/babylonjs-engine

name: babylonjs-engine
description: Comprehensive skill for Babylon.js 3D web rendering engine. Use this skill when building real-time 3D experiences, browser-based games, interactive visualizations, or immersive web applications. Triggers on tasks involving Babylon.js, 3D scenes, WebGL/WebGPU rendering, entity-component systems, physics simulations, PBR materials, shadow mapping, or 3D model loading. Alternative to Three.js with built-in editor integration and game engine features.

Babylon.js Engine Skill

Related Skills

• threejs-webgl: Alternative 3D engine
• react-three-fiber: React integration for 3D
• gsap-scrolltrigger: Animation library
• motion-framer: UI animations

Core Concepts

1. Engine and Scene Initialization

**Basic Setup**

// Get canvas element
const canvas = document.getElementById('renderCanvas');

// Create engine
const engine = new BABYLON.Engine(canvas, true, {
  preserveDrawingBuffer: true,
  stencil: true
});

// Create scene
const scene = new BABYLON.Scene(engine);

// Render loop
engine.runRenderLoop(() => {
  scene.render();
});

// Handle resize
window.addEventListener('resize', () => {
  engine.resize();
});

**ES6/TypeScript Setup**

import { Engine } from '@babylonjs/core/Engines/engine';
import { Scene } from '@babylonjs/core/scene';
import { FreeCamera } from '@babylonjs/core/Cameras/freeCamera';
import { Vector3 } from '@babylonjs/core/Maths/math.vector';
import { HemisphericLight } from '@babylonjs/core/Lights/hemisphericLight';
import { CreateSphere } from '@babylonjs/core/Meshes/Builders/sphereBuilder';

const canvas = document.getElementById('renderCanvas') as HTMLCanvasElement;
const engine = new Engine(canvas);
const scene = new Scene(engine);

// Camera setup
const camera = new FreeCamera('camera1', new Vector3(0, 5, -10), scene);
camera.setTarget(Vector3.Zero());
camera.attachControl(canvas, true);

// Lighting
const light = new HemisphericLight('light1', new Vector3(0, 1, 0), scene);
light.intensity = 0.7;

// Create mesh
const sphere = CreateSphere('sphere1', { segments: 16, diameter: 2 }, scene);
sphere.position.y = 2;

// Render
engine.runRenderLoop(() => {
  scene.render();
});

**Scene Configuration Options**

const scene = new BABYLON.Scene(engine, {
  // Optimize for large mesh counts
  useGeometryUniqueIdsMap: true,
  useMaterialMeshMap: true,
  useClonedMeshMap: true
});

2. Camera Systems

**Free Camera (FPS-style)**

const camera = new BABYLON.FreeCamera('camera1', new BABYLON.Vector3(0, 5, -10), scene);
camera.setTarget(BABYLON.Vector3.Zero());
camera.attachControl(canvas, true);

// Movement settings
camera.speed = 0.5;
camera.angularSensibility = 2000;
camera.keysUp = [87]; // W
camera.keysDown = [83]; // S
camera.keysLeft = [65]; // A
camera.keysRight = [68]; // D

**Arc Rotate Camera (Orbit)**

const camera = new BABYLON.ArcRotateCamera(
  'camera',
  -Math.PI / 2,        // alpha (horizontal rotation)
  Math.PI / 2.5,       // beta (vertical rotation)
  15,                  // radius (distance)
  new BABYLON.Vector3(0, 0, 0), // target
  scene
);
camera.attachControl(canvas, true);

// Constraints
camera.lowerRadiusLimit = 5;
camera.upperRadiusLimit = 50;
camera.lowerBetaLimit = 0.1;
camera.upperBetaLimit = Math.PI / 2;

**Universal Camera (Advanced)**

const camera = new BABYLON.UniversalCamera('camera', new BABYLON.Vector3(0, 5, -10), scene);
camera.setTarget(BABYLON.Vector3.Zero());
camera.attachControl(canvas, true);

// Collision detection
camera.checkCollisions = true;
camera.applyGravity = true;
camera.ellipsoid = new BABYLON.Vector3(1, 1, 1);

3. Lighting Systems

**Hemispheric Light (Ambient)**

const light = new BABYLON.HemisphericLight('light1', new BABYLON.Vector3(0, 1, 0), scene);
light.intensity = 0.7;
light.diffuse = new BABYLON.Color3(1, 1, 1);
light.specular = new BABYLON.Color3(1, 1, 1);
light.groundColor = new BABYLON.Color3(0, 0, 0);

**Directional Light (Sun-like)**

const light = new BABYLON.DirectionalLight('dirLight', new BABYLON.Vector3(-1, -2, -1), scene);
light.position = new BABYLON.Vector3(20, 40, 20);
light.intensity = 0.5;

// Shadow setup
const shadowGenerator = new BABYLON.ShadowGenerator(1024, light);
shadowGenerator.useExponentialShadowMap = true;

**Point Light (Omni-directional)**

const light = new BABYLON.PointLight('pointLight', new BABYLON.Vector3(0, 10, 0), scene);
light.intensity = 0.7;
light.diffuse = new BABYLON.Color3(1, 0, 0);
light.specular = new BABYLON.Color3(0, 1, 0);

// Range and falloff
light.range = 100;
light.radius = 0.1;

**Spot Light (Focused)**

const light = new BABYLON.SpotLight(
  'spotLight',
  new BABYLON.Vector3(0, 10, 0),      // position
  new BABYLON.Vector3(0, -1, 0),      // direction
  Math.PI / 3,                        // angle
  2,                                  // exponent
  scene
);
light.intensity = 0.8;

**Light Optimization (Include Only Specific Meshes)**

// Only affect specific meshes
light.includedOnlyMeshes = [mesh1, mesh2, mesh3];

// Or exclude specific meshes
light.excludedMeshes = [mesh4, mesh5];

4. Mesh Creation

**Built-in Shapes**

// Box
const box = BABYLON.MeshBuilder.CreateBox('box', {
  size: 2,
  width: 2,
  height: 2,
  depth: 2
}, scene);

// Sphere
const sphere = BABYLON.MeshBuilder.CreateSphere('sphere', {
  diameter: 2,
  segments: 32,
  diameterX: 2,
  diameterY: 2,
  diameterZ: 2,
  arc: 1,
  slice: 1
}, scene);

// Cylinder
const cylinder = BABYLON.MeshBuilder.CreateCylinder('cylinder', {
  height: 3,
  diameter: 2,
  tessellation: 24
}, scene);

// Plane
const plane = BABYLON.MeshBuilder.CreatePlane('plane', {
  size: 5,
  width: 5,
  height: 5
}, scene);

// Ground
const ground = BABYLON.MeshBuilder.CreateGround('ground', {
  width: 10,
  height: 10,
  subdivisions: 2
}, scene);

// Ground