/3d-web-experience

name: 3d-web-experience
description: "Use when building or debugging web 3D scenes, product configurators or portfolios with Three.js, React Three Fiber or Spline; review assets, loading, controls, fallbacks and performance."
risk: critical
source: vibeship-spawner-skills (Apache 2.0)
date_added: 2026-02-27

3D Web Experience

Expert in building 3D experiences for the web - Three.js, React Three Fiber, Spline, WebGL, and interactive 3D scenes. Covers product configurators, 3D portfolios, immersive websites, and bringing depth to web experiences.

**Role**: 3D Web Experience Architect

You bring the third dimension to the web. You know when 3D enhances and when it's just showing off. You balance visual impact with performance. You make 3D accessible to users who've never touched a 3D app. You create moments of wonder without sacrificing usability.

Expertise

• Three.js
• React Three Fiber
• Spline
• WebGL
• GLSL shaders
• 3D optimization
• Model preparation

Capabilities

• Three.js implementation
• React Three Fiber
• WebGL optimization
• 3D model integration
• Spline workflows
• 3D product configurators
• Interactive 3D scenes
• 3D performance optimization

Patterns

3D Stack Selection

Choosing the right 3D approach

**When to use**: When starting a 3D web project

3D Stack Selection

Options Comparison

| Tool | Best For | Learning Curve | Control | |------|----------|----------------|---------| | Spline | Quick prototypes, designers | Low | Medium | | React Three Fiber | React apps, complex scenes | Medium | High | | Three.js vanilla | Max control, non-React | High | Maximum | | Babylon.js | Games, heavy 3D | High | Maximum |

Decision Tree

Need quick 3D element?
└── Yes → Spline
└── No → Continue

Using React?
└── Yes → React Three Fiber
└── No → Continue

Need max performance/control?
└── Yes → Three.js vanilla
└── No → Spline or R3F

Spline (Fastest Start)

import Spline from '@splinetool/react-spline';

export default function Scene() {
  return (
    <Spline scene="https://prod.spline.design/xxx/scene.splinecode" />
  );
}

React Three Fiber

import { Canvas } from '@react-three/fiber';
import { OrbitControls, useGLTF } from '@react-three/drei';
import { Suspense } from 'react';

function Model() {
  const { scene } = useGLTF('/model.glb');
  return <primitive object={scene} />;
}

export default function Scene() {
  return (
    <Canvas>
      <ambientLight />
      <Suspense fallback={null}>
        <Model />
      </Suspense>
      <OrbitControls enableZoom={false} />
    </Canvas>
  );
}

3D Model Pipeline

Getting models web-ready

**When to use**: When preparing 3D assets

3D Model Pipeline

Format Selection

| Format | Use Case | Size | |--------|----------|------| | GLB/GLTF | Standard web 3D | Depends on geometry/textures/compression | | FBX | From 3D software | Large | | OBJ | Simple meshes | Medium | | USDZ | Apple AR | Medium |

Optimization Pipeline

1. Model in Blender/etc
2. Establish a triangle/draw-call budget on representative target devices
3. Bake textures (combine materials)
4. Export as GLB
5. Compress with gltf-transform
6. Measure transfer size, decode time, memory and frame time against the project budget

GLTF Compression

# Use the reviewed version already pinned in the project lockfile.
# If absent, review and add a specific version locally before these commands.

# Compress model
./node_modules/.bin/gltf-transform optimize input.glb output.glb \
  --compress draco \
  --texture-compress webp

Loading in R3F

This component needs the React/R3F/drei versions installed by the project and an actual `/model.glb` asset. Add an application error boundary for failed asset loads.

import { useGLTF, useProgress, Html } from '@react-three/drei';
import { Suspense } from 'react';
import { Canvas } from '@react-three/fiber';

function Model() {
  const { scene } = useGLTF('/model.glb');
  return <primitive object={scene} />;
}

function Loader() {
  const { progress } = useProgress();
  return <Html center>{progress.toFixed(0)}%</Html>;
}

export default function Scene() {
  return (
    <Canvas>
      <ambientLight />
      <Suspense fallback={<Loader />}>
        <Model />
      </Suspense>
    </Canvas>
  );
}

Scroll-Driven 3D

3D that responds to scroll

**When to use**: When integrating 3D with scroll

Scroll-Driven 3D

R3F + Scroll Controls

import { ScrollControls, useScroll } from '@react-three/drei';
import { Canvas, useFrame } from '@react-three/fiber';
import { useRef } from 'react';

function RotatingModel() {
  const scroll = useScroll();
  const ref = useRef();

  useFrame(() => {
    // Rotate based on scroll position
    if (ref.current) ref.current.rotation.y = scroll.offset * Math.PI * 2;
  });

  return (
    <mesh ref={ref}>
      <boxGeometry args={[1, 1, 1]} />
      <meshNormalMaterial />
    </mesh>
  );
}

export default function Scene() {
  return (
    <Canvas>
      <ScrollControls pages={3}>
        <RotatingModel />
      </ScrollControls>
    </Canvas>
  );
}

GSAP + Three.js

import gsap from 'gsap';
import ScrollTrigger from 'gsap/ScrollTrigger';

gsap.registerPlugin(ScrollTrigger);
// Integration fragment: camera and the section are supplied by your scene.
// Create this tween during mount and kill it/its ScrollTrigger during cleanup.

gsap.to(camera.position, {
  scrollTrigger: {
    trigger: '.section',
    scrub: true,
  },
  z: 5,
  y: 2,
});

Common Scroll Effects

• Camera movement through scene
• Model rotation on scroll
• Reveal/hide elements
• Color/material changes
• Exploded view animations

Performance Optimization

Keeping 3D fast

**When to use**: Always - 3D is expensive

3D Performance

Performance Targets

The following are illustrative starting budgets, not hardware limits or guarantees. Measure GPU time, draw calls, memory and load tim