The CLI
Every balaur command (new, run, edit, export, play, import, replay, api) and the three run modes: headless, offscreen and windowed.
On this page
The balaur binary is the editor, the runtime and the CLI.
balaur new my-game
balaur run my-game # dev mode, hot reload on
balaur edit my-game # open in the editor
balaur export my-game # check scripts, bundle my-game.bpak
balaur play my-game.bpak # run the packCommands
| Command | Effect |
|---|---|
| (none) | Open the project manager: recent projects, a new one from a template, a folder |
new <path> |
Scaffold a project: project.toml, a main scene, one script |
run <path> |
Run in dev mode with hot reload |
edit <path> |
Open the project in the editor |
export <path> |
Check every script and bundle a .bpak; --target <platform> produces a fused executable |
play <pack> |
Run a pack, with no watcher |
import <file> --project <path> |
Bring a file in: a .glb model, an .aseprite sprite, or a .tmx or .ldtk level |
replay <session> |
Play back a session recorded with run --record; --verify re-checks every tick |
check <path> |
Compile every script a scene attaches without running it, and print each finding with its file and line |
test <path> |
Attach every tests/**/*.bs to a fresh node in a headless copy and tick it for 120 frames; a logged error or a trap fails the run |
fmt <path> |
Format every script in a project, its line breaks and comments kept |
lsp |
Serve the same checks over the Language Server Protocol, for an editor outside Balaur |
shrink <path> |
Write smaller copies of a project's images for one target, which an export folds onto the names the scenes already use |
update |
Update this install to the newest build on its channel: the binary, the bundled editor and its runtime template |
api |
Dump every script module, function and constant as JSON |
Run modes
| Mode | GPU | Window | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
headless (--headless) |
no | no | tests, CI, servers, determinism runs |
offscreen (--offscreen) |
yes | no | screenshots, automation, visual CI |
| windowed | yes | yes | playing and editing |
- All three modes compute the same simulation.
--frames Nstops after N frames.render::screenshot("out.png")captures the next rendered frame, offscreen or windowed.
From source
cargo run -p balaur_cli -- run my-game --headless
cargo run -p balaur_cli --features window -- edit my-game--features window builds the kiss3d/wgpu window. Without it everything runs headless.
Toolchain and packages: Build from source.