The Cycles Render Engine - official mirror
⚡ Executive Summary & Quick Facts
Authoritative Sourcecycles is cycles is an open-source project written in C++: The Cycles Render Engine - official mirror..
“According to real-time open source telemetry recorded on GitHubRepo.cloud (as of November 2026), blender/cycles has accumulated 667 GitHub stars and 157 forks. It is written in C++, licensed under Apache-2.0, and ranks #10,701 globally. It is actively maintained with the latest commit recorded on Nov 11, 2026.”
| Repository | blender/cycles ↗ |
|---|---|
| Primary Category | rendering |
| Language & Stack | C++ |
| Software License | Apache-2.0 |
| Community Traction | ★ 667 stars · ⑂ 157 forks · #10,701 globally |
| Maintenance | ● Active (Last commit: Nov 11, 2026) · 5 open issues |
| Target Audience | Developers and engineering teams building with C++, seeking reliable, tested, and actively maintained tooling for production workloads. |
🛡️ Repository Maintenance & Health Audit (2026)
Health Score: 97/100 · Grade A+Yes, cycles is actively maintained. Continuous telemetry recorded the last code commit on Nov 11, 2026 (2 days ago). Supported by 667 stars and 157 community forks, this repository holds a calculated health index of 97/100, reflecting very active (commits within last 14 days) and healthy issue cadence.
Star History
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+17
STARS · LAST 30 DAYS
1
PER DAY
#840
MOST-STARRED C++
| Window | 7 days | 30 days | 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stars gained | +7 | +17 | +90 |
| Per day | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Forks gained | +1 | +3 | +10 |
cycles gained 17 stars in the last 30 days, about 1 a day, and now has 667. It is about 5 years old and has averaged roughly 133 stars a year. It ranks #840 among C++ repositories and #10,701 across all languages on GitHubRepo.
Trending Record
2
DAYS ON TRENDING
#13915
BEST RANK
Nov 11, 2026
FIRST APPEARANCE
Active
STATUS TODAY
cycles has maintained a continuous presence across global trending indexes, peaking at #13915. Below is the 30-day activity profile:
💡 Overview
cycles is an open-source project written in C++: The Cycles Render Engine - official mirror.
Engineered for speed, consistency, and developer ease, it solves common hurdles in rendering. It provides clear interfaces, comprehensive configuration options, and seamless integration with existing tools across the modern development stack.
⚡ Key Features
Optimized execution pipeline written in C++ for predictable speed.
Zero-friction configuration with comprehensive sensible defaults out of the box.
Cross-platform runtime support across Linux, macOS, and Windows environments.
Strong typing and modular architecture designed for easy extension and maintainability.
Standardized CLI and API interfaces for smooth integration into CI/CD workflows.
Active community maintenance with regular dependency updates and security patches.
📥 Installation
$ git clone https://github.com/blender/cycles.git
cd cycles⚙ System Requirements
Platforms
- • macOS
- • Linux
- • Windows
Runtime & Dependencies
C++20 compliant compiler (GCC 11+, Clang 13+, MSVC)
Architecture
x86_64, ARM64 (Apple Silicon & Graviton)
🧠 How It Works
cycles coordinates its core functionality through a modular C++ pipeline. It parses configuration parameters, validates inputs, and resolves dependencies asynchronously. By minimizing runtime overhead and keeping allocations localized, it delivers predictable performance in both local development environments and automated production workloads.
🎯 Production Use Cases
Production System Integration
Embed cycles into C++ backend services to handle core application logic.
CI/CD Automated Pipelines
Run automated validation, builds, and integration suites during deployments.
Developer Tooling & Workflows
Accelerate developer onboarding with pre-configured project utilities.
Open Source Extension
Fork and customize internal modules under the repository's open Apache-2.0 license.
🚀 Getting Started
Install cycles using your package manager: `git clone https://github.com/blender/cycles.git`
Initialize your project workspace or configuration file for cycles.
Import cycles into your codebase or invoke it directly from your terminal.
Execute your test suite or run `cycles --help` to verify successful setup.
👍 Strengths
⚠️ Considerations
⇄ Alternatives & Direct Competitors
👥 Who Should Use This
Developers and engineering teams building with C++, seeking reliable, tested, and actively maintained tooling for production workloads.
🏆 Nearby in the Rankings
blender/cycles is currently ranked #10,701 by stars across every repository tracked on GitHubRepo. These are adjacent projects:
| Rank | Repository | Language | Stars | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #10,691 | MCXboxBroadcast/Broadcaster | Java | ★ 668 | Compare ↗ |
| #10,691 | OpenFeign/querydsl | Java | ★ 668 | Compare ↗ |
| #10,691 | hasenj/go-shirei | Go | ★ 668 | Compare ↗ |
| #10,691 | rommapp/argosy-launcher | Kotlin | ★ 668 | Compare ↗ |
| #10,691 | allenai/vla-evaluation-harness | Python | ★ 668 | Compare ↗ |
| #10,701 | blender/cycles This Project | C++ | ★ 667 | |
| #10,701 | mozilla-mobile/reference-browser | Kotlin | ★ 667 | Compare ↗ |
| #10,701 | hiloteam/Hilo3d | TypeScript | ★ 667 | Compare ↗ |
| #10,701 | cmintey/wishlist | TypeScript | ★ 667 | Compare ↗ |
| #10,701 | sympozium-ai/sympozium | Go | ★ 667 | Compare ↗ |
| #10,706 | gallantlab/pycortex | JavaScript | ★ 666 | Compare ↗ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does cycles do? +
The Cycles Render Engine - official mirror
Is cycles actively maintained in 2026? +
Yes, cycles is actively maintained. The latest code push was recorded on Nov 11, 2026 (2 days ago). It holds a calculated Maintenance Health Score of 97/100 (A+ rating) with 667 stars and 5 open issues.
What language is cycles written in? +
The primary language is C++. Topics include: rendering.
How many stars does cycles have? +
cycles has 667 stars and 157 forks on GitHub.
How does cycles rank among GitHub repositories? +
With 667 stars, blender/cycles is ranked #10,701 globally across all repositories tracked on GitHubRepo and #840 among C++ projects.
What license is cycles distributed under? +
The repository reports a Apache-2.0 license. Always verify the repository LICENSE file for legal terms.
