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Lightningbeam
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Lightningbeam/README.md

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Lightningbeam

A free and open-source 2D multimedia editor combining vector animation, audio production, and video editing in a single application.

Screenshots

Animation View

Music Editing View

Video Editing View

Features

Vector Animation

  • GPU-accelerated vector rendering with Vello
  • Draw and animate vector shapes with keyframe-based timeline
  • Non-destructive editing workflow
  • Paint bucket tool for automatic fill detection

Audio Production

  • Real-time multi-track audio recording and playback
  • Node graph-based effects processing
  • MIDI sequencing with synthesizers and samplers
  • Comprehensive effects library (reverb, delay, EQ, compression, distortion, etc.)
  • Custom audio engine with lock-free design for glitch-free playback

Video Editing

  • Video timeline and editing with FFmpeg-based decoding
  • GPU-accelerated waveform rendering with mipmaps
  • Audio integration from video soundtracks

Technical Stack

Current Implementation (Rust UI)

  • UI Framework: egui (immediate-mode GUI)
  • GPU Rendering: Vello + wgpu (Vulkan/Metal/DirectX 12)
  • Audio Engine: Custom real-time engine (daw-backend)
    • cpal for cross-platform audio I/O
    • symphonia for audio decoding
    • dasp for node graph processing
  • Video: FFmpeg 8 for encode/decode
  • Platform: Cross-platform (Linux, macOS, Windows)

Legacy Implementation (Deprecated)

  • Frontend: Vanilla JavaScript
  • Backend: Rust (Tauri framework)

Project Status

Lightningbeam is under active development on the rust-ui branch. The project has been rewritten from a Tauri/JavaScript prototype to a pure Rust application to eliminate IPC bottlenecks and achieve better performance for real-time video and audio processing.

Current Status:

  • ✅ Core UI panes (Stage, Timeline, Asset Library, Info Panel, Toolbar)
  • ✅ Drawing tools (Select, Draw, Rectangle, Ellipse, Paint Bucket, Transform)
  • ✅ Undo/redo system
  • ✅ GPU-accelerated vector rendering
  • ✅ Audio engine with node graph processing
  • ✅ GPU waveform rendering with mipmaps
  • ✅ Video decoding integration
  • 🚧 Export system (in progress)
  • 🚧 Node editor UI (planned)
  • 🚧 Piano roll editor (planned)

Getting Started

Prerequisites

  • Rust (stable toolchain via rustup)
  • System dependencies:
    • Linux: ALSA development files, FFmpeg 8
    • macOS: FFmpeg (via Homebrew)
    • Windows: FFmpeg 8, Visual Studio with C++ tools

See docs/BUILDING.md for detailed setup instructions.

Building and Running

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/skykooler/lightningbeam.git
# Or from Gitea
git clone https://git.skyler.io/skyler/lightningbeam.git

cd lightningbeam/lightningbeam-ui

# Build and run
cargo run

# Or build optimized release version
cargo build --release

Documentation

Project History

Lightningbeam evolved from earlier multimedia editing projects I've worked on since 2010, including the FreeJam DAW. The JavaScript/Tauri prototype began in November 2023, and the Rust UI rewrite started in late 2024 to eliminate performance bottlenecks and provide a more integrated native experience.

Goals

Create a comprehensive FOSS alternative for 2D-focused multimedia work, integrating animation, audio, and video editing in a unified workflow. Lightningbeam aims to be:

  • Fast: GPU-accelerated rendering and real-time audio processing
  • Flexible: Node graph-based audio routing and modular synthesis
  • Integrated: Seamless workflow across animation, audio, and video
  • Open: Free and open-source, built on open standards

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please see CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.

License

[License information to be added]

Links