Digital Wounds

A Resident Evil Remake-style native C++ dark atmospheric experience with interactive books and cinematic environments.

Status: Work in Progress

About

Digital Wounds is an immersive desktop application built with a custom C++ engine. It uses the RE Remake hybrid rendering architecture: pre-rendered backgrounds created in Blender, combined with real-time 3D objects (characters, interactive books, props), dynamic lighting/shadows projected onto the static backgrounds, and FMV overlay loops for atmospheric effects like fog and swaying trees.

The visual style targets a dark, Silent Hill-inspired atmosphere with film grain, vignette, and subtle bloom post-processing.

Tech Stack

• C++17 — core language
• SDL2 — window management, input, audio
• OpenGL 3.3+ — real-time rendering (core profile)
• GLM — math library (vectors, matrices, transforms)
• CMake — build system
• stb_image / stb_vorbis — image and audio loading

RE Remake Rendering Architecture

Each scene ("room") combines multiple rendering layers:

1. Pre-rendered background    ← static image (Blender render)
2. Depth pre-pass             ← hidden geometry sets Z-buffer
3. Real-time 3D objects       ← books, lanterns, player model
4. Shadow projection          ← dynamic shadows onto BG
5. Particle effects           ← fog, dust, fireflies
6. FMV video overlays         ← animated BG elements (fog, water)
7. Post-processing            ← vignette, grain, bloom, color grade

This approach gives cinematic-quality backgrounds with minimal GPU cost, while interactive elements remain fully 3D.

Prerequisites

• CMake 3.20+
• SDL2 development libraries
• C++17 compiler (MSVC via Visual Studio 2022, or MinGW-w64)
• OpenGL 3.3+ capable GPU

Build

cmake -B build
cmake --build build

Run:

./build/digital_wounds          # Linux/macOS
build\Debug\digital_wounds.exe  # Windows

Controls

Key	Action
W A S D	Move
Mouse	Look around
E	Interact with book
A / D	Previous / Next page (while reading)
Q	Close book
ESC	Quit

Project Structure

src/
├── main.cpp              # Entry point, SDL2 init
├── core/                 # Engine, InputManager, AssetManager
├── renderer/             # OpenGL: Renderer, BackgroundLayer, Shader, Mesh, Camera
├── scene/                # Room/scene management, transitions
├── world/                # Player, props, books, collision
├── fx/                   # Post-processing, particles, FMV overlays
├── audio/                # Spatial audio, ambient, footsteps
└── utils/                # Math helpers, logging

assets/
├── backgrounds/          # Pre-rendered room images (from Blender)
├── models/               # Real-time 3D props (.obj)
├── textures/             # PBR textures
├── collision/            # Per-room collision maps
├── shaders/              # GLSL 330 core shaders
├── audio/                # Music, SFX, ambient loops
├── video/                # FMV overlay loops
└── rooms/                # Room definitions (JSON)

legacy/                   # Original Three.js prototype (reference only)

Asset Pipeline

1. Backgrounds — Model environments in Blender, render from fixed camera angles, export as PNG
2. Collision maps — Export simplified geometry from Blender for walkable areas
3. 3D props — Model interactive objects in Blender, export as OBJ
4. FMV overlays — Render animation loops (fog, water, fire) as video files
5. Room definitions — JSON files specifying camera, background, collision, and props per room

License

All rights reserved.