TRANSIT PLAN · 0.1.5 → 1.0 Release roadmap

A roadmap that reads like engineering work, not decorative ambition.

熔炉 is moving from technical preview toward a more complete production pipeline. The priorities below group work by release leverage and workflow impact, not by vague marketing buckets.

Track issues Read docs first
CHECKPOINT · ONLINE
v0.1.5

Runtime, editor, and animation foundation

  • Vulkan renderer, Python scripting, 12-panel editor, audio, Jolt physics, prefabs, game UI, 2D/3D animation previews, skinned meshes, asset previews, and standalone build.
  • Usable for serious technical preview work today: scripting, physics, audio, rendering, UI, animation previews, and editor tooling all running in a single stack.
NEXT · TRANSIT
v0.2

Advanced UI and content scale

  • Advanced UI controls, GPU particles, terrain, and stronger content production paths.
  • Support larger projects with richer runtime UI, scene content, and production workflows.
MID-COURSE
v0.3

Particles, terrain, and content pipeline

  • GPU particle system, terrain, and broader model and material pipeline.
  • Expand the range of visual content the engine can produce without collapsing under content complexity.
SHIPPING TRAJECTORY
v0.4+

Networking and project lifecycle

  • Networking foundations and a more complete project lifecycle from prototype to release.
  • Move from Windows-first technical preview toward a multi-platform production engine.
Operations bands

The roadmap is split by what each band actually unlocks.

Each band answers one practical question: can teams author faster, can content scale, can projects ship, and can the architecture stay readable while the engine grows?

Authoring band

  • Animation state machines and rigged character workflows beyond the 0.1.5 preview.
  • Advanced UI controls (ScrollView, Slider, layout groups).
  • Safer asset rename and dependency repair paths.

Content band

  • GPU particle system.
  • Terrain system for larger production scenes.
  • Better scene composition for reusable runtime content.

Shipping band

  • Networking foundations.
  • A more robust project lifecycle from prototype to release.

Architecture band

  • Keep render and tooling internals explicit as the engine grows.
  • Avoid accidental complexity that would erase the engine's main advantage.
  • Preserve scriptability while strengthening native ownership boundaries.
Immediate focus

What deserves attention in the next two milestones.

These items are the ones most likely to improve the engine's day-to-day usefulness for contributors and early projects.

Animation system maturation

2D / 3D animation previews and skinned meshes shipped in 0.1.5. The next focus is hardening retargeting, blend trees, and runtime control surfaces.

Advanced UI controls

The base UI system (Canvas, Text, Image, Button) is stable. ScrollView, Slider, layout groups, and editor-level UI tools come next.

Documentation & onboarding

The API reference is auto-generated. Getting-started guides, architecture notes, and example projects are needed to lower the onboarding barrier.