threejs-builder

Creates simple Three.js web apps with scene setup, lighting, geometries, materials animations, and responsive rendering. Use for: "Create a threejs scene/app/showcase" or when user wants 3D web content. Supports ES modules, modern Three.js r150+ APIs.

23 stars

Best use case

threejs-builder is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.

Creates simple Three.js web apps with scene setup, lighting, geometries, materials animations, and responsive rendering. Use for: "Create a threejs scene/app/showcase" or when user wants 3D web content. Supports ES modules, modern Three.js r150+ APIs.

Teams using threejs-builder should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.

When to use this skill

  • You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.

When not to use this skill

  • You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
  • You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.

Installation

Claude Code / Cursor / Codex

$curl -o ~/.claude/skills/threejs-builder/SKILL.md --create-dirs "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/chongdashu/threejs-tactics-game/main/.claude/skills/threejs-builder/SKILL.md"

Manual Installation

  1. Download SKILL.md from GitHub
  2. Place it in .claude/skills/threejs-builder/SKILL.md inside your project
  3. Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill

How threejs-builder Compares

Feature / Agentthreejs-builderStandard Approach
Platform SupportNot specifiedLimited / Varies
Context Awareness High Baseline
Installation ComplexityUnknownN/A

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this skill do?

Creates simple Three.js web apps with scene setup, lighting, geometries, materials animations, and responsive rendering. Use for: "Create a threejs scene/app/showcase" or when user wants 3D web content. Supports ES modules, modern Three.js r150+ APIs.

Where can I find the source code?

You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.

SKILL.md Source

# Three.js Builder

A focused skill for creating simple, performant Three.js web applications using modern ES module patterns.

## Philosophy: The Scene Graph Mental Model

Three.js is built on the **scene graph**—a hierarchical tree of objects where parent transformations affect children. Understanding this mental model is key to effective 3D web development.

**Before creating a Three.js app, ask**:
- What is the **core visual element**? (geometry, shape, model)
- What **interaction** does the user need? (none, orbit controls, custom input)
- What **performance** constraints exist? (mobile, desktop, WebGL capabilities)
- What **animation** brings it to life? (rotation, movement, transitions)

**Core principles**:

1. **Scene Graph First**: Everything added to `scene` renders. Use `Group` for hierarchical transforms.
2. **Primitives as Building Blocks**: Built-in geometries (Box, Sphere, Torus) cover 80% of simple use cases.
3. **Animation as Transformation**: Change position/rotation/scale over time using `requestAnimationFrame` or `renderer.setAnimationLoop`.
4. **Performance Through Simplicity**: Fewer objects, fewer draw calls, reusable geometries/materials.

---

## Quick Start: Essential Setup

### Minimal HTML Template

```html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <title>Three.js App</title>
    <style>
        * { margin: 0; padding: 0; box-sizing: border-box; }
        body { overflow: hidden; background: #000; }
        canvas { display: block; }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <script type="module">
        import * as THREE from 'https://unpkg.com/three@0.160.0/build/three.module.js';

        // Scene setup
        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);

        // Your 3D content here
        // ...

        camera.position.z = 5;

        // Animation loop
        renderer.setAnimationLoop((time) => {
            renderer.render(scene, camera);
        });

        // Handle resize
        window.addEventListener('resize', () => {
            camera.aspect = window.innerWidth / window.innerHeight;
            camera.updateProjectionMatrix();
            renderer.setSize(window.innerWidth, window.innerHeight);
        });
    </script>
</body>
</html>
```

---

## Geometries

Built-in primitives cover most simple app needs. Use `BufferGeometry` only for custom shapes.

**Common primitives**:
- `BoxGeometry(width, height, depth)` - cubes, boxes
- `SphereGeometry(radius, widthSegments, heightSegments)` - balls, planets
- `CylinderGeometry(radiusTop, radiusBottom, height)` - tubes, cylinders
- `TorusGeometry(radius, tube)` - donuts, rings
- `PlaneGeometry(width, height)` - floors, walls, backgrounds
- `ConeGeometry(radius, height)` - spikes, cones
- `IcosahedronGeometry(radius, detail)` - low-poly spheres (detail=0)

**Usage**:
```javascript
const geometry = new THREE.BoxGeometry(1, 1, 1);
const material = new THREE.MeshStandardMaterial({ color: 0x44aa88 });
const mesh = new THREE.Mesh(geometry, material);
scene.add(mesh);
```

---

## Materials

Choose material based on lighting needs and visual style.

