Halfspace is an experimental IDE for solid modeling using distance fields, showcasing the Fidget kernel for rasterization and meshing. It allows users to design models via pre-defined primitives and hand-written scripts, exporting results as images or triangle meshes. The developer emphasizes that Halfspace is not vibe-coded, having been built since April 2025 using manual coding, with Fidget originating in 2022.
The tool addresses the complexity of low-level implicit surface modeling—comparing it to writing assembly—by offering both a growing standard library of shapes and transformations and incremental model building. Halfspace supports solid modeling with definitive inside/outside boundaries, suitable for physical realization via 3D printing. It wraps the Fidget geometry kernel in a GUI, enabling users to work with constructive solid geometry (CSG) operations like union, intersection, and difference on primitives such as spheres, boxes, and cylinders.
The demo is optimized for desktop use, with known issues in mobile Safari due to WebGPU and touch interaction limitations.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing