Three.js scene setup guidance for cameras, renderer configuration, object hierarchy, and transforms.
Real-world examples
Live HTML demos for this skill — rendered directly in the page. 3 examples.
- 01
Scene, camera & renderer
Bootstrap a Three.js scene: PerspectiveCamera, WebGLRenderer pixel ratio & tone mapping, lights, Clock-driven animation, and responsive resize.
- 02
Perspective vs orthographic
Same mesh under two cameras — toggle FOV / frustum and see how projection, clipping planes, and lookAt change the view.
- 03
Object3D hierarchy & transforms
Groups, parent–child transforms, AxesHelper (right-handed XYZ), and local vs world position while a solar-system hierarchy orbits.
Skill markdown
# Three.js Fundamentals
## Quick Start
```javascript
import * as THREE from "three";
// Create scene, camera, renderer
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);
// Add a mesh
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);
// Add light
scene.add(new THREE.AmbientLight(0xffffff, 0.5));
const dirLight = new THREE.DirectionalLight(0xffffff, 1);
dirLight.position.set(5, 5, 5);
scene.add(dirLight);
camera.position.z = 5;
// Animation loop
function animate() {
requestAnimationFrame(animate);
cube.rotation.x += 0.01;
cube.rotation.y += 0.01;
renderer.render(scene, camera);
}
animate();
// Handle resize
window.addEventListener("resize", () => {
camera.aspect = window.innerWidth / window.innerHeight;
camera.updateProjectionMatrix();
renderer.setSize(window.innerWidth, window.innerHeight);
});
```
## Core Classes
### Scene
Container for all 3D objects, lights, and cameras.
```javascript
const scene = new THREE.Scene();
scene.background = new THREE.Color(0x000000); // Solid color
scene.background = texture; // Skybox texture
scene.background = cubeTexture; // Cubemap
scene.environment = envMap; // Environment map for PBR
scene.fog = new THREE.Fog(0xffffff, 1, 100); // Linear fog
scene.fog = new THREE.FogExp2(0xffffff, 0.02); // Exponential fog
```
### Cameras
**PerspectiveCamera** - Most common, simulates human eye.
```javascript
// PerspectiveCamera(fov, aspect, near, far)
const camera = new THREE.PerspectiveCamera(
75, // Field of view (degrees)
window.innerWidth / window.innerHeight, // Aspect ratio
0.1, // Near clipping plane
1000, // Far clipping plane
);
camera.position.set(0, 5, 10);
camera.lookAt(0, 0, 0);
camera.updateProjectionMatrix(); // Call after changing fov, aspect, near, far
```
**OrthographicCamera** - No perspective distortion, good for 2D/isometric.
```javascript
// OrthographicCamera(left, right, top, bottom, near, far)
const aspect = window.innerWidth / window.innerHeight;
const frustumSize = 10;
const camera = new THREE.OrthographicCamera(
(frustumSize * aspect) / -2,
(frustumSize * aspect) / 2,
frustumSize / 2,
frustumSize / -2,
0.1,
1000,
);
```
**ArrayCamera** - Multiple viewports with sub-cameras.
```javascript
const cameras = [];
for (let i = 0; i < 4; i++) {
const subcamera = new THREE.PerspectiveCamera(40, 1, 0.1, 100);
subcamera.viewport = new THREE.Vector4(
Math.floor(i % 2) * 0.5,
Math.floor(i / 2) * 0.5,
0.5,
0.5,
);
cameras.push(subcamera);
}
const arrayCamera = new THREE.ArrayCamera(cameras);
```
**CubeCamera** - Renders environment maps for reflections.
```javascript
const cubeRenderTarget = new THREE.WebGLCubeRenderTarget(256);
const cubeCamera = new THREE.CubeCamera(0.1, 1000, cubeRenderTarget);
scene.add(cubeCamera);
// Use for reflections
material.envMap = cubeRenderTarget.texture;
// Update each frame (expensive!)
cubeCamera.position.copy(reflectiveMesh.position);
cubeCamera.update(renderer, scene);
```
### WebGLRenderer
```javascript
const renderer = new THREE.WebGLRenderer({
canvas: document.querySelector("#canvas"), // Optional existing canvas
antialias: true, // Smooth edges
alpha: true, // Transparent background
powerPreference: "high-performance", // GPU hint
preserveDrawingBuffer: true, // For screenshots
});
renderer.setSize(width, height);
renderer.setPixelRatio(Math.min(window.devicePixelRatio, 2));
// Tone mapping
renderer.toneMapping = THREE.ACESFilmicToneMapping;
renderer.toneMappingExposure = 1.0;
// Color space (Three.js r152+)
renderer.outputColorSpace = THREE.SRGBColorSpace;
// Shadows
renderer.shadowMap.enabled = true;
renderer.shadowMap.type = THREE.PCFSoftShadowMap;
// Clear color
renderer.setClearColor(0x000000, 1);
// Render
renderer.render(scene, camera);
```
### Object3D
Base class for all 3D objects. Mesh, Group, Light, Camera all extend Object3D.
```javascript
const obj = new THREE.Object3D();
// Transform
obj.position.set(x, y, z);
obj.rotation.set(x, y, z); // Euler angles (radians)
obj.quaternion.set(x, y, z, w); // Quaternion rotation
obj.scale.set(x, y, z);
// Local vs World transforms
obj.getWorldPosition(targetVector);
obj.getWorldQuaternion(targetQuaternion);
obj.getWorldDirection(targetVector);
// Hierarchy
obj.add(child);
obj.remove(child);
obj.parent;
obj.children;
// Visibility
obj.visible = false;
// Layers (for selective rendering/raycasting)
obj.layers.set(1);
obj.layers.enable(2);
obj.layers.disable(0);
// Traverse hierarchy
obj.traverse((child) => {
if (child.isMesh
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- Threejs LightingThree.js lighting guidance for light types, shadows, environment lighting, and performance tuning.
- Threejs LoadersThree.js asset loading patterns for GLTF, textures, HDR assets, async loading, and progress handling.
- Threejs MaterialsThree.js material guidance for PBR, classic materials, shader materials, and material optimization.