**Material selection guide**:
- `MeshBasicMaterial` - No lighting, flat colors. Use for: UI, wireframes, unlit effects
- `MeshStandardMaterial` - PBR lighting. Default for realistic surfaces
- `MeshPhysicalMaterial` - Advanced PBR with clearcoat, transmission. Glass, water
- `MeshNormalMaterial` - Debug, rainbow colors based on normals
- `MeshPhongMaterial` - Legacy, shininess control. Faster than Standard

**Common material properties**:
```javascript
{
    color: 0x44aa88,           // Hex color
    roughness: 0.5,            // 0=glossy, 1=matte (Standard/Physical)
    metalness: 0.0,            // 0=non-metal, 1=metal (Standard/Physical)
    emissive: 0x000000,        // Self-illumination color
    wireframe: false,          // Show edges only
    transparent: false,        // Enable transparency
    opacity: 1.0,              // 0=invisible, 1=opaque (needs transparent:true)
    side: THREE.FrontSide      // FrontSide, BackSide, DoubleSide
}
```

---

## Lighting

No light = black screen (except BasicMaterial/NormalMaterial).

**Light types**:
- `AmbientLight(intensity)` - Base illumination everywhere. Use 0.3-0.5
- `DirectionalLight(color, intensity)` - Sun-like, parallel rays. Cast shadows
- `PointLight(color, intensity, distance)` - Light bulb, emits in all directions
- `SpotLight(color, intensity, angle, penumbra)` - Flashlight, cone of light

**Typical lighting setup**:
```javascript
const ambientLight = new THREE.AmbientLight(0xffffff, 0.4);
scene.add(ambientLight);

const mainLight = new THREE.DirectionalLight(0xffffff, 1);
mainLight.position.set(5, 10, 7);
scene.add(mainLight);

const fillLight = new THREE.DirectionalLight(0x88ccff, 0.5);
fillLight.position.set(-5, 0, -5);
scene.add(fillLight);
```

**Shadows** (advanced, use when needed):
```javascript
renderer.shadowMap.enabled = true;
renderer.shadowMap.type = THREE.PCFSoftShadowMap;

mainLight.castShadow = true;
mainLight.shadow.mapSize.width = 2048;
mainLight.shadow.mapSize.height = 2048;

mesh.castShadow = true;
mesh.receiveShadow = true;
```

---

## Animation

Transform objects over time using the animation loop.

**Animation patterns**:

1. **Continuous rotation**:
```javascript
renderer.setAnimationLoop((time) => {
    mesh.rotation.x = time * 0.001;
    mesh.rotation.y = time * 0.0005;
    renderer.render(scene, camera);
});
```

2. **Wave/bobbing motion**:
```javascript
renderer.setAnimationLoop((time) => {
    mesh.position.y = Math.sin(time * 0.002) * 0.5;
    renderer.render(scene, camera);
});
```

3. **Mouse interaction**:
```javascript
const mouse = new THREE.Vector2();

window.addEventListener('mousemove', (event) => {
    mouse.x = (event.clientX / window.innerWidth) * 2 - 1;
    mouse.y = -(event.clientY / window.innerHeight) * 2 + 1;
});

renderer.setAnimationLoop(() => {
    mesh.rotation.x = mouse.y * 0.5;
    mesh.rotation.y = mouse.x * 0.5;
    renderer.render(scene, camera);
});
```

---

## Camera Controls

Import OrbitControls from examples for interactive camera movement:

```html
<script type="module">
    import * as THREE from 'https://unpkg.com/three@0.160.0/build/three.module.js';
    import { OrbitControls } from 'https://unpkg.com/three@0.160.0/examples/jsm/controls/OrbitControls.js';

    // ... scene setup ...

    const controls = new OrbitControls(camera, renderer.domElement);
    controls.enableDamping = true;
    controls.dampingFactor = 0.05;

    renderer.setAnimationLoop(() => {
        controls.update();
        renderer.render(scene, camera);
    });
</script>
```

