How is it different from https://flutter.dev/desktop

ratww · on Aug 29, 2020

You can probably do the same things with both, but Flutter is more geared toward applications, where Dear ImGui is more about putting GUIs in places where the GUI is secondary, such as games, creative tools and other graphic-heavy apps.

Here's what Dear ImGui's readme [1] says:

> Dear ImGui is designed to enable fast iterations and to empower programmers to create content creation tools and visualization / debug tools (as opposed to UI for the average end-user). It favors simplicity and productivity toward this goal, and lacks certain features normally found in more high-level libraries.

> Dear ImGui is particularly suited to integration in games engine (for tooling), real-time 3D applications, fullscreen applications, embedded applications, or any applications on consoles platforms where operating system features are non-standard.

Basically: I wouldn't put Flutter inside a graphics heavy video game. I also wouldn't use ImGui for a social mobile app, or something like a business app that requires accessibility.

[1] https://github.com/ocornut/imgui

dragonwriter · on Aug 29, 2020

> How is it different from https://flutter.dev/desktop

Well, it advertised itself as a simple way to provide a GUI for Python scripts.

I can think of lots of good uses for Flutter, but “a simple way to add a GUI to a Python script” isn't one of them.

So, I'm going to say they are entirely unrelated products with basically non-overlapping domains.

nurettin · on Aug 29, 2020

The main difference is that you can put dear imgui in your rendering pipeline and manually trigger it each frame. This fine grained control lets you use it on top of your graphical application as a HUD. Example:

    build_game_frame()
    render_game()
    build_hud_frame()
    render_dearpygui_frame()
    gl_flip()

bialpio · on Aug 29, 2020

This may be helpful/relevant: https://github.com/hoffstadt/DearPyGui/issues/83. Edit: (the link discusses making the API more like flutter).

anaganisk · on Aug 29, 2020

For starters, this library may not be suddenly killed off.

nurettin · on Aug 29, 2020

https://github.com/ocornut/imgui

""" Ongoing Dear ImGui development is financially supported by users and private sponsors, recently:

Platinum-chocolate sponsors

Blizzard, Google, Nvidia, Ubisoft """

Joke aside, google did a lot of good for imgui's development. I guess they all love side projects.

anaganisk · on Aug 29, 2020

Im more concerned about flutter going to the grave sooner.

mrweasel · on Aug 29, 2020

How is it not?

Flutter is Flutter, DearPyGui is Python binding for ImGui.

amaccuish · on Aug 29, 2020

I read the question as asking about the differences (advantages and disadvantages) of the two

iddan · on Aug 29, 2020

This is correct

mrweasel · on Aug 29, 2020

Isn’t that a little weird? Do you mean Flutter and Dart vs. ImGui and Python, ImGui vs Flutter or Python vs. Dart.

Anyway, I don’t think ImGui can be used for app development for neither Android or iOS and Flutter doesn’t seem to allow you to use other languages than Dart (at least that’s my impression).