Analog Style Input

I need to handle input and although I’m not sure how the gameplay will turn out, I know I will want something resembling an analog stick via the touch screen. I’ve built a basic version of this and displayed it on the UI using a pair of circles in the lower left corner. I’ve applied it to control the camera rotation. I think I also updated the Caliper spaceship model since I last posted a video of it.

This represents a significant step toward making the Metal renderer interactive, introducing touch-based controls that simulate traditional gamepad analog stick input for camera manipulation.

Ice Planet and New Spaceship Design: Iguana

A new planet and a new spaceship design to orbit around it. Having realised I can easily change the colour of the universe, I’m mixing things up a bit for variation. I’m getting quicker at using Blender, even if the improvements to my modelling skills are incremental.

The ice planet provides a nice visual contrast to previous environments, while the Iguana spaceship design continues to explore different aesthetic approaches within the low-poly style. The combination demonstrates how environmental color schemes can dramatically affect the mood of a scene.

Space Disco!

No real need for this, just having some fun while parameterising the skybox shader 🤷‍♂️

Sometimes the most enjoyable parts of development come from experimentation with no particular goal in mind. This playful exploration of skybox shader parameters resulted in a fun disco-like effect that adds character to the space environment.

This entry is part of a series on writing a Metal Renderer in Swift Playgrounds.