A lightweight real-time application framework with minimal dependencies.

Information • Developer Notes • License • Gallery • Inspiration

Pilot Light is a lightweight real-time application framework for building native tools, graphics experiments, prototypes, and small engine-style applications with minimal dependencies.

It is written primarily in C, uses a modular extension system, and currently includes platform, graphics, UI, asset, math, ECS, and many other extensions.

The fastest way to try Pilot Light is to follow the instructions here.

Status: active development. APIs are stabilizing, but some systems may still change.

The fastest way to use Pilot Light is to generate a small standalone project.

• Python 3
• Platform requirements:
  • Windows: Visual Studio toolchain + Vulkan SDK
  • Linux: GCC/Clang + Vulkan SDK + X11/XCB dependencies
  • MacOS: Xcode command line tools + Vulkan SDK

From the root of this repository:

python scripts/new_project.py ../MyFirstProject

Then just run your platforms build script located in the /src directory of your new project. The binaries will be located in the /out directory. The Pilot Light directory is no longer needed. Running the script again will update your project with the newest Pilot Light files.

Information for developers can be found in the wiki. This includes:

• building
• contributing
• style guide

• assets - Contains Pilot Light native assets.
• docs - Contains documentation for the project.
• examples - Contains small complete examples that utilize stable APIs & extensions
• extensions - Contains extensions (most functionality is provided through these extensions).
• libs - Contains standalone "stb-style" libraries that can be used in other projects.
• build - Contains a lightweight python-based build system used for this project.
• internal - Contains code for internal development.
• sandbox - Sandbox application for development & other things.
• scripts - Contains helper scripts for various things.
• shaders - Contains shader code.
• src - Contains the small core of Pilot Light.
• tests - Contains all unit & system tests.
• resources - Contains asset sources

Pilot Light is licensed under the MIT License.

This project is inspired by:

• Omar Cornut & Dear ImGui.
• Casey Muratori & Handmade Hero
• Turánszki János & Wicked Engine
• Sean Barrett & his stb libraries
• The Machinery before they were abducted

PVS-Studio - static analyzer for C, C++, C#, and Java code.