Ratty is a GPU-rendered terminal emulator with inline 3D graphics support built in Rust.
The tool addresses the limitation of traditional terminal emulators by enabling GPU-accelerated rendering and embedding three-dimensional graphics directly within the terminal interface. It leverages Bevy and wgpu for graphics rendering, allowing users to display 3D objects inline alongside standard terminal output. The emulator features a customizable spinning rat cursor that can be rendered in either traditional 2D or a new 3D mode, which can be toggled with Ctrl+Alt+Enter to reveal a three-dimensional view of the terminal space itself. The project also supports image rendering through the Kitty Graphics Protocol.
Ratty suits developers and users interested in experimental terminal interfaces and creative command-line experiences rather than those seeking a conventional replacement for standard terminal emulators. The tool requires a GPU and graphics stack supported by Bevy and wgpu, making it dependent on adequate graphics hardware. Installation is available through multiple channels including Cargo, package managers for Arch Linux and NixOS, and prebuilt binaries. Configuration is handled through a TOML file where users can customize the cursor model by providing OBJ, GLB, or STL assets, along with parameters like scale factor, brightness, and visibility settings.
The project demonstrates active development with a focus on expanding its capabilities. The tool has received attention from technology media outlets and maintains a public blog documenting its design decisions. The codebase is built on the Ratatui framework and shows ongoing refinement of its rendering pipeline and feature set. The project includes comprehensive documentation covering installation requirements for different Linux distributions and detailed configuration options for customization.
