Top Related Projects
Dear ImGui: Bloat-free Graphical User interface for C++ with minimal dependencies
A single-header ANSI C immediate mode cross-platform GUI library
A single-header ANSI C gui library
Simple and portable (but not inflexible) GUI library in C that uses the native GUI technologies of each platform it supports.
A simple and easy-to-use immediate-mode gui library
Quick Overview
NanoGUI is a minimalistic cross-platform GUI library for OpenGL 3.x or higher. It provides a simple and lightweight interface for creating user interfaces in C++ applications, with Python bindings available. NanoGUI is designed to be easy to integrate and use in existing OpenGL applications.
Pros
- Lightweight and minimalistic, with a small footprint
- Cross-platform support (Windows, macOS, Linux)
- Easy integration with existing OpenGL applications
- Python bindings available for rapid prototyping
Cons
- Limited widget set compared to more comprehensive GUI libraries
- Requires OpenGL 3.x or higher, which may not be suitable for all projects
- Documentation could be more extensive
- Not as feature-rich as some larger GUI frameworks
Code Examples
- Creating a simple window with a button:
#include <nanogui/nanogui.h>
using namespace nanogui;
int main() {
nanogui::init();
Screen *screen = new Screen(Vector2i(800, 600), "NanoGUI Test");
Window *window = new Window(screen, "Button Example");
window->setPosition(Vector2i(15, 15));
window->setLayout(new GroupLayout());
Button *button = new Button(window, "Click me");
button->setCallback([] { std::cout << "Button pressed!" << std::endl; });
screen->performLayout();
screen->drawAll();
screen->setVisible(true);
nanogui::mainloop();
nanogui::shutdown();
return 0;
}
- Creating a slider and label:
Slider *slider = new Slider(window);
slider->setValue(0.5f);
slider->setFixedWidth(80);
Label *label = new Label(window, "50%");
slider->setCallback([label](float value) {
label->setCaption(std::to_string(static_cast<int>(value * 100)) + "%");
});
- Adding a color picker:
ColorPicker *cp = new ColorPicker(window, Color(255, 120, 0, 255));
cp->setFixedSize({100, 20});
cp->setCallback([](const Color &c) {
std::cout << "ColorPicker: ["
<< c.r() << ", "
<< c.g() << ", "
<< c.b() << ", "
<< c.w() << "]" << std::endl;
});
Getting Started
-
Clone the repository:
git clone --recursive https://github.com/wjakob/nanogui.git
-
Build the project:
cd nanogui mkdir build cd build cmake .. make
-
Include NanoGUI in your project:
#include <nanogui/nanogui.h>
-
Link against the NanoGUI library and its dependencies (OpenGL, GLFW) when compiling your project.
Competitor Comparisons
Dear ImGui: Bloat-free Graphical User interface for C++ with minimal dependencies
Pros of ImGui
- Simpler integration and setup process
- More lightweight and faster rendering
- Extensive documentation and examples
Cons of ImGui
- Less visually polished out-of-the-box
- Fewer built-in widgets and controls
- Limited styling options without custom implementation
Code Comparison
ImGui:
ImGui::Begin("Demo Window");
ImGui::Text("Hello, world!");
if (ImGui::Button("Click me!"))
// Handle button click
ImGui::End();
NanoGUI:
Window *window = new Window(screen, "Demo Window");
window->setLayout(new GroupLayout());
new Label(window, "Hello, world!");
Button *button = new Button(window, "Click me!");
button->setCallback([] { /* Handle button click */ });
Key Differences
- ImGui uses immediate mode GUI, while NanoGUI uses retained mode
- NanoGUI provides a more object-oriented approach
- ImGui focuses on simplicity and performance, while NanoGUI offers more advanced styling and layout options
- NanoGUI includes additional features like Python bindings and OpenGL/GLFW integration
Both libraries have their strengths, with ImGui excelling in simplicity and performance, while NanoGUI offers more robust styling and layout capabilities. The choice between them depends on specific project requirements and developer preferences.