---

## Common Scene Patterns

### Rotating Cube (Hello World)
```javascript
const geometry = new THREE.BoxGeometry(1, 1, 1);
const material = new THREE.MeshStandardMaterial({ color: 0x00ff88 });
const cube = new THREE.Mesh(geometry, material);
scene.add(cube);

renderer.setAnimationLoop((time) => {
    cube.rotation.x = time * 0.001;
    cube.rotation.y = time * 0.001;
    renderer.render(scene, camera);
});
```

### Floating Particle Field
```javascript
const particleCount = 1000;
const geometry = new THREE.BufferGeometry();
const positions = new Float32Array(particleCount * 3);

for (let i = 0; i < particleCount * 3; i += 3) {
    positions[i] = (Math.random() - 0.5) * 50;
    positions[i + 1] = (Math.random() - 0.5) * 50;
    positions[i + 2] = (Math.random() - 0.5) * 50;
}

geometry.setAttribute('position', new THREE.BufferAttribute(positions, 3));
const material = new THREE.PointsMaterial({ color: 0xffffff, size: 0.1 });
const particles = new THREE.Points(geometry, material);
scene.add(particles);
```

### Animated Background with Foreground Object
```javascript
// Background grid
const gridHelper = new THREE.GridHelper(50, 50, 0x444444, 0x222222);
scene.add(gridHelper);

// Foreground object
const mainGeometry = new THREE.IcosahedronGeometry(1, 0);
const mainMaterial = new THREE.MeshStandardMaterial({
    color: 0xff6600,
    flatShading: true
});
const mainMesh = new THREE.Mesh(mainGeometry, mainMaterial);
scene.add(mainMesh);
```

---

## Colors

Three.js uses hexadecimal color format: `0xRRGGBB`

Common hex colors:
- Black: `0x000000`, White: `0xffffff`
- Red: `0xff0000`, Green: `0x00ff00`, Blue: `0x0000ff`
- Cyan: `0x00ffff`, Magenta: `0xff00ff`, Yellow: `0xffff00`
- Orange: `0xff8800`, Purple: `0x8800ff`, Pink: `0xff0088`

---

## Anti-Patterns to Avoid

### Basic Setup Mistakes

❌ **Not importing OrbitControls from correct path**
Why bad: Controls won't load, `THREE.OrbitControls` is undefined in modern Three.js
Better: Use `import { OrbitControls } from 'three/addons/controls/OrbitControls.js'` or unpkg examples/jsm path

❌ **Forgetting to add object to scene**
Why bad: Object won't render, silent failure
Better: Always call `scene.add(object)` after creating meshes/lights

❌ **Using old `requestAnimationFrame` pattern instead of `setAnimationLoop`**
Why bad: More verbose, doesn't handle XR/WebXR automatically
Better: `renderer.setAnimationLoop((time) => { ... })`

### Performance Issues

❌ **Creating new geometries in animation loop**
Why bad: Massive memory allocation, frame rate collapse
Better: Create geometry once, reuse it. Transform only position/rotation/scale

❌ **Using too many segments on primitives**
Why bad: Unnecessary vertices, GPU overhead
Better: Default segments are usually fine. `SphereGeometry(1, 32, 16)` not `SphereGeometry(1, 128, 64)`

❌ **Not setting pixelRatio cap**
Why bad: 4K/5K displays run at full resolution, poor performance
Better: `Math.min(window.devicePixelRatio, 2)`

### Code Organization

❌ **Everything in one giant function**
Why bad: Hard to modify, hard to debug
Better: Separate setup into functions: `createScene()`, `createLights()`, `createMeshes()`

❌ **Hardcoding all values**
Why bad: Difficult to tweak and experiment
Better: Define constants at top: `const CONFIG = { color: 0x00ff88, speed: 0.001 }`

---

## Variation Guidance

**IMPORTANT**: Each Three.js app should feel unique and context-appropriate.

**Vary by scenario**:
- **Portfolio/showcase**: Elegant, smooth animations, muted colors
- **Game/interactive**: Bright colors, snappy controls, particle effects
- **Data visualization**: Clean lines, grid helpers, clear labels
- **Background effect**: Subtle, slow movement, dark/gradient backgrounds
- **Product viewer**: Realistic lighting, PBR materials, smooth orbit

