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Installation

Atlas Engine can be installed either by downloading pre-built releases or by building from source. This guide covers both methods.

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Prerequisites

Before installing Atlas Engine, ensure you have the following dependencies:

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Required Tools

  • Windows: MSVC (Visual Studio 2019+) or MinGW with GCC 10+
  • macOS: Clang (Xcode Command Line Tools)
  • Linux: GCC 10+ or Clang 12+
The compiler must support C++20 features.
CMake 3.15 or higher is required for building Atlas Engine.
# Check your CMake version
cmake --version
Python 3 is required for shader compilation and packing.
# Verify Python installation
python3 --version

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System Dependencies

Atlas Engine requires several system libraries:
Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y \
  build-essential \
  cmake \
  python3 \
  libglm-dev \
  libfreetype-dev \
  libassimp-dev \
  libglfw3-dev \
  libopenal-dev \
  libvulkan-dev \
  spirv-cross
Fedora/RHEL
sudo dnf install -y \
  gcc-c++ \
  cmake \
  python3 \
  glm-devel \
  freetype-devel \
  assimp-devel \
  glfw-devel \
  openal-soft-devel \
  vulkan-devel \
  spirv-cross-devel
Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S --needed \
  base-devel \
  cmake \
  python \
  glm \
  freetype2 \
  assimp \
  glfw \
  openal \
  vulkan-devel \
  spirv-cross

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Installing from Releases

The easiest way to get started with Atlas Engine is to download a pre-built release.
1

Download the Latest Release

Visit the Atlas Engine releases page and download the latest version for your platform.
2

Extract the Archive

Extract the downloaded archive to your desired location:
tar -xzf atlas-alpha-6.1.tar.gz
cd atlas
3

Create a New Project

Use the Atlas CLI to create your first project:
atlas create myProject
cd myProject
This will scaffold a new Atlas project with the necessary directory structure and build files.
4

Build Your Project

mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make
The atlas CLI tool is included in the release package and provides project scaffolding and management utilities.

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Building from Source

For the latest features and development builds, you can compile Atlas Engine from source. See the Building from Source guide for detailed instructions.

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Backend Selection

Atlas Engine automatically selects the best rendering backend for your platform, but you can override this: 
# Use Vulkan backend
cmake -DBACKEND=VULKAN ..

# Use Metal backend (macOS only)
cmake -DBACKEND=METAL ..

# Use OpenGL backend
cmake -DBACKEND=OPENGL ..

# Auto-detect (default)
cmake -DBACKEND=AUTO ..
Metal backend is only available on macOS. Attempting to use it on other platforms will result in a build error.

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Verification

Verify your installation by running the test suite: 
cd build
./atlas_test
If the test window opens successfully and displays the test scene, your installation is complete!

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Next Steps

Now that Atlas Engine is installed, you’re ready to create your first application:
  • Follow the Quickstart Guide to create a simple window and render objects
  • Learn about Building from Source for development and contribution
  • Explore the API reference to understand Atlas Engine’s capabilities

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Troubleshooting

Ensure all required libraries are installed and visible to CMake:
# Linux: Check pkg-config
pkg-config --modversion glfw3

# macOS: Verify Homebrew packages
brew list | grep glfw

# Windows: Set CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH
cmake -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=C:/path/to/libs ..
Atlas Engine packs shaders at build time. Ensure Python 3 is available:
python3 --version
# Should output Python 3.x.x
For Vulkan, ensure glslc is in your PATH (included in Vulkan SDK).
Download and install the Vulkan SDK:Then set the VULKAN_SDK environment variable to the installation path.

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Getting Help

If you encounter issues:

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