A developer inspired by the quirky TempleOS has created Ratty, a unique terminal emulator that supports 3D objects, sprites, and a custom graphics protocol, pushing the boundaries of what command line tools can achieve.
- Ratty uses a game engine to render 3D graphics in the terminal.
- Inspired by TempleOS’s pioneering use of sprites on the command line.
- Currently a novel prototype with potential for future terminal-based CAD and creative apps.
What happened
Orhun Parmaksiz launched Ratty, a terminal emulator that challenges conventional command line design by incorporating 3D models, sprites, and inline graphics within the terminal window. Rooted in inspiration from TempleOS, Ratty features a distinctive 3D spinning rat cursor and supports real-time 3D rendering through a custom graphics protocol developed by Parmaksiz himself.
The terminal emulator leverages Parmaksiz’s Rust-based Ratatui library along with Bevy, a modern Rust game engine, to separate terminal input/output processing from GPU-driven graphical presentation. This design allows terminal content to be visualized as complex 2D or 3D scenes, offering developers new ways to interact with command line data.
Why it matters
Terminal emulators have remained largely unchanged over decades, typically presenting text-based output limited to ASCII characters. Ratty attempts to push this long-standing paradigm by demonstrating that terminals can be interactive graphical environments, potentially transforming developer workflows and command line applications.
While Ratty consumes significantly more resources than typical terminals due to its underlying game engine, its approach may inspire innovation in CLI tools and interfaces, encouraging experimentation beyond text-only displays. This is particularly relevant in an era where developers seek more visual and dynamic ways to engage with software through the terminal.
What to watch next
Despite its novelty and initial head-scratching reception regarding practical uses, Ratty’s creator envisions future applications such as terminal-based CAD programs harnessing the Ratty Graphics Protocol. The project is open source and may attract contributions to expand its capabilities or improve efficiency.
Observers should follow how the developer community responds to Ratty and whether others build on its unique features to create innovative terminal applications. Continued development depends on interest and use, with potential to redefine how terminals are perceived and utilized in software development environments.