NoesisGUI

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NoesisGUI is a cross-platform user interface (UI) middleware designed for video games and interactive applications. It allows developers to author graphical interfaces using XAML markup and C++, and integrates with game engines such as Unity and Unreal Engine. The software is used to render vector graphics, animations, and layouts within game environments.

History and technology

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NoesisGUI was initially released in the early 2010s. The software compiles XAML markup into binary resources and utilizes rendering backends including DirectX, OpenGL, Metal, and Vulkan. Developers can bind C++ or C# code to the interface components to handle application logic.

Subsequent updates to the middleware, such as version 3.0 in 2022, introduced application profiling tools, 3D transform support for virtual reality, and integration with Adobe After Effects for exporting Lottie animations.[1]

Noesis Studio

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In 2025, Noesis released Noesis Studio, a standalone visual editor designed for creating and previewing user interfaces. The application provides a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) environment, allowing artists and designers to build, style, and animate interfaces without requiring direct programming. The tool generates XAML output that can be imported directly into game engines.

The Studio software has subsequently been adopted for virtual reality development. In late 2025, Meta officially integrated Noesis UI into the Meta Horizon Worlds Desktop Editor. This integration allows platform creators to use Noesis Studio to design and import hardware-accelerated 2D and spatial user interfaces for applications running on Meta Quest hardware.[2]

Usage and industry reception

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NoesisGUI has been utilized in the development of both independent and AAA video games. Documented examples of games using the middleware include:

The software has been covered by video game trade publications as a notable alternative to native engine UI tools. In an industry overview of user interface systems, the British trade magazine MCV/DEVELOP highlighted NoesisGUI for its vector-based workflow and its approach to allowing artists to design interfaces using XAML without requiring extensive programming resources.[7] Similarly, it was featured by the game development network WN Hub as one of the leading systems for creating cross-platform game UI.[8] Its integration workflows have also been the subject of technical case studies by Unity Technologies.[9]

See also

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  • Scaleform GFx
  • Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF)
  • Unreal Motion Graphics
  • Unity UI Toolkit
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References

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  1. "NoesisGUI Changelog". Noesis Technologies. 20 October 2025. Retrieved 2025-10-26.
  2. "Noesis UI is now available in the Desktop Editor". Meta Community Forums. 2025. Retrieved 2026-04-25.
  3. "Baldur's Gate 3 Documentation". Larian Studios. Retrieved 2025-10-26.
  4. "BG3 Modding Community". Larian Studios. Retrieved 2025-10-26.
  5. Bouwhuis, Thijs (2024). "UI Portfolio: Age of Wonders 4". ThijsBouwhuis.com. Retrieved 2025-10-26.
  6. "Middleware: Noesis". MobyGames. Retrieved 2025-10-26.
  7. "8 top UI tools". MCV/DEVELOP. 28 November 2014. Retrieved 2026-04-25.
  8. "Eight best systems for creating UI". WN Hub. 1 December 2014. Retrieved 2026-04-25.
  9. "Case Study: The Game Kitchen – UI Workflows with NoesisGUI". Unity Technologies. 2025. Retrieved 2025-10-26.