/threejs-shaders

name: threejs-shaders
description: "Custom GLSL vertex and fragment shaders: uniforms, varyings, shader chunks, extending built-in materials, instanced attributes, plus the same effects as node materials with TSL on WebGPU. Use when writing a shader, a custom material or effect, moving vertices in a shader, or porting GLSL to TSL."

Three.js Shaders

Targets three.js r186. Examples use WebGLRenderer; the WebGPU and TSL section uses WebGPURenderer.

Quick Start

import * as THREE from "three";

const renderer = new THREE.WebGLRenderer({ antialias: true });
renderer.setPixelRatio(window.devicePixelRatio);
renderer.setSize(window.innerWidth, window.innerHeight);
document.body.appendChild(renderer.domElement);

const scene = new THREE.Scene();
const camera = new THREE.PerspectiveCamera(60, window.innerWidth / window.innerHeight, 0.1, 100);
camera.position.set(0, 0, 2);

const material = new THREE.ShaderMaterial({
  uniforms: {
    time: { value: 0 },
    color: { value: new THREE.Color(0x0066ff) }, // hex converted to the linear working space
  },
  vertexShader: /* glsl */ `
    varying vec2 vUv;

    void main() {
      vUv = uv;
      gl_Position = projectionMatrix * modelViewMatrix * vec4(position, 1.0);
    }
  `,
  fragmentShader: /* glsl */ `
    uniform float time;
    uniform vec3 color;
    varying vec2 vUv;

    void main() {
      float wave = sin(vUv.x * 10.0 + time * 2.0) * 0.5 + 0.5;
      gl_FragColor = vec4(color * wave, 1.0);
      #include <tonemapping_fragment>
      #include <colorspace_fragment>
    }
  `,
});

const mesh = new THREE.Mesh(new THREE.PlaneGeometry(2, 2), material);
scene.add(mesh);

const timer = new THREE.Timer();
timer.connect(document);

renderer.setAnimationLoop(animate);

function animate() {
  timer.update();
  material.uniforms.time.value = timer.getElapsed();
  renderer.render(scene, camera);
}

ShaderMaterial vs RawShaderMaterial

Every `ShaderMaterial` compiles as GLSL ES 3.00 — three.js always prepends `#version 300 es` (WebGL 1 support is gone). `texture()`, `textureLod()`, `textureSize()` and `dFdx`/`fwidth` work with no flags; `texture2D`, `textureCube`, `attribute`, `varying` and `gl_FragColor` are `#define` aliases, so most GLSL ES 1.00 shaders compile unchanged (not ones that name a variable `texture`, write `gl_FragData` or keep an `#extension` line, which fails because three.js puts declarations before your source; delete it, the features are core). Leave `glslVersion` unset: setting `THREE.GLSL3` only removes the `gl_FragColor` alias, forcing you to declare your own output variable. ShaderMaterial injects the usual declarations:

const material = new THREE.ShaderMaterial({
  vertexShader: /* glsl */ `
    // Declared for you: uniforms modelMatrix, modelViewMatrix, projectionMatrix,
    // viewMatrix, normalMatrix, cameraPosition; attributes position, normal, uv,
    // instanceMatrix (InstancedMesh) and color (vertexColors: true)

    varying vec3 vNormal;

    void main() {
      vNormal = normalize(normalMatrix * normal); // view-space normal
      gl_Position = projectionMatrix * modelViewMatrix * vec4(position, 1.0);
    }
  `,
  fragmentShader: /* glsl */ `
    varying vec3 vNormal;

    void main() {
      gl_FragColor = vec4(vNormal * 0.5 + 0.5, 1.0);
      #include <tonemapping_fragment>
      #include <colorspace_fragment>
    }
  `,
});

RawShaderMaterial gets only `#define SHADER_TYPE`, `#define SHADER_NAME` and your `defines` (plus `#version 300 es` once `glslVersion` is set): no declarations and no precision statement. Always set `glslVersion: THREE.GLSL3` (without it the shader is GLSL ES 1.00, which has no `texture()`), write `precision highp float;`, use `in`/`out` and declare your own output. Declare the matrices you need in the shader and never pass them through `uniforms`: the renderer sets `modelMatrix`, `modelViewMatrix`, `projectionMatrix`, `viewMatrix`, `normalMatrix` and `cameraPosition` for any program that declares them, and a same-named entry in `uniforms` is either overwritten every draw (`modelMatrix`, `modelViewMatrix`, `normalMatrix`) or replaces the camera's value (`projectionMatrix`, `viewMatrix`, `cameraPosition`).

const material = new THREE.RawShaderMaterial({
  glslVersion: THREE.GLSL3,
  vertexShader: /* glsl */ `
    precision highp float;

    in vec3 position;

    uniform mat4 modelViewMatrix;
    uniform mat4 projectionMatrix;

    void main() {
      gl_Position = projectionMatrix * modelViewMatrix * vec4(position, 1.0);
    }
  `,
  fragmentShader: /* glsl */ `
    precision highp float;

    out highp vec4 fragColor;

    void main() {
      fragColor = vec4(1.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0);
    }
  `,
});

Uniforms

const texture = await new THREE.TextureLoader().loadAsync("textures/diffuse.jpg");
texture.colorSpace = THREE.SRGBColorSpace; // a color image: decoded to linear when sampled

const material = new THREE.ShaderMaterial({
  uniforms: {
    floatValue: { value: 1.5 },
    vec3Value: { value: new THREE.Vector3(1, 2, 3) },
    colorValue: { value: new THREE.Color(0xff0000) }, // hex converted to the linear working space
    mat4Value: { value: new THREE.Matrix4() },
    mapValue: { value: texture },
  },
  // vertexShader and fragmentShader as usual
});

The matching GLSL declarations — sample the texture with `texture(mapValue, vUv)`:

uniform float floatValue;
uniform vec3 vec3Value;
uniform vec3 colorValue;    // a THREE.Color arrives as vec3
uniform mat4 mat4Value;
uniform sampler2D mapValue;

Update a uniform by assigning `.value` from the frame loop (`material.uniforms.floatValue.value = 2.0;`); vectors and colors mutate in place (`material.uniforms.vec3Value.value.set(1, 2, 3);`). Never name a uniform `position`, `normal`, `uv`, `modelViewMatrix` or `cameraPosition` — three.js already declares those in the vertex shader, and the redeclaration is a compile error.

Output Color and Tone