Cinder (programming library)

Cinder is a programming library, designed to give the C++ language advanced visualization abilities. It was released as a public tool in spring 2010 and can be viewed in many ways as an open-source, C++-based alternative to tools like the Java-based Processing library, Microsoft Silverlight or Adobe Flash. It is also comparable to the C++ based openFrameworks, the main difference being Cinder using more system-specific libraries for greater performance benefits and aimed at more advanced programmers, and openFrameworks aiming for more cross-platform flexibilities and open control over its underlying libraries.

Unlike Flash and Silverlight Cinder is generally used in a non-browser environment. This, combined with the speed provided by C++, makes the library more appropriate for heavily abstracted projects, including art installations, commercial campaigns and other advanced animation work.