A single-header ANSI C immediate mode cross-platform GUI library
Pros of Nuklear
- Lightweight and highly portable, supporting multiple backends
- Fully self-contained with no external dependencies
- Extensive widget set and customization options
Cons of Nuklear
- Steeper learning curve due to immediate mode paradigm
- Less modern look and feel compared to NanoGUI
- Manual memory management required
Code Comparison
NanoGUI example:
Screen *screen = new Screen(Vector2i(800, 600), "NanoGUI Test");
Window *window = new Window(screen, "Button demo");
window->setPosition(Vector2i(15, 15));
window->setLayout(new GroupLayout());
Button *b = new Button(window, "Push me");
b->setCallback([] { cout << "pushed!" << endl; });
screen->performLayout();
Nuklear example:
struct nk_context ctx;
nk_init_default(&ctx, 0);
if (nk_begin(&ctx, "Demo", nk_rect(50, 50, 200, 200),
NK_WINDOW_BORDER|NK_WINDOW_MOVABLE|NK_WINDOW_SCALABLE|
NK_WINDOW_MINIMIZABLE|NK_WINDOW_TITLE))
{
nk_layout_row_static(&ctx, 30, 80, 1);
if (nk_button_label(&ctx, "button"))
fprintf(stdout, "button pressed\n");
}
nk_end(&ctx);
A single-header ANSI C gui library
Pros of Nuklear
- Single-header library, making it easy to integrate into projects
- Highly portable, supporting a wide range of platforms and rendering backends
- Minimal dependencies, allowing for lightweight integration
Cons of Nuklear
- Less polished and modern-looking UI compared to NanoGUI
- Steeper learning curve due to its low-level nature
- Limited built-in theming options
Code Comparison
Nuklear:
struct nk_context ctx;
nk_init_default(&ctx, 0);
if (nk_begin(&ctx, "Demo", nk_rect(50, 50, 200, 200), NK_WINDOW_BORDER|NK_WINDOW_MOVABLE|NK_WINDOW_SCALABLE|NK_WINDOW_MINIMIZABLE|NK_WINDOW_TITLE)) {
nk_layout_row_dynamic(&ctx, 30, 1);
if (nk_button_label(&ctx, "Button")) {
// Button clicked
}
}
nk_end(&ctx);
NanoGUI:
Screen *screen = new Screen(Vector2i(800, 600), "NanoGUI Test");
Window *window = new Window(screen, "Button Demo");
window->setPosition(Vector2i(15, 15));
window->setLayout(new GroupLayout());
Button *button = new Button(window, "Push me");
button->setCallback([] { cout << "pushed!" << endl; });
screen->performLayout();
Simple and portable (but not inflexible) GUI library in C that uses the native GUI technologies of each platform it supports.
Pros of libui
- Native look and feel across platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux)
- Lightweight and minimal dependencies
- Simple C API, easily bindable to other languages
Cons of libui
- Limited widget set compared to more comprehensive GUI frameworks
- Less customization options for styling and appearance
- Slower development pace and smaller community
Code Comparison
libui:
uiInit(NULL);
uiWindow *window = uiNewWindow("Hello", 300, 200, 0);
uiButton *button = uiNewButton("Click Me");
uiWindowSetChild(window, uiControl(button));
uiControlShow(uiControl(window));
uiMain();
nanogui:
nanogui::init();
Screen *screen = new Screen(Vector2i(300, 200), "Hello");
Button *button = new Button(screen, "Click Me");
screen->performLayout();
screen->drawAll();
nanogui::mainloop();
Key Differences
- libui focuses on native widgets, while nanogui provides a custom rendering approach
- nanogui offers more advanced graphics capabilities and OpenGL integration
- libui has a C API, whereas nanogui uses C++
- nanogui includes additional features like layout managers and themes
Both libraries aim to provide simple GUI creation, but they cater to different use cases and preferences in terms of appearance, functionality, and programming paradigms.
