react-three-renderer
Render into a three.js canvas using React.
Would you like to know more? See the wiki or go straight to the API documentation.
This is still an experimental and work in progress project, use at your own risk!
Currently supported react version:
15.5.3
( things break fast when you fly this close to the sun )
Installation
npm install --save react@15.5.3 react-dom@15.5.3 three@0.84.0
npm install --save react-three-renderer
Usage
The default export of the module is a react component. When mounted, any children of it will be placed into the three.js environment.
Here's a simple example that implements the getting started scene for three.js.
;;;; Component { superprops context; // construct the position vector here, because if we use 'new' within render, // React will think that things have changed when they have not. thiscameraPosition = 0 0 5; thisstate = cubeRotation: ; this { // we will get this callback every frame // pretend cubeRotation is immutable. // this helps with updates and pure rendering. // React will be sure that the rotation has now updated. this; }; } { const width = windowinnerWidth; // canvas width const height = windowinnerHeight; // canvas height return <React3 mainCamera="camera" // this points to the perspectiveCamera which has the name set to "camera" below width=width height=height onAnimate=this_onAnimate > <scene> <perspectiveCamera name="camera" fov=75 aspect=width / height near=01 far=1000 position=thiscameraPosition /> <mesh rotation=thisstatecubeRotation > <boxGeometry width=1 height=1 depth=1 /> <meshBasicMaterial color=0x00ff00 /> </mesh> </scene> </React3>; } ReactDOM;
To go further, follow the white rabbit.
Building
Fork and clone this repository, then do a npm install.
npm run compile
produces es5 compatible code in the 'lib' directory.
You can use npm link or local npm install if you would like to play with your fork.
Testing
# make sure that you have run compile first
npm run compile
npm test
Currently it runs tests on Chrome, but other browser support can be added if necessary. More information on testing will be added here.
Influences
I have been heavily inspired by react-three by Izzimach.
After finding out about React 0.14, I have decided to see how someone would approach writing their own custom renderer.
This is the outcome of that curiosity.
Implementation Details
I have looked very deeply into how react-dom works. It is internally referred as ReactMount.
Starting from ReactMount#render, I duplicated the functionality, function by function, line by line.
Wherever the DOM was mentioned, I replaced them with generic equivalents.
I tried to point to existing functions as long as they were not corrupted by the DOM.
Then I wrote my own internal components, these are things like <span/>
, <div/>
, <table/>
. Except, now they are <scene/>
, <object3D/>
, <mesh/>
.
This way, you don't need to import a gazillion different modules.
Another benefit is that it allows me to make things super fast and not depend on composite components at all!
In effect, a <scene/>
has the same effort, and similar effects as creating a <div/>
.
TODO
- More Documentation
- More Testing
- More examples
- More Performance optimizations
- Implement rest of three.js library ( See #2 )
- Make it generic and allow the world to create their own custom react renderers!
- It's not that hard, trust me ;)