pybevy 0.1.0

High-Performance 2D/3D Development in Python, Powered by the Bevy Engine

pybevy: Python 2D/3D Powered by the Bevy Engine

pybevy.com — Project website & documentation

Warning: Beta State

Pybevy is in an early and experimental stage. The API is incomplete, subject to breaking changes without notice, and you should expect bugs. Many features are still under development.

What is pybevy?

Pybevy is a Python extension that bridges the productivity of Python with the performance of the Bevy Engine, a refreshingly simple data-driven game engine built in Rust.

Hot-reload is the star feature - modify your Python code and see changes instantly in your running application, making development incredibly fast and iterative. Combine the vast Python ecosystem with Bevy's cutting-edge 3D engine: leverage NumPy, SciPy, Matplotlib, PyTorch, and thousands of other packages while enjoying high-performance 3D rendering and physics. Write clean, Pythonic code to build games, simulations, and interactive applications without sacrificing speed. pybevy empowers you to leverage Bevy's massively parallel, cache-friendly ECS (Entity Component System) architecture directly from Python.

pybevy is an independent, community-driven project built with great respect for the Bevy Engine and its developers. It is not officially affiliated with the Bevy project.

Why pybevy?

pybevy is designed for developers who love Python but need more performance for graphically-intensive applications.

• Lightning-Fast Development with Hot-Reload: See your code changes instantly without restarting your application. Modify game logic, adjust parameters, or tweak visuals and watch them update in real-time, dramatically accelerating your development workflow.
• Python Ecosystem Meets Cutting-Edge 3D: Access the entire Python ecosystem—NumPy, Pandas, SciPy, PyTorch, OpenCV, and more—while rendering with Bevy's state-of-the-art 3D engine. Build data-driven applications, AI-powered games, or scientific visualizations with the best of both worlds.
• Performance Without Compromise: Eliminate the "performance wall" common in Python 3D development. Performance-critical engine internals—like rendering and scheduling—run at near-native speed in Rust, while your game logic lives in expressive Python.
• Rapid, Scalable Prototyping: Start your project entirely in Python to iterate quickly. As your needs grow, seamlessly rewrite performance-critical systems in Rust for a powerful hybrid approach. Your prototype can become your final product without switching engines.
• High-Performance Visualization: The perfect backend for visualizing massive datasets (e.g., point clouds, simulations) in real-time by leveraging Bevy's rendering power with data loaded via libraries like NumPy and Open3D.
• Modern ECS Architecture, Made Accessible: Learn and use Bevy's powerful, data-oriented Entity Component System paradigm with simple Python functions and classes. It's an ideal tool for teaching modern engine design without the steep learning curve of Rust.

Getting Started

Installation

Requires Python 3.12+. Pre-compiled wheels are available for the following platforms:

Platform	Architecture
Linux	x86_64
macOS	ARM (Apple Silicon), x86_64
Windows	x86_64

pip install pybevy --upgrade

Quick Look: The pybevy Syntax

The API is designed to feel natural and intuitive, closely mirroring Bevy's own "refreshingly simple" philosophy.

Pure Python Approach

A simple 3D scene, written entirely in Python. Perfect for getting started and rapid iteration.

# A simple 3D scene with a cube sitting on a plane.
from pybevy.prelude import *
import math

# Bevy systems are just Python functions with type-hinted parameters.
def setup(
    commands: Commands,
    meshes: ResMut[Assets[Mesh]],
    materials: ResMut[Assets[StandardMaterial]],
) -> None:
    # Circular base
    commands.spawn(
        Mesh3d(meshes.add(Circle(radius=4.0).mesh())),
        MeshMaterial3d(materials.add(StandardMaterial.from_color(Color.WHITE))),
        Transform.from_rotation(Quat.from_rotation_x(-math.pi / 2)),
    )

    # Cube
    commands.spawn(
        Mesh3d(meshes.add(Cuboid(1.0, 1.0, 1.0).mesh())),
        MeshMaterial3d(materials.add(StandardMaterial.from_color(Color.srgb_u8(124, 144, 255)))),
        Transform.from_xyz(0.0, 0.5, 0.0),
    )

    # Light
    commands.spawn(
        PointLight(shadows_enabled=True),
        Transform.from_xyz(4.0, 8.0, 4.0),
    )

    # Camera
    commands.spawn(
        Camera3d(),
        Transform.from_xyz(-2.5, 4.5, 9.0).looking_at(Vec3.ZERO, Vec3.Y),
    )

@entrypoint
def main(app: App) -> App:
    return app.add_plugins(DefaultPlugins).add_systems(Startup, setup)

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main().run()

Save this as main.py and run it with the pybevy watch command, which starts your app in hot-reloading mode:

pybevy watch --full main.py

Now you can edit main.py while the application is running, and see your changes reflected instantly!

The --full flag reloads everything on each change, including setup systems (scene creation, spawning entities). Without it, only game logic (Update systems) is reloaded — faster for iterating on runtime behavior once your scene is set up.

Bevy Compatibility

pybevy versions target specific Bevy versions:

pybevy	Bevy
0.1.x	0.18

Documentation

• pybevy.com — Project website
• Examples — Runnable examples covering 2D, 3D, ECS, animation, physics, and more

Community & Contributing

• Join the Conversation: The best place to ask questions and chat is the official Pybevy Discord.
• Contributing: See CONTRIBUTING.md for how to get involved.

License

All code in this repository is dual-licensed under either:

• MIT License
• Apache License 2.0

at your option.

By contributing, you agree your work will be released under both licenses.