Phoenix :: Spontz demo Engine

Welcome to the infamous Phoenix :: Spontz demoengine. Be aware that each line of this code has been written with tons of suffering and [untamed indomitus nighly] pain. Please take into consideration that this could (would) extent to you if you decide to take a look.

This demo engine is an old piece of software that has undergone several heavy updates since its original C version. We have released about twenty demos with it. Main efforts come from:

• Kolian: The main developer of the original 'Inferno/Dragon' Spontz demoengine.
• Spöntz members: isaac2, Khrome, merlucin, madgoblin, shotgan, xphere.

This engine would not exist without inspiration obtained from the following sources. Thanks!

• Yan Chernikov / aka 'The Cherno': https://github.com/TheCherno
• Etay Meiri / OGL Dev site: https://ogldev.org/
• jmorton06 / Lumos engine: https://github.com/jmorton06/Lumos

Phoenix currently uses the following libraries and frameworks:

• OpenGL: GPU rendering backend used by Engine and Launcher. https://www.opengl.org/
• GLFW: window creation, OpenGL context, and input handling. https://github.com/glfw/glfw
• GLAD: OpenGL function loader used to access runtime driver APIs. https://glad.dav1d.de
• GLM: math types and operations (vectors, matrices, transforms, quaternions). https://github.com/g-truc/glm
• Dear ImGui: in-engine/editor debug and tooling UI. https://github.com/ocornut/imgui
• Assimp: import of 3D assets and scene data. https://github.com/assimp/assimp
• stb (stb_image): image loading for textures and cubemaps. https://github.com/nothings/stb
• FFmpeg: video decoding and encoding pipeline (playback + streaming support). https://github.com/FFmpeg/FFmpeg
• miniaudio: audio playback/runtime audio backend. https://miniaud.io
• kissfft: FFT analysis utilities used by audio/reactive workflows. https://github.com/mborgerding/kissfft
• exprtk: runtime math expression parsing/evaluation used by section scripting. https://github.com/ArashPartow/exprtk
• uWebSockets: HTTP/WebSocket server for the editor API bridge (Cacablu <-> Phoenix). https://github.com/uNetworking/uWebSockets
• LibDataChannel: WebRTC transport stack used by framebuffer streaming. https://github.com/paullouisageneau/libdatachannel
• dyad.c: lightweight legacy networking module still present in the codebase. https://github.com/rxi/dyad

Instructions (Windows)

Use one of these bootstrap scripts depending on your situation:

• 00_bootstrap_install.bat (first-time setup / clean setup)

  • Deletes the local vcpkg folder.
  • Clones microsoft/vcpkg again.
  • Bootstraps vcpkg and installs all required third-party libraries.
  • Recreates the phoenix_vs2026 CMake build folder and generates the Visual Studio 2026 solution.

• 00_bootstrap_update.bat (existing setup / dependency refresh)

  • Reuses the existing vcpkg folder.
  • Runs vcpkg update and reinstalls required third-party libraries.
  • Recreates the phoenix_vs2026 CMake build folder and regenerates the Visual Studio 2026 solution.

After running either script, open the generated solution in phoenix_vs2026 and build with Visual Studio.

Debug launch with Cacablu

When launching the Debug build outside Visual Studio, always use the same working directory configured by CMake and pass the matching data folder explicitly:

Start-Process `
  -FilePath ".\phoenix_vs2026\Launcher\Debug\Phoenix.exe" `
  -WorkingDirectory ".\Launcher" `
  -ArgumentList "-datafolder `".\Launcher\data`""

Launcher\data\config\control.spo must contain slave 1 for the editor API to listen on 127.0.0.1:29100.

Screenshots