Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

OpenFrameworks VS Polycode

Compare OpenFrameworks VS Polycode and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

OpenFrameworks logo OpenFrameworks

openFrameworks

Polycode logo Polycode

Polycode is a C++ and Lua framework for building interactive applications.
  • OpenFrameworks Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-30
  • Polycode Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-10-10

OpenFrameworks features and specs

  • Open Source
    OpenFrameworks is open-source, allowing developers to access, modify, and contribute to its codebase. This fosters a community-driven development environment and encourages collaboration.
  • Cross-Platform
    It supports multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, making it versatile for developing applications across various operating systems.
  • Rich Collection of Add-ons
    OpenFrameworks offers a wide range of add-ons and libraries contributed by the community, which extend the framework's capabilities and provide tools for graphics, sound, video, computer vision, and more.
  • Community Support
    The framework has a robust community that provides support via forums, tutorials, and a wealth of shared projects and code snippets, making it easier to learn and troubleshoot.
  • Artistic and Creative Focus
    OpenFrameworks is particularly well-suited for projects that emphasize creativity and artistic output, making it popular among artists and designers working on interactive installations and media art.

Possible disadvantages of OpenFrameworks

  • Steep Learning Curve
    While OpenFrameworks is powerful, its complexity can be daunting for beginners, especially those without experience in C++ programming.
  • Limited Documentation
    Although there is community support, the official documentation can sometimes be sparse or outdated, which can pose challenges for developers seeking detailed explanations or examples.
  • Performance Overhead
    As an abstraction layer over native OpenGL, OpenFrameworks might introduce performance overhead compared to writing raw OpenGL code, which can be a concern for high-performance applications.
  • Dependency Management
    Managing dependencies and ensuring compatibility across different platforms can be complex, especially when dealing with various libraries and add-ons.
  • Not Ideal for All Types of Applications
    OpenFrameworks is tailored towards creative coding and may not be the best choice for applications that require extensive GUI features or are more business-logic-oriented.

Polycode features and specs

  • Cross-Platform
    Polycode supports multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, and Linux, allowing developers to write code once and deploy it across different operating systems.
  • Open Source
    Polycode is available under an open-source license, which means that developers can freely use, modify, and distribute the engine's code.
  • Multi-language Support
    Polycode supports both C++ and Lua, giving developers the flexibility to choose the programming language that suits their project best.
  • Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
    Polycode comes with its own IDE, which provides a user-friendly interface for managing assets, writing code, and debugging.
  • 2D and 3D Graphics
    Polycode offers robust support for both 2D and 3D graphics, making it suitable for a wide range of game development projects.

Possible disadvantages of Polycode

  • Limited Documentation
    While Polycode has some documentation available, it is not as comprehensive as more established engines, which can make the learning curve steeper for new users.
  • Smaller Community
    Polycode has a smaller user base compared to more popular game engines, which can make finding tutorials, forums, and community support more difficult.
  • Development Activity
    The development activity of Polycode is less frequent compared to leading game engines, which can result in slower updates and fewer new features.
  • Limited Built-in Features
    Polycode may lack some of the built-in features and tools that are available in more mature game engines (e.g., Unreal Engine, Unity), requiring developers to implement certain functionalities on their own.
  • Learning Curve
    Due to its less extensive documentation and smaller community, new users might find it harder to learn and master Polycode compared to other game engines.

OpenFrameworks videos

Part 2 of GAFFTA OpenFrameworks for Processing Coders

More videos:

  • Tutorial - openFrameworks tutorial - 000 intro to openFrameworks
  • Review - [openframeworks] Box2d study - Burst -

Polycode videos

No Polycode videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to OpenFrameworks and Polycode)
3D
100 100%
0% 0
Game Development
0 0%
100% 100
VJ
100 100%
0% 0
Game Engine
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, OpenFrameworks seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 32 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

OpenFrameworks mentions (32)

  • Ask HN: Who Are Your Favorite Photography and Generative Coding Artists?
    Zach Lieberman https://x.com/zachlieberman does his work in C++ with https://openframeworks.cc/. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Resolume
    Not exactly VJ, but could be used for it. https://openframeworks.cc. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • VVVV – A Hybrid Visual/Textual Development Environment
    - openFrameworks https://openframeworks.cc/ C++. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Valve Says Counter-Strike 2 for macOS Not Happening, There Aren't Enough Players
    Vulkan is sort of a post-API API. It seems to be designed specifically with high performance render pipelines in mind, and "end users" should interface with it through an intermediary layer. Ie, you might prefer bgfx[0], cinder[1] or openframeworks[2]. 0: https://github.com/bkaradzic/bgfx 2: https://openframeworks.cc/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • I'm starting to get tired
    Since you have C# experience, take this time to learn more about C++ while you continue to look. While yes, it is very easy to write bad code, it's not a huge deal since you just graduated and are just hacking around. Plus there are a lot of helpers these days to make writing bad code a little less likely.A former mentor of mine gifted me "C++ Without Fear" by Brian Overland which I can recommend. It's not too... Source: about 2 years ago
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Polycode mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Polycode yet. Tracking of Polycode recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing OpenFrameworks and Polycode, you can also consider the following products

Processing - C++ and Java programming at the speed of thought.

Unreal Engine - Unreal Engine 4 is a suite of integrated tools for game developers to design and build games, simulations, and visualizations.

TouchDesigner - TouchDesigner is a visual development platform that equips you with the tools you need to create stunning realtime projects and rich user experiences.

Unity - The multiplatform game creation tools for everyone.

Vvvv - vvvv is a graphical programming environment for easy prototyping and development.

GDevelop - GDevelop is an open-source game making software designed to be used by everyone.