Learn Three.js

Program 3D animations and visualizations for the web with JavaScript and WebGL

Publisher:Packt Publishing Limited

By: Jos Dirksen

Paid access

|May 2024

E-Book €29.99Institutions €128.95

Description

Become a creative JavaScript professional by creating and animating stunning 3D, browser-based graphics with Three.js from beginning to end
Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free eBook in PDF format

Key Features

Enhance your 3D graphics with light sources, shadows, advanced materials, and textures
Load models from external sources, visualize and, animate them directly using JavaScript
Create your own custom WebGL shader, explore Three.js' postprocessing feature, and learn how to integrate with Blender, React, and Typescript

Book Description

Three.js has become the industry standard for creating stunning 3D WebGL content. In this edition, you’ll learn about all the features of Three.js and understand how to integrate it with the newest physics engines. You'll also develop a strong grip on creating and animating immersive 3D scenes directly in your browser, reaping the full potential of WebGL and modern browsers.
The book starts with the basic concepts and building blocks used in Three.js and helps you explore these essential topics in detail through extensive examples and code samples. You'll learn how to create realistic-looking 3D objects using textures and materials and how to load existing models from an external source. Next, you'll understand how to control the camera using the Three.js built-in camera controls, which will enable you to fly or walk around the 3D scene you've created. Later chapters will cover the use of HTML5 video and canvas elements as materials for your 3D objects to animate your models. You’ll learn how to use morph targets and skeleton-based animation, before understanding how to add physics, such as gravity and collision detection, to your scene. Finally, you’ll master combining Blender with Three.js and creating VR and AR scenes.
By the end of this book, you'll be well-equipped to create 3D-animated graphics using Three.js.

What you will learn

Implement the different camera controls provided by Three.js to navigate your 3D scene
Discover working with vertices directly to create snow, rain, and galaxy-like effects
Import and animate models from external formats, such as glTF, OBJ, STL, and COLLADA
Design and run animations using morph targets and bone-based animation
Create realistic-looking 3D objects using advanced textures on materials
Interact directly with WebGL by creating custom vertex and fragment shaders
Make scenes using the Rapier physics engine, and integrate Three.js with VR and AR