1.8 KiB
Lightningbeam
A free and open-source 2D multimedia editor combining vector animation, audio production, and video editing in a single application.
Screenshots
Current Features
Vector Animation
- Draw and animate vector shapes with keyframe-based timeline
- Non-destructive editing workflow
Audio Production
- Multi-track audio recording
- MIDI sequencing with synthesized and sampled instruments
- Integrated DAW functionality
Video Editing
- Basic video timeline and editing (early stage)
- FFmpeg-based video decoding
Technical Stack
- Frontend: Vanilla JavaScript
- Backend: Rust (Tauri framework)
- Audio: cpal + dasp for audio processing
- Video: FFmpeg for decode
Project Status
Lightningbeam is under active development. Current focus is on core functionality and architecture. Full project export is not yet fully implemented.
Known Architectural Challenge
The current Tauri implementation hits IPC bandwidth limitations when streaming decoded video frames from Rust to JavaScript. Tauri's IPC layer has significant serialization overhead (~few MB/s), which is insufficient for real-time high-resolution video rendering.
I'm currently exploring a full Rust rewrite using wgpu/egui to eliminate the IPC bottleneck and handle rendering entirely in native code.
Project History
Lightningbeam evolved from earlier multimedia editing projects I've worked on since 2010, including the FreeJam DAW. The current JavaScript/Tauri iteration began in November 2023.
Goals
Create a comprehensive FOSS alternative for 2D-focused multimedia work, integrating animation, audio, and video editing in a unified workflow.