BeforeTheMesh — Programming, Graphics, Geometry for CAE

C++ Engineering Series

Build a real-time engine from first principles.

The C++ Engineering Series is the flagship learning path of BeforeTheMesh — a four part journey that takes you from raw numerical simulation to a fully modular, GPU powered engine architecture. It is designed for intermediate developers who want to understand not just how engines work, but why they are built the way they are.

Across these four articles, you will:

Write a physics simulation from scratch
Map C++ data structures directly to GPU buffers
Design a clean, RAII driven engine architecture
Learn the core patterns that unify simulation and graphics

This series is the foundation of the Particle Playground engine and a gateway into the broader BeforeTheMesh ecosystem — btm framework, TheMeshProject, and the modular engineering tools that power them.

Whether you’re exploring real time graphics, building your first engine, or refining your architectural instincts, this series gives you a complete, cohesive path from concept to working system.

Start the journey. Build the engine. Understand the craft.

Part 1

C++ as a Simulation Language

Harness the language that gives you power over every byte and every frame.

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Part 2

C++ as a Graphics Language

Where data layout meets the GPU pipeline.

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Part 3

C++ as an Engineering Tool

Build systems that scale, perform well, and make their costs visible.

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Part 4

Patterns for Simulation & Graphics

How simulation data moves through an engine and becomes pixels.

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Get the code on GitHub

The C++ Engineering Series isn’t just theory — it’s a working engine you can build, run, and extend.

Visit the official BeforeTheMesh GitHub repository to download the complete Particle Playground source code, explore the modular architecture, and experiment with the simulation and rendering systems yourself.

Each article corresponds to a tagged version of the project, so you can follow the evolution step by step — from raw simulation to a fully engineered real‑time system.

Start coding, explore the internals, and make the engine your own.

View on GitHub