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Introduction to Atlas Engine

Atlas is a Game Engine that uses the latest technologies to provide a fast, simple but powerful experience for developers. It is built with C++ and uses OpenGL, Vulkan and Metal for rendering.

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Key Features

Atlas Engine provides a comprehensive set of features for game development:

Cross-Platform Rendering

Fast graphics rendering with OpenGL, Vulkan, and Metal via the Opal rendering abstraction layer

Physics Engine

Built-in physics simulation powered by Bezel, supporting rigid bodies, colliders, and joints

Audio System

Spatial audio engine (Finewave) with 3D sound positioning and effects

Terrain Generation

Procedural terrain system (Aurora) with biome support and noise-based generation

Environment System

Advanced atmosphere, sky, weather, and fluid simulation powered by Hydra

Debug Tools

Comprehensive debugging system (Tracer) with profiling and logging capabilities

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Engine Architecture

Atlas is built on a modular architecture with specialized subsystems:

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Core Systems

  • Atlas - Main renderer handling graphics, input, and window management
  • Opal - In-house rendering abstraction layer for seamless API switching
  • Bezel - Physics engine for calculations and simulations (Jolt Physics integration)
  • Finewave - Audio engine for playback and spatial processing
  • Aurora - Terrain generation and rendering system
  • Hydra - Environment system for sky, atmosphere, weather, and fluids
  • Tracer - Debugging module with profiling and diagnostic tools
Atlas Engine requires C++20 and CMake 3.15 or higher for compilation.

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Current Version

Atlas Engine is currently in Alpha 6.1, actively developed and improved. The engine uses:
  • Opal Version: 2 Platonic
  • Jolt Physics: 5.5.0
  • C++ Standard: C++20

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Platform Support

# Windows with MSVC or MinGW
cmake -G "Visual Studio 17 2022" ..
cmake --build .

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Rendering Backends

Atlas automatically selects the optimal rendering backend for your platform:
PlatformDefault BackendAlternatives
WindowsVulkanOpenGL
macOSMetalVulkan, OpenGL
LinuxVulkanOpenGL
You can override the backend selection using CMake: 
cmake -DBACKEND=VULKAN ..
OpenGL support is provided for compatibility but Vulkan and Metal offer better performance and modern features.

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What’s Next?

Ready to get started with Atlas Engine? Here’s your roadmap:
1

Install Atlas

Download the latest release or build from source
2

Create Your First Project

Use the Atlas CLI to scaffold a new project
3

Build and Run

Compile and run your first Atlas application
Continue to the Installation guide to set up Atlas Engine on your system.

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