**Vary visual elements**:
- **Geometry choice**: Not everything needs to be a cube. Explore spheres, tori, icosahedra
- **Material style**: Mix flat shaded, glossy, metallic, wireframe
- **Color palettes**: Use complementary, analogous, or monochromatic schemes
- **Animation style**: Rotation, oscillation, wave motion, mouse tracking

**Avoid converging on**:
- Default green cube as first example every time
- Same camera angle (front-facing, z=5)
- Identical lighting setup (always directional light at 1,1,1)

---

## Remember

**Three.js is a tool for interactive 3D on the web.**

Effective Three.js apps:
- Start with the scene graph mental model
- Use primitives as building blocks
- Keep animations simple and performant
- Vary visual style based on purpose
- Import from modern ES module paths

**Modern Three.js (r150+) uses ES modules from `three` package or CDN.** CommonJS patterns and global `THREE` variable are legacy.

For advanced topics (GLTF models, shaders, post-processing), see references/advanced-topics.md.

**Claude is capable of creating elegant, performant 3D web experiences. These patterns guide the way—they don't limit the result.**

For game development (state machines, screen effects, animation switching, parallax), see references/game-patterns.md.

Related Skills

playwright-testing

23
from chongdashu/threejs-tactics-game

Plan, implement, and debug frontend tests: unit/integration/E2E/visual/a11y. Use for Playwright MCP browser automation, Vitest/Jest/RTL, flaky test triage, CI stabilization, and canvas/WebGL games (Phaser) needing deterministic input plus screenshot/state assertions. Trigger: "test", "E2E", "flaky", "visual regression", "Playwright", "game testing".

team-builder

144923
from affaan-m/everything-claude-code

用于组合和派遣并行团队的交互式代理选择器

Agent Orchestration & ManagementClaude

mcp-builder

31392
from sickn33/antigravity-awesome-skills

Create MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers that enable LLMs to interact with external services through well-designed tools. The quality of an MCP server is measured by how well it enables LLMs to accomplish real-world tasks.

mcp-builder-ms

31392
from sickn33/antigravity-awesome-skills

Use this skill when building MCP servers to integrate external APIs or services, whether in Python (FastMCP) or Node/TypeScript (MCP SDK).

Developer ToolsClaude

hugging-face-tool-builder

31392
from sickn33/antigravity-awesome-skills

Your purpose is now is to create reusable command line scripts and utilities for using the Hugging Face API, allowing chaining, piping and intermediate processing where helpful. You can access the API directly, as well as use the hf command line tool.

Developer ToolsClaude

browser-extension-builder

31392
from sickn33/antigravity-awesome-skills

Expert in building browser extensions that solve real problems - Chrome, Firefox, and cross-browser extensions. Covers extension architecture, manifest v3, content scripts, popup UIs, monetization strategies, and Chrome Web Store publishing.

Go-to-Market Strategy Builder

3891
from openclaw/skills

Build a complete GTM plan for product launches, market entries, or expansion plays. Covers positioning, channel strategy, pricing, launch timeline, and success metrics.

Workflow & Productivity

Data Room Builder

3891
from openclaw/skills

Build a structured virtual data room checklist and folder hierarchy for fundraising, M&A, or due diligence.

Workflow & Productivity

AI Governance Policy Builder

3891
from openclaw/skills

Build internal AI governance policies from scratch. Covers acceptable use, model selection, data handling, vendor contracts, compliance mapping, and board reporting.

doppel-block-builder

3891
from openclaw/skills

Place MML blocks in Doppel worlds. Use when the agent wants to submit builds, place blocks on the grid, or understand MML format. Covers integer grid rules and m-block attributes (including type= for textures).

Metaverse & Virtual Worlds

douyin-cover-builder

3891
from openclaw/skills

这是一个面向中文创作者的 OpenClaw Skill,输入主题与人物气质后,会输出可直接用于生图模型的高质量提示词与创意说明。

Content Creation & Marketing

agentic-mcp-server-builder

3891
from openclaw/skills

Scaffold MCP server projects and baseline tool contract checks. Use for defining tool schemas, generating starter server layouts, and validating MCP-ready structure.

Coding & Development