Show HN: Graphite, a Blender-inspired 2D procedural design Rust app

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Performance, GPU, and Platform

  • Several users report high CPU usage, jank, and even system freezes when manipulating complex examples or imported SVGs, despite powerful GPUs.
  • Maintainers say rendering is currently CPU-only by design; GPU compute via WebGPU/WGPU is planned once prerequisites and browser support are in place.
  • Some performance issues are acknowledged as regressions or temporary shortcuts in backend architecture, slated for refactoring.
  • Current app runs in the browser via Rust→WASM; native desktop builds (planned via Tauri) are on the roadmap, with no Electron dependency.

Positioning vs Existing Tools

  • Tool is framed as a “Blender-like” open-source alternative for 2D graphics: currently closer to Illustrator/Affinity Designer (vector-focused), with raster editing planned next.
  • Comparisons and relations discussed with Inkscape, Krita, CAD tools (Fusion 360, SolveSpace, Dune3D), and the defunct Fireworks.
  • Some argue Inkscape’s tight coupling to SVG limits it as a base for such a generalized, procedural editor, justifying a fresh Rust-based project.

UI/UX, Workflow, and Features

  • Praise for professional look, UX polish, node editor design, and the idea of unifying vector and procedural raster.
  • Critiques: every shape as its own “layer” is confusing; layer organization feels underdeveloped; node-graph panning can feel laggy.
  • Requests: global color swatches, reusable style bundles, better layer/document structure, CAD-like constraint and numeric workflows, baseline grids, and clearer error messages.
  • Error handling for node-graph “type errors” confuses some users; suggestions include direct “report bug” buttons and auto-navigation to the problematic nodes.

Architecture, Scripting, and Extensibility

  • Core is a node-based, dataflow “visual language” under a WYSIWYG editor, with plans for custom scripts and nodes.
  • Future scripting will compile to WASM for sandboxing; trusted desktop code may run natively.
  • There is interest in exporting node graphs as callable libraries for game engines or pipelines.

Business Model and Funding

  • Project is currently bootstrapped via donations and volunteer time, with future plans for sustainable revenue (asset store, optional cloud storage, render services).
  • Several commenters endorse avoiding traditional VC funding to preserve product vision and independence.