From Definitions to Reality
"Nothing in a runtime should exist without first being described."
Why This Chapter Exists
If runtime objects are not the foundation of the architecture, an obvious question follows.
Where does the architecture actually begin?
The Cube Framework answers this question with a simple observation.
Every runtime object originates from information that already existed before the application began executing.
Meshes are authored.
Data Assets are authored.
Gameplay Tags are authored.
Relationships are authored.
Validation rules are authored.
None of these things come into existence at runtime.
Runtime merely gives them form.
Understanding this distinction is essential to understanding every Cube module.
The World Before Runtime
Before the first Actor is spawned...
Before the first Component is initialized...
Before networking begins...
A complete description of the system already exists.
Not as objects.
But as information.
This information answers questions such as:
- Which parts belong together?
- Which assets are required?
- Which configurations are valid?
- Which combinations are allowed?
- Which capabilities are possible?
At this stage, nothing is executing.
Nothing is simulated.
Nothing is replicated.
The architecture exists purely as knowledge.
The Cube Framework refers to this world as the Definition Space.
Definition Space
The Definition Space contains every authored description required to eventually construct a runtime object.
Definitions do not perform gameplay.
They do not contain temporary state.
They cannot be damaged.
They cannot be replicated.
They simply describe possibility.
For this reason, definitions should remain stable.
Changing a definition changes future runtime objects.
It should not unexpectedly modify those that already exist.
This separation allows authored content to evolve independently from runtime behavior.
Crossing the Boundary
Eventually, gameplay requires something tangible.
A player equips a weapon.
An item is spawned.
A runtime entity enters the world.
This is the moment where the framework crosses an important architectural boundary.
Information begins transforming into execution.
Definitions become builds.
Builds become runtime representations.
Knowledge becomes behavior.
This transition is one of the central responsibilities of the Cube Framework.
Runtime Space
Once assembly has completed, the framework enters the Runtime Space.
Unlike definitions, runtime objects are temporary.
They possess ownership.
They replicate.
They receive input.
They participate in gameplay.
They may even disappear completely before another identical runtime object is assembled from the same definitions.
Runtime Space therefore represents execution rather than knowledge.
Two Worlds, One Architecture
Although Definition Space and Runtime Space are fundamentally different, they are not isolated.
They continuously cooperate.
Definitions describe.
Runtime executes.
Definitions remain stable.
Runtime evolves.
Definitions answer what is possible.
Runtime answers what currently exists.
Healthy frameworks carefully protect this distinction.
Whenever these responsibilities begin overlapping, architectural clarity gradually disappears.
The Flow of Knowledge
One useful way to visualize the Cube Framework is as the movement of information between two worlds.
Definition Space
↓
Build
↓
Validation
↓
Runtime Assembly
↓
Runtime Space
The purpose of the framework is not simply to create runtime objects.
Its purpose is to safely translate authored knowledge into executable systems.
Everything else builds upon this foundation.
Design Note
Many architectures treat runtime objects as the source of truth because they are the most visible part of the application.
The Cube Framework deliberately reverses this relationship.
Runtime objects are consumers of knowledge.
Definitions remain its source.
This perspective makes rebuilding, replication and future extension significantly easier because knowledge survives independently of its runtime representation.
Framework Law II
Definitions describe possibility. Runtime represents reality. Never confuse the two.
Every Cube system exists somewhere between these two worlds.
Understanding which world a system belongs to is the first step toward understanding its responsibility.
Revision History
Version 1.0
Initial publication.