Why the 3d editor runs a lot (a very lot ) smoother than the 2d one.?.
I mean it really looks hardware accelerated…compared to this new editor …the 2d one literally suck…are you planning to make it default…cos i really think worth it…sinve you can basically develop 2d in 3d editor…
Hello! Here are the answers:
5 Likes
Thanks for the link,
…as i guessed…but now i really need an answer…
Quick summary and what’s next
GDevelop’s new 3D editor represents far more than a visual upgrade, it’s a complete architectural rework.
By embedding the editor inside the engine, optimizing real-time synchronization (“hot-reloading”), and enabling extension-based rendering, GDevelop now offers a fast and intuitive 3D creation experience.
The 3D editor is still new and there are many improvements that have been now unlocked thanks to its release:
- Full 2D/3D separation, allowing to edit 2D objects using the same real-time editor as the 3D editor.
- Point and spot light objects (and real-time preview of them in the editor),
- Normal mapping for 2D and 3D, and more improvements to the 3D rendering (“PBR rendering”).
- Customizable editor UI, customizable shortcuts and extensions that can interact with the 3D editor or the editor UI.
- Custom shaders with an integrated editor, and support for shaders for 3D objects.
- Collision mesh and a preview of them directly in the editor for 3D objects.
- Basic meshes beyond cubes ( a good open-source contribution opportunity!).
- Camera object (which can already be created with existing behaviors and a 3D cube).
- Better occlusion culling and very large scene optimisations (which will benefit both games and the editor).
- Layer effects and scene properties displayed in the properties panel so that everything (instances, effects, layers, scene properties) can be edited without opening a dialog and have the results visible in real-time.
Say soon bye bye to heavy dialogs!
…now…before i keep developing on the 2d engine and get my game coding obsolete in future…do i need to swap entirely on the 3D engine?
1 Like
Answering by (AI) to myself
You absolutely can mix 2D and 3D in GDevelop now, but it’s important to understand how it works so you don’t expect it to behave like switching between two separate engines.
### 
How GDevelop Handles 2D vs 3D
** Single engine, multiple editors: GDevelop is still one engine. The new 3D editor is integrated into the same runtime as the 2D editor. You don’t “launch” a separate 3D engine — instead, you enable 3D features inside your existing project.*
** Scene-based flexibility: You can have some scenes in pure 2D and others in 3D. For example, your main gameplay could stay 2D, but you could create a 3D cutscene, menu background, or special effect in another scene.*
** Hybrid use: You can place 3D objects (models, lights, cameras) inside a 2D scene. This lets you add depth without abandoning your 2D workflow.*
### 
What This Means for You
** You don’t need to “switch engines” — you just decide per scene or per object whether you want 2D or 3D.*
** Your existing 2D game remains fully supported. Nothing breaks if you ignore 3D entirely.*
** If you want to experiment, you can add a 3D scene at any point in development without rewriting your whole project.*
### 
Practical Example
Imagine your 2D platformer has:
** Gameplay: Classic 2D side-scrolling.*
** Boss intro cutscene: Rendered in 3D with dynamic camera movement.*
** Inventory menu: Still 2D for clarity.*
All of this can coexist in one GDevelop project.
So yes — you can “launch” 3D features whenever you want, but it’s not a separate engine you toggle on/off. It’s more like an extra layer of tools inside the same engine.
If this is correct, then I’m all set.
I asked this because i’m interested in the “what’s next” features…
1 Like