Universo is a cross-platform "graphic engine" that provides HTML5 Canvas compatible API in JavaScript. To be straight forward, just imagine a window frame that only contains one canvas element of the modern browser. Which supports all JavaScript APIs (Not only drawing, also keyboard/mouse events) inside a canvas element, but can not render any other DOM element. Although Universo supports canvas API in JavaScript, it is NOT built upon any existing browser core (such as WebKit, Gecko, etc.). It is completely implemented from the scratch. Universo is NOT a "game engine" at this stage, but it can be used as the graphic backend of a game engine or UI engine.

1. Universo
Vincent CHEN

2. What is Universo
• Universo is a cross-platform “graphic engine”
that provides HTML5 Canvas compatible API in
JavaScript.
• http://universo.vincentchen.me
• Pronouncing: 乌尼微索

3. Key Features
• A window frame that only contains one
<canvas/> element of the modern browsers.
• Support all JavaScript APIs in <canvas/>
– Drawing
– Keyboard/Mouse event
• NOT able to render any other DOM element.
• NOT support CSS.

4. The making of Universo
• It is completely implemented from the scratch
– C++ & JavaScript
• NOT built upon any existing browser core (e.g.
WebKit, Gecko, etc.)

5. Origin of Universo
• Why building Universo?
– I want a race car, so I start from making its wheels
manually…
• Why using JavaScript and be Canvas API
compatible?
– HTML5 Canvas API is a “good enough” design (not the
best, but a good start point), by following the
standard spec, I don’t need to design my own set of
APIs from the scratch.
– Already a lot of development resources around
HTML5 Canvas, and of course, in JavaScript.

6. History of Universo
• Before JavaScript, the first version of Universo
is built upon C & Lua, in April 2011, I dropped
the entire codebase and started over from C++
& JavaScript.
• I investigated Google DART in Sep 2011, and
decided to stay on JavaScript because DART is
still far from mature.
• The major part of code is done in just 1 month
(spare time)

7. Roadmap
• DONE
– Mac/Windows 2D Canvas API demo
• WIP
– Buggy WebGL API implementation…
– iOS porting
• TODO
– WinRT porting
– Application OTA loading and running
– Android porting

8. Demos
• Playable demos and videos can be
downloaded from
http://universo.vincentchen.me
• NOTE: pre-alpha quality…

9. The value of Universo
• Universo is NOT a “game engine” at this
stage, but it can be used as the graphic
backend of a game engine or UI framework
(cross-platform).
• I hope Universo can bring the first workable
WebGL to mobile… (Come on! Chrome for
Android!)

10. The future of Universo
• Refactoring & Performance tuning!
• I have too many great ideas, but there is not
enough space to write them all down here…
• What do you think?

11. Thanks!
• Ping me:
– artyyouth@gmail.com
– https://github.com/artyyouth
– http://cn.linkedin.com/in/yuanc
– http://vincentchen.me