PRINCIPLE I · Fast inner loop
Python scripts, hot-reload, asset previews, and editor-side tooling keep the iteration loop under a second without weakening the native runtime core.
RELEASE 0.1.5 · ONLINE
OPEN-SOURCE · MIT · WIN64
An engine you can disassemble, extend, and ship.
C++ / Vulkan core · Python production layer · repository-first
熔炉 (Infernux) is a from-scratch game engine that pairs a C++17 / Vulkan native runtime with a Python production layer for gameplay, editor tooling, and render-stack authoring. It is built for teams who want readable internals, a fast inner loop, and an MIT-licensed codebase they can actually own.
mover.py
from Infernux import InxComponent, Vector3
from Infernux.coroutine import WaitForSeconds
class Mover(InxComponent):
def awake(self) -> None:
self._dir = 1.0
def start(self) -> None:
self.start_coroutine(self.pulse())
def update(self, delta_time: float) -> None:
v = Vector3(0.2 * self._dir, 0.0, 0.0)
self.transform.translate(v * delta_time)
def pulse(self):
while True:
yield WaitForSeconds(0.5)
self._dir = -self._dir熔炉 is shaped around a simple position: keep the hot path native, keep the workflow scriptable, and keep the architecture readable enough that a team can actually take ownership of it instead of negotiating with a vendor.
Runtime capture · 0.1.5
Live editor session running a height-shaded voxel scene at production density.
The capture below is unedited: the editor sits in Play mode, the inspector is open on a custom height_gradient shader, and the runtime is keeping the entire pixel grid lit and updating without any scripted interaction.
What this capture proves
- A real editor session — Hierarchy, Scene/Game/UI tabs, Project, Console, and Inspector all attached to the live runtime.
- Custom material authored in Python:
height_gradient.fragshading hundreds of cube clones in a single material slot. - 173 FPS on the test workstation while running play mode, build pipeline, and the inspector in parallel.
Operating principles
Three rules that decide what enters the engine.
The engine is shaped around engineering control rather than platform lock-in. Each principle reduces hidden cost for teams building real games and real tools.
PRINCIPLE II · Transparent render
RenderGraph, RenderStack, and material descriptors are inspectable and scriptable from Python. The render path is meant to be extended, not hidden.
PRINCIPLE III · No business trap
MIT licensing and repository-first development keep the cost model simple: the work is in the code, not in negotiating with a vendor.
Operations board · 0.1.5
What is online today, grouped the way real engineering teams evaluate an engine.
This is the current technical preview, sorted by the work areas that actually matter: rendering, simulation, content, scripting, tooling, and asset pipeline.
SUBSYSTEM · RENDER
Vulkan render core
Forward and deferred rendering, PBR materials, cascaded shadows, MSAA, shader reflection, post-processing stack, and RenderGraph-based pass scheduling.
SUBSYSTEM · PHYSICS
Jolt rigid bodies
Rigid bodies, colliders, scene queries, collision callbacks, layer filtering, and scene-synchronized transforms backed by Jolt Physics.
PREVIEW · ANIMATION
2D / 3D animation stack
Sprite-based SpiritAnimator, AnimClip2D and AnimClip3D assets, embedded FBX takes, skeletal animation playback, skinned mesh rendering, and an FSM editor for state machines.
SUBSYSTEM · EDITOR
12-panel editor shell
Hierarchy, Inspector, Scene View, Game View, Project, Console, UI editor, Toolbar, gizmos, multi-selection, undo / redo, and play-mode scene isolation in a single shell.
SUBSYSTEM · SCRIPT
Python gameplay layer
Unity-style component lifecycle, serialized inspector fields, decorators, input APIs, coroutines, prefabs, hot-reload, and a built-in @njit decorator that opts in to Numba JIT with automatic pure-Python fallback.
SUBSYSTEM · ASSETS
Asset & project pipeline
GUID-based AssetDatabase, .meta sidecar files, dependency tracking, scene serialization, asset previews, Nuitka-based standalone build, and a PySide6 Hub launcher.
EXTENSION · ECOSYSTEM
ML & data libraries on tap
Because the gameplay and tooling surface is Python, you can pull NumPy, Numba, Taichi, OpenCV, and PyTorch directly into gameplay logic, editor tools, or offline pipelines.
Project status
Release 0.1.5: technical preview with animation and asset workflow upgrades.
The engine has moved beyond static-scene authoring while the roadmap stays clear about what still needs production hardening.
CHECKPOINT · 0.1.5
Runtime, editor, and animation foundation
v0.1.5
Rendering, physics, audio, Python scripting, prefabs, game UI, editor authoring, GUID asset workflows, 2D/3D animation previews, skinned meshes, asset previews, and standalone build are all online.
NEXT · TRANSIT
Advanced UI and content scale
v0.2 → v0.4
Upcoming milestones focus on richer UI controls, GPU particles, terrain, onboarding material, and stronger content production paths.
Build something that belongs to you.
熔炉 exists for teams who want source access, architectural clarity, and a workflow they can actually reshape. Start with the docs, inspect the code, and push the engine further.