be some of the most complicated and resource-demanding applications out there. Our goal is to make the process as simple as possible. We are willing to change the API if it means there is a gain in simplicity while taking performance into account.
Reliable
We strive to make Velaptor as reliable and free of bugs as possible. We all know that there is no such thing as 100% bug-free software but that does not mean we can't strive for it!! Velaptor is highly tested with manual testing, a very high level of code coverage and regular testing application and unit test maintenance to make sure that nothing slips through the cracks.
We have achieved reliability by designing the Velaptor architecture to be loosely coupled as well as making use of the observable pattern and dependency injection to make the code as testable as possible.
A quick note about unit testing
Unit tests are not the end-all-be-all solution for reliable bug-free software. We do not strive to have 100% code coverage for the goal of having 100% code coverage. There are areas of Velaptor that CANNOT be tested due to some of the low-level interactions with systems and libraries such as OpenGL, sound, FreeType, and other low-level interactions. These pieces are abstracted away to achieve high testability on the Velaptor side.
This is one reason why we do lots of manual testing to cover the areas that unit tests cannot.
Join the community
Joining our GitHub community is a great opportunity to get to know us and our software. Our community is always eager to welcome new members, and we value every contribution, no matter how big or small. Whether you want to connect with like-minded individuals, ask questions, or offer your skills to support Velaptor or any of our numerous KinsonDigital projects, we are here to guide and support you every step of the way. So why wait? Come join us and be part of the community that fosters growth, collaboration, and innovation!
- Discord: For getting help, asking questions, conversation, and where we post updates and releases.
- X: Where we post updates on releases as well as other software related topics.
- KinsonDigital: The KinsonDigital organization where you can find Velaptor and many other projects.
Learn how to contribute
The Velaptor project is run and maintained by Calvin Wilkinson and Kristen Wilkinson. We work on this full-time and work hard to make Velaptor and all of the KinsonDigital projects as high quality, user-friendly and helpful as possible. Any open-source developer will tell you that maintaining open-source projects are a ton of work.🥱 If you are interested in contributing, refer to the links below for more info.
- Click here to learn how to contribute your time.
- Click here if you are interested in contributing your funds via one-time or recurring donations.
License
Velaptor is a free and open-source project, released under the permissible MIT license which means it can be used in personal or commercial projects for free.