A simple and easy-to-use immediate-mode gui library
Pros of raygui
- Lightweight and simple, with minimal dependencies
- Designed specifically for game development and real-time applications
- Extensive documentation and examples provided
Cons of raygui
- Less feature-rich compared to nanogui
- Limited cross-platform support (primarily focused on desktop platforms)
Code Comparison
raygui:
GuiButton((Rectangle){ 25, 25, 125, 30 }, "Button");
GuiSlider((Rectangle){ 25, 65, 125, 30 }, "Slider", &value, 0, 100);
GuiCheckBox((Rectangle){ 25, 105, 125, 30 }, "CheckBox", &checked);
nanogui:
Button *b = new Button(window, "Button");
Slider *s = new Slider(window);
s->setValue(0.5f);
CheckBox *c = new CheckBox(window, "CheckBox");
Summary
raygui is a lightweight GUI library tailored for game development, offering simplicity and ease of use. It provides extensive documentation but has limited cross-platform support. nanogui, on the other hand, offers more features and better cross-platform compatibility but may be more complex to use. The choice between the two depends on the specific requirements of your project and your preferred programming language (C for raygui, C++ for nanogui).
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NanoGUI
|docs| |travis| |appveyor|
.. |docs| image:: https://readthedocs.org/projects/nanogui/badge/?version=latest :target: http://nanogui.readthedocs.org/en/latest/?badge=latest :alt: Docs
.. |travis| image:: https://travis-ci.org/wjakob/nanogui.svg?branch=master :target: https://travis-ci.org/wjakob/nanogui :alt: Travis Build Status
.. |appveyor| image:: https://ci.appveyor.com/api/projects/status/m8h3uyvdb4ej2i02/branch/master?svg=true :target: https://ci.appveyor.com/project/wjakob/nanogui/branch/master :alt: Appveyor Build Status
.. begin_brief_description
NanoGUI is a minimalistic cross-platform widget library for OpenGL 3.x or higher. It supports automatic layout generation, stateful C++11 lambdas callbacks, a variety of useful widget types and Retina-capable rendering on Apple devices thanks to NanoVG_ by Mikko Mononen. Python bindings of all functionality are provided using pybind11_.
Note: this repository is currently in maintenance-only mode. A new and
significantly modernized/refactored version of NanoGUI with features such as
Metal/GLES/WebAssembly support is available here <https://github.com/mitsuba-renderer/nanogui>
_.
.. _NanoVG: https://github.com/memononen/NanoVG .. _pybind11: https://github.com/wjakob/pybind11
.. end_brief_description
Documentation <https://nanogui.readthedocs.io>
_
.. contents:: Contents :local: :backlinks: none
Example screenshot
.. image:: https://github.com/wjakob/nanogui/raw/master/resources/screenshot.png :alt: Screenshot of Example 1. :align: center
Description
.. begin_long_description
NanoGUI builds on GLFW_ for cross-platform OpenGL context creation and event handling, GLAD_ to use OpenGL 3.x or higher Windows, Eigen_ for basic vector types, and NanoVG_ to draw 2D primitives.
Note that the dependency library NanoVG already includes some basic example code to draw good-looking static widgets; what NanoGUI does is to flesh it out into a complete GUI toolkit with event handling, layout generation, etc.
NanoGUI currently works on Mac OS X (Clang) Linux (GCC or Clang) and Windows (Visual Studio ⥠2015); it requires a recent C++11 capable compiler. All dependencies are jointly built using a CMake-based build system.
.. _GLFW: http://www.glfw.org/ .. _GLAD: https://github.com/Dav1dde/glad .. _Eigen: http://eigen.tuxfamily.org/index.php?title=Main_Page
.. end_long_description
Creating widgets
NanoGUI makes it easy to instantiate widgets, set layout constraints, and
register event callbacks using high-level C++11 code. For instance, the
following two lines from the included example application add a new button to
an existing window window
and register an event callback.
.. code-block:: cpp
Button *b = new Button(window, "Plain button"); b->setCallback([] { cout << "pushed!" << endl; });
The following lines from the example application create the coupled slider and text box on the bottom of the second window (see the screenshot).
