[DMP 2026] Replace abandoned package CreateJS

[walterbender]

Current Behavior

CreateJS, which is used for all of the graphics rendering in Music Blocks is well past end of life. It was abandoned by its maintainers in 2017.

Desired Situation

1. Investigate alternative solutions.
2. Make a plan for a migration
3. Execute the plan

Checklist

• I have read and followed the project's code of conduct.
• I have searched for similar issues before creating this one.
• I have provided all the necessary information to understand and reproduce the issue.
• I am willing to contribute to the resolution of this issue.

---

Thank you for contributing to our project! We appreciate your help in improving it.

📚 See contributing instructions.

🙋🏾🙋🏼 Questions: Community Matrix Server.

[rashi-cse]

Hi @walterbender !
I opened a PR adding a CreateJS usage audit that may help with the migration planning:
#6109

[gourijain029-del]

Here is the proposed Phase 1 migration plan to replace CreateJS:

Executive Summary

This RFC proposes replacing the abandoned CreateJS (EaselJS, TweenJS, PreloadJS) rendering stack with PixiJS v8 and GSAP 3. The goal is to modernize the architectural foundation of Music Blocks, unlock WebGL/WebGPU performance, and ensure long-term maintainability for the "DMP 2026" roadmap.

1. Rationale

• Project abandonment: CreateJS has not been updated since 2017.
• • Performance: PixiJS provides GPU-accelerated batching, essential for complex turtle graphics.
• • • Modern standards: PixiJS and GSAP are widely used, well-documented, and support ES modules.

2. Technical Recommendation

• Renderer: PixiJS v8 (stage, containers, sprites).
• • Animation: GSAP 3 (tweening, timelines).

3. Implementation Strategy - Compatibility Layer

1. Phase 1 - Add js/graphics-adapter.js that maps a subset of the CreateJS API to PixiJS/GSAP. This allows the existing codebase to run unchanged while using the new engine.
2. 2. Phase 2 - Incrementally refactor core modules (turtle.js, block.js, loader.js) to use native PixiJS/GSAP APIs.
3. 3. Phase 3 - Remove CreateJS files from lib/ and clean up shims.

4. Next Steps

• Share and review the prototype I built locally for graphics-adapter.js.
• • If the plan looks good, I'll create a draft PR for Phase 1 implementation.

[gourijain029-del]

Here is the proposed Phase 1 migration plan to replace CreateJS:

Executive Summary

This RFC proposes replacing the abandoned CreateJS (EaselJS, TweenJS, PreloadJS) rendering stack with PixiJS v8 and GSAP 3. The goal is to modernize the architectural foundation of Music Blocks, unlock WebGL/WebGPU performance, and ensure long-term maintainability for the "DMP 2026" roadmap.

1. Rationale

• Project abandonment: CreateJS has not been updated since 2017.
• • Performance: PixiJS provides GPU-accelerated batching, essential for complex turtle graphics.
• • • Modern standards: PixiJS and GSAP are widely used, well-documented, and support ES modules.

2. Technical Recommendation

• Renderer: PixiJS v8 (stage, containers, sprites).
• • Animation: GSAP 3 (tweening, timelines).

3. Implementation Strategy

1. Phase 1 - Add js/graphics-adapter.js that maps a subset of the CreateJS API to PixiJS/GSAP. This allows the existing codebase to run unchanged while using the new engine.
2. 2. Phase 2 - Incrementally refactor core modules (turtle.js, block.js, loader.js) to use native PixiJS/GSAP APIs.
3. 3. Phase 3 - Remove CreateJS files from lib/ and clean up shims.

4. Next Steps

• Share and review the prototype I built locally for graphics-adapter.js.
• • If the plan looks good, I'll create a draft PR for Phase 1 implementation.

[gourijain029-del]

Here is the proposed Phase 1 migration plan to replace CreateJS:

Executive Summary

This RFC proposes replacing the abandoned CreateJS (EaselJS, TweenJS, PreloadJS) rendering stack with PixiJS v8 and GSAP 3. The goal is to modernize the architectural foundation of Music Blocks, unlock WebGL/WebGPU performance, and ensure long-term maintainability for the 'DMP 2026' roadmap.

1. Rationale

• Project abandonment: CreateJS has not been updated since 2017.
• • Performance: PixiJS provides GPU-accelerated batching, essential for complex turtle graphics.
• • • Modern standards: PixiJS and GSAP are widely used, well-documented, and support ES modules.

2. Technical Recommendation

• Renderer: PixiJS v8 (stage, containers, sprites).
• • Animation: GSAP 3 (tweening, timelines).

3. Implementation Strategy Compatibility Layer

1. Phase 1: Add js/graphics-adapter.js that maps a subset of the CreateJS API to PixiJS/GSAP. This allows the existing codebase to run unchanged while using the new engine.
2. 2. Phase 2: Incrementally refactor core modules (turtle.js, block.js, loader.js) to use native PixiJS/GSAP APIs.
3. 3. Phase 3: Remove CreateJS files from lib/ and clean up shims.

4. Next Steps

• Share and review the prototype I built locally for graphics-adapter.js.
• • If the plan looks good, I'll create a draft PR for Phase 1 implementation.

[gourijain029-del]

Here is the proposed Phase 1 migration plan to replace CreateJS:

Executive Summary

This RFC proposes replacing the abandoned CreateJS (EaselJS, TweenJS, PreloadJS) rendering stack with PixiJS v8 and GSAP 3. The goal is to modernize the architectural foundation of Music Blocks, unlock WebGL/WebGPU performance, and ensure long-term maintainability for the 'DMP 2026' roadmap.

1. Rationale

• Project abandonment: CreateJS has not been updated since 2017.
• • Performance: PixiJS provides GPU-accelerated batching, essential for complex turtle graphics.
• • • Modern standards: PixiJS and GSAP are widely used, well-documented, and support ES modules.

2. Technical Recommendation

• Renderer: PixiJS v8 (stage, containers, sprites).
• • Animation: GSAP 3 (tweening, timelines).

3. Implementation Strategy Compatibility Layer

1. Phase 1: Add js/graphics-adapter.js that maps a subset of the CreateJS API to PixiJS/GSAP. This allows the existing codebase to run unchanged while using the new engine.
2. 2. Phase 2: Incrementally refactor core modules (turtle.js, block.js, loader.js) to use native PixiJS/GSAP APIs.
3. 3. Phase 3: Remove CreateJS files from lib/ and clean up shims.

4. Next Steps

• Share and review the prototype I built locally for graphics-adapter.js.
• • If the plan looks good, I'll create a draft PR for Phase 1 implementation.