I Had To Stop Thinking Like A Graphics Engineer

I spent years thinking that if the rendering was good enough, the engine would speak for itself.

Better visuals. Better performance. More advanced rendering features.

But eventually I realized something uncomfortable: great rendering alone doesn’t make a great engine.

In this video, I talk about the mindset shift that changed how I approach the Untold Engine — from thinking purely like a graphics programmer to thinking about the full developer experience.

I share:

  • Why rendering wasn’t enough anymore
  • The hidden importance of tooling and user experience
  • How friction prevents people from trying your engine
  • Why I started simplifying workflows and lowering the barrier to entry
  • The lessons I learned building systems around the renderer, not just inside it

This wasn’t a technical breakthrough. It was an engineering realization.

If you're building a game engine, renderer, toolchain, or any developer-facing software, this might save you from the same mistake I made.

Untold Engine is a Swift + Metal renderer and engine focused on XR, streaming, and real-time rendering for Apple platforms.

Untold Engine: https://github.com/untoldengine/UntoldEngine

If you enjoy engine development, rendering architecture, XR rendering, or graphics programming, consider subscribing.

Harold Serrano

Computer Graphics Enthusiast. Currently developing a 3D Game Engine.