.. code-block:: cpp
/* Create an empty panel with a horizontal layout */ Widget *panel = new Widget(window); panel->setLayout(new BoxLayout(BoxLayout::Horizontal, BoxLayout::Middle, 0, 20));
/* Add a slider and set defaults */ Slider *slider = new Slider(panel); slider->setValue(0.5f); slider->setFixedWidth(80);
/* Add a textbox and set defaults */ TextBox *textBox = new TextBox(panel); textBox->setFixedSize(Vector2i(60, 25)); textBox->setValue("50"); textBox->setUnits("%");
/* Propagate slider changes to the text box */ slider->setCallback([textBox](float value) { textBox->setValue(std::to_string((int) (value * 100))); });
The Python version of this same piece of code looks like this:
.. code-block:: py
Create an empty panel with a horizontal layout
panel = Widget(window) panel.setLayout(BoxLayout(BoxLayout.Horizontal, BoxLayout.Middle, 0, 20))
Add a slider and set defaults
slider = Slider(panel) slider.setValue(0.5f) slider.setFixedWidth(80)
Add a textbox and set defaults
textBox = TextBox(panel) textBox.setFixedSize(Vector2i(60, 25)) textBox.setValue("50") textBox.setUnits("%")
Propagate slider changes to the text box
def cb(value): textBox.setValue("%i" % int(value * 100)) slider.setCallback(cb)
"Simple mode"
Christian Schüller contributed a convenience class that makes it possible to create AntTweakBar-style variable manipulators using just a few lines of code. For instance, the source code below was used to create the following example application.
.. image:: https://github.com/wjakob/nanogui/raw/master/resources/screenshot2.png :alt: Screenshot :align: center
.. code-block:: cpp
/// dvar, bar, strvar, etc. are double/bool/string/.. variables
FormHelper *gui = new FormHelper(screen);
ref
gui->addGroup("Validating fields"); gui->addVariable("int", ivar); gui->addVariable("float", fvar); gui->addVariable("double", dvar);
gui->addGroup("Complex types"); gui->addVariable("Enumeration", enumval, enabled) ->setItems({"Item 1", "Item 2", "Item 3"}); gui->addVariable("Color", colval);
gui->addGroup("Other widgets"); gui->addButton("A button", { std::cout << "Button pressed." << std::endl; });
screen->setVisible(true); screen->performLayout(); window->center();
Compiling
Clone the repository and all dependencies (with git clone --recursive
),
run CMake to generate Makefiles or CMake/Visual Studio project files, and
the rest should just work automatically.
On Debian/Ubuntu, make sure that you have installed the following packages
.. code-block:: bash
$ apt-get install cmake xorg-dev libglu1-mesa-dev
To also get the Python bindings, you'll need to run
.. code-block:: bash
$ apt-get install python-dev
On RedHat/Fedora, make sure that you have installed the following packages
.. code-block:: bash
$ sudo dnf install cmake mesa-libGLU-devel libXi-devel libXcursor-devel libXinerama-devel libXrandr-devel xorg-x11-server-devel
To also get the Python bindings, you'll need to run
.. code-block:: bash
$ sudo dnf install python3-devel
License
.. begin_license
NanoGUI is provided under a BSD-style license that can be found in the LICENSE_ file. By using, distributing, or contributing to this project, you agree to the terms and conditions of this license.
.. _LICENSE: https://github.com/wjakob/nanogui/blob/master/LICENSE.txt
NanoGUI uses Daniel Bruce's Entypo+ <http://www.entypo.com/>
_ font for the
icons used on various widgets. This work is licensed under a
CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/>
_ license.
Commercial entities using NanoGUI should consult the proper legal counsel for
how to best adhere to the attribution clause of the license.
.. end_license
Top Related Projects
Dear ImGui: Bloat-free Graphical User interface for C++ with minimal dependencies
A single-header ANSI C immediate mode cross-platform GUI library
A single-header ANSI C gui library
Simple and portable (but not inflexible) GUI library in C that uses the native GUI technologies of each platform it supports.
A simple and easy-to-use immediate-mode gui library
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Introducing Visual Copilot: A new AI model to turn Figma designs to high quality code using your components.
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