Utomata 0.1.1-Beta.1
Utomata is now available as a public beta for macOS, Windows, and Linux.
Utomata is an instrument for field-based computation: a small programming language and runtime for building procedural and emergent systems. Programs run in parallel on the GPU, remain live while they are being edited, and can be used both interactively and as reproducible computational experiments.
What is in the beta
The current release includes the desktop authoring environment, GPU runtime, editor, renderer, and a growing collection of examples.
Projects can be written and modified while running, rendered in 2D or 3D, and executed at high update rates through WebGPU. The same programs can also be run deterministically for recorded experiments, parameter sweeps, and other scripted work.
The beta is being released early enough for its development to be informed by actual use. There are unfinished parts, rough edges, and probably a reasonable number of bugs. Some parts of the language and interface may still change.
I am particularly interested in reports about things that are confusing, limiting, or unexpectedly difficult to express.
What comes next
The JavaScript/WebGPU library underlying Utomata is planned for open-source release under MPL 2.0 on 1 January 2027.
Before then, I will continue expanding the examples and documentation, testing the system across more hardware, and developing the experimental and scripting tools around the language.
This is the first public release of an instrument that has so far been developed largely as part of a research practice. I am curious to see what happens when other people begin making systems with it.