Show HN: C++ Ray Tracer Written from Scratch Without AI
Hacker News (AI keywords)43 days agoCommentaryIn a deliberate counter to the prevailing AI-assisted development trend, a developer built and open-sourced a full C++ ray tracer without any AI tool involvement. Posted to Hacker News as a "Show HN," the project invites discussion about the value of deep, first-principles engineering work. The submission implicitly challenges assumptions about whether AI assistance is now a default — or even necessary — part of serious software projects.
Making Graphics Like it's 1993: Building the Catlantean 3D Retro Engine
Hacker News (AI keywords)49 days agoTutorialThis post kicks off a series on building Catlantean 3D, a retro engine replicating 1993 graphics technology. The author bypasses modern GPUs to implement pure CPU software rendering, fixed-point math, and 256-color palettes. It offers a fascinating look into early 3D algorithms like raycasting and affine texture mapping, serving as an educational resource for low-level graphics.