Three.js Cookbook - Softcover

Over 80 shortcuts, solutions, and recipes that allow you to create the most stunning visualizations and 3D scenes using the Three.js library

About This Book

• Create visually stunning 3D graphics and animations directly in your browser, without the need for any plugins or needing to learn WebGL
• Add zest and beauty to your 3D scenes by using advanced materials, textures, and different light sources as part of these comprehensive and applicable recipes
• Learn how to use third-party libraries for advanced animation control and simulating real world physics

Who This Book Is For

This book is ideal for anyone who already knows JavaScript and would like to get a broad understanding of Three.js quickly, or for those of you who have a basic grasp of using Three.js but want to really make an impact with your 3D visualizations by learning its advanced features. To apply the recipes in this book you don't need to know anything about WebGL; all you need is some general knowledge about JavaScript and HTML.

What You Will Learn

• Create a standard HTML skeleton and advanced features such as keyboard controls, drag and drop support, WebGL detection, and loading resources
• Build and transform Three.js geometries using simple properties and advanced matrix transformations
• Enhance the look of your scene using Three.js materials, texture maps, and dynamic textures
• Apply realistic lighting and shadows to the 3D objects you have created
• Animate particle systems created from scratch or from existing geometries
• Work with animations, advanced physics, and collision detection

In Detail

Modern browsers are becoming more powerful each year and in recent years have adopted WebGL as the standard to deliver 3D graphics in a browser. Beginning with some basic recipes to get you started, this book will guide you through the most important features that Three.js has to offer. You'll even learn how to quickly create new geometries from scratch. Solutions and methods that show you how to use HTML5 video and canvas as textures will follow on from this.

By the end of the book, you'll be able to quickly add advanced features to your scene, improve the way users interact with your 3D scene, and make your scenes look stunning.

Jos Dirksen has worked as a software developer and an architect for more than a decade. He has a lot of experience in a large range of technologies that range from backend technologies, such as Java and Scala, to frontend development using HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript. Besides working with these technologies, Jos also 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, the results of which you can see on his blog at http://www.smartjava.org/. He is currently working as an independent contractor for ING, a large Dutch financial institution, through his own company Smartjava. Previously, he worked as an enterprise architect for Malmberg, a large Dutch publisher of educational material. He helped to create the new digital platform for the creation and publication of educational content for primary, secondary, and vocational education. He has also worked in many different roles in the private and public sectors, ranging from private companies such as Philips and ASML to organizations in the public sector, such as the Department of Defense. He has also written two other books on Three.js: Learning Three.js, Packt Publishing, which provides an in-depth description of all the features Three.js provides, and Three.js Essentials, Packt Publishing, which shows you how to use the core features of Three.js through extensive examples. Besides his interest in frontend JavaScript and HTML5 technologies, he is also interested in backend service development using REST and traditional web service technologies. He has already written two books on this subject. He is the coauthor of the book Open Source ESBs in Action, Manning Publications and author of the book SOA Governance in Action, Manning Publications. This book is on how to apply SOA governance in a practical and pragmatic manner.