Learn Three.js

Become a creative JavaScript professional by creating and animating stunning 3D, browser-based graphics with Three.js from beginning to end

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

Who this book is for

This book is for JavaScript developers looking to learn the use of Three.js library.

Table of Contents

1. Creating Your First 3D Scene withThree.js
2. The Basic Components that Make up a Three.js Application
3. Working with Light Sources in Three.js
4. Working with Three.js Materials
5. Learning to Work with Geometries
6. Exploring Advanced Geometries
7. Points and Sprites
8. Creating and Loading Advanced Meshes and Geometries
9. Animations and moving the camera
10. Loading and Working with Textures
11. Render Postprocessing
12. Adding Physics and Sounds to Your Scene
13. Working with Blender and Three.js
14. Three.js together with React, Typescript, and Web-XR

About the Author

Jos Dirksen has worked as a software developer and architect for almost two decades. He has a lot of experience in many technologies, ranging from backend technologies, such as Java and Scala, to frontend development using HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, and Typescript. Besides working with these technologies, Jos regularly speaks at conferences and likes to write about new and interesting technologies on his blog. He also likes to experiment with new technologies and see how they can best be used to create beautiful data visualizations.

Previously, Jos has worked in many different roles in the private and public sectors, ranging from private companies such as ING, ASML, Malmberg, and Philips to organizations in the public sector, such as the Department of Defense and the Port of Rotterdam.