three-js

Three.js Complete Reference (Vanilla)

React Three Fiber users: This reference is for vanilla Three.js. For R3F/Drei patterns, use the r3f-best-practices skill. However, understanding Three.js concepts here helps when working with R3F since R3F is a React renderer for Three.js.

Quick Start

import * as THREE from 'three';

const scene = new THREE.Scene();
const camera = new THREE.PerspectiveCamera(75, window.innerWidth / window.innerHeight, 0.1, 1000);
const renderer = new THREE.WebGLRenderer({ antialias: true });

renderer.setSize(window.innerWidth, window.innerHeight);
renderer.setPixelRatio(Math.min(window.devicePixelRatio, 2));
document.body.appendChild(renderer.domElement);

const geometry = new THREE.BoxGeometry(1, 1, 1);
const material = new THREE.MeshStandardMaterial({ color: 0x00ff00 });
const cube = new THREE.Mesh(geometry, material);
scene.add(cube);

scene.add(new THREE.AmbientLight(0xffffff, 0.5));
const light = new THREE.DirectionalLight(0xffffff, 1);
light.position.set(5, 5, 5);
scene.add(light);

camera.position.z = 5;

function animate() {
  requestAnimationFrame(animate);
  cube.rotation.x += 0.01;
  cube.rotation.y += 0.01;
  renderer.render(scene, camera);
}
animate();

Reference Index

Load the appropriate reference file based on task:

Core Foundation

Reference	Use When
references/01-fundamentals.md	Scene setup, renderer config, Object3D hierarchy, coordinate systems
references/02-geometry.md	Creating shapes, BufferGeometry, instancing, points, lines
references/06-cameras.md	Camera types, frustum, viewport, projection
references/13-math.md	Vector3, Matrix4, Quaternion, Euler, Color, MathUtils

Visual Appearance

Reference	Use When
references/03-materials.md	PBR materials, shader materials, all material types
references/04-textures.md	Texture loading, UV mapping, render targets, environment maps
references/05-lighting.md	Light types, shadows, IBL, light probes
references/11-shaders.md	Custom GLSL shaders, uniforms, varyings, shader patterns

Motion & Interaction

Reference	Use When
references/08-animation.md	Keyframe animation, skeletal, morph targets, procedural motion
references/09-interaction.md	Raycasting, selection, drag, coordinate conversion
references/10-controls.md	OrbitControls, FlyControls, PointerLockControls, etc.

Assets

Reference	Use When
references/07-loaders.md	GLTF, FBX, textures, HDR, Draco compression, async patterns

Effects

Reference	Use When
references/12-postprocessing.md	Bloom, DOF, SSAO, custom effects, EffectComposer

Advanced

Reference	Use When
references/14-performance.md	Optimization, profiling, LOD, culling, batching
references/15-node-materials.md	TSL (Three Shading Language), node-based materials
references/16-physics-vr.md	Physics engines, WebXR, VR/AR integration
references/17-webgpu.md	WebGPU renderer, compute shaders, WGSL
references/18-patterns.md	Architecture patterns, asset management, cleanup, state

Common Patterns Quick Reference

Resize Handler

window.addEventListener('resize', () => {
  camera.aspect = window.innerWidth / window.innerHeight;
  camera.updateProjectionMatrix();
  renderer.setSize(window.innerWidth, window.innerHeight);
});

Cleanup/Dispose

function dispose(obj) {
  obj.traverse(child => {
    if (child.geometry) child.geometry.dispose();
    if (child.material) {
      if (Array.isArray(child.material)) {
        child.material.forEach(m => m.dispose());
      } else {
        child.material.dispose();
      }
    }
  });
}

Animation Loop with Clock

const clock = new THREE.Clock();

function animate() {
  const delta = clock.getDelta();
  const elapsed = clock.getElapsedTime();

  // Use delta for frame-rate independent animation
  mixer?.update(delta);

  requestAnimationFrame(animate);
  renderer.render(scene, camera);
}

Import Patterns

// Core
import * as THREE from 'three';

// Addons (controls, loaders, effects)
import { OrbitControls } from 'three/addons/controls/OrbitControls.js';
import { GLTFLoader } from 'three/addons/loaders/GLTFLoader.js';
import { RGBELoader } from 'three/addons/loaders/RGBELoader.js';
import { EffectComposer } from 'three/addons/postprocessing/EffectComposer.js';

// Compression support
import { DRACOLoader } from 'three/addons/loaders/DRACOLoader.js';
import { KTX2Loader } from 'three/addons/loaders/KTX2Loader.js';

Version Notes

This reference targets Three.js r150+ with notes for:

• WebGPU support (r150+)
• Node materials / TSL
• Modern ES module imports

For version-specific APIs, check the Three.js migration guide.