Threejs Knowledge Patch

three.js Knowledge Patch

Use this skill when working on a three.js application, addon, node graph, asset pipeline, renderer integration, or upgrade. Inspect the project's three dependency before applying release-specific advice. Prefer the installed package, application code, and tests when they disagree with compatibility guidance.

Reference index

Start with migration hazards

Removed modules and assets

• Replace removed PeppersGhostEffect, RGBMLoader, MeshPostProcessingMaterial, TiledLighting, scriptable-node APIs, and obsolete VOX classes before upgrading.
• Replace WebGLCubeRenderTarget with CubeRenderTarget when using WebGPURenderer.
• Use USDLoader instead of deprecated USDZLoader; avoid new uses of MeshGouraudMaterial, LottieLoader, VTKLoader, and LWOLoader.
• Do not resolve examples/fonts, DRACO exporter encoders, or Lottie/TTF libraries from the installed package; these assets are no longer bundled.
• Audit all previously deprecated APIs before an r178 upgrade because that release removed deprecated code broadly.

High-impact renames

Also replace directionToColor() with packNormalToRGB() and colorToDirection() with unpackRGBToNormal(). For WebGL shader directions, choose transformNormalByInverseViewMatrix() for normals and transformDirectionByInverseViewMatrix() for directions.

Async lifecycle changes

• Pass an element to Controls.connect(element).
• Await renderer.init() before renderer-dependent loader detection or GPU work; initialization returns the renderer.
• Use DRACOExporter.parseAsync() in place of parse().
• Treat FileLoader.load() and ImageBitmapLoader.load() as callback-driven; they no longer return a value.
• Do not build new code on deprecated renderAsync() or computeAsync(); waitForGPU() is gone.
• WebGPURenderer.compileAsync() is genuinely non-blocking.
• Use Loader.abort() as the common cancellation entry point.

State and default changes

• SpriteNodeMaterial.transparent defaults to true; set it explicitly when opaque behavior is required.
• Camera scale no longer contributes to the view matrix.
• SpriteNodeMaterial.sizeAttenuation only affects perspective cameras.
• Cache does not retain Blob values.
• Loader cache keys are isolated by loader type.
• When matrixAutoUpdate is disabled and .matrix changes directly, set matrixWorldNeedsUpdate = true before updateWorldMatrix().
• Raw WebGL pixel-store mutations must go through renderer.state.pixelStorei() to keep cached renderer state synchronized.
• Background and environment-map rotations now follow object rotation conventions; remove compensating rotations written for the old convention.
• FBXLoader converts +Z-up assets to +Y-up automatically.

Renderer quick reference

Output and render-target control

• Output typing appears as renderer colorBufferType, WebGL outputBufferType, and WebGPU backend outputType. On the WebGPU path, getOutputBufferType() replaces getColorBufferType().
• Use WebGPURenderer.setOutputRenderTarget() to choose the renderer output target explicitly.
• Use initRenderTarget() when a WebGPU target must be initialized before its first render.
• RenderTarget.clone() creates independent texture resources, and RenderTarget.copy() preserves multiview state.
• Do not resize render targets during an XR render.

WebGPU capabilities

• Compatibility mode can be requested explicitly; automatic negotiation upgrades to core mode where possible and disables antialiasing if compatibility mode remains active.
• Render bundles support transparent objects, MRT, and InstancedMesh.
• MRT supports per-attachment blending and material outputNode.
• Texture support includes 3D and array storage textures, texture-array render targets, BPTC formats, manual mipmaps, and GPUTexture-backed external textures.
• Use ReadbackBuffer or partial getArrayBufferAsync() reads for targeted GPU readback.
• dispatchWorkgroupsIndirect drives compute counts from an indirect buffer.
• The addon renderer provides dynamic lights and Forward+ clustered lighting.

WebGL capabilities

• reversedDepthBuffer is the current constructor option.
• Shadows support alpha-to-coverage; PCFShadowMap now supplies soft shadows.
• MRT supports pixel readback, 2D array textures, and MSAA through the WebGL backend used by WebGPURenderer.
• WebGLRenderer offers outputBufferType, setEffects(), packed normal maps, and a NodeMaterial compatibility layer.

WebXR

• WebGPURenderer has an XR manager with XR layers, MSAA, dynamic ArrayCamera sizing, tone mapping, and output color-space handling.
• Use XRRenderTarget for XR-specific target work.
• Raw camera access is available from WebXRManager.
• Grip updates can emit an event through WebXRController.

TSL and node-graph quick reference

Current construction patterns

• Use toVarying(), toVertexStage(), setName(), and assignment's automatic toVar() conversion.
• Use positionGeometry rather than positionLocal when positionNode needs pre-skinning or otherwise pre-transformed vertices.
• Use premultiplyAlpha; premult is the former name.
• Use DFGLUT; do not call removed nodeObject() for Node classes.
• TSL no longer defines string or arrayBuffer.

Data and compute

• Graphs can use mat2, arrays, structs, atomics, boolean uniforms, matrix attributes, storage-backed instance attributes, and 3D storage textures.
• Texture operations include load(), sample(), offset access, texture3DLoad(), texture3DLevel(), textureGather(), and textureGatherCompare().
• Compute work can use computeKernel(), subgroup reductions, indirect dispatch, global/local scopes, and frame or before-event hooks.
• Provide tangent attributes explicitly when the graph requires them; TSL no longer auto-generates tangents.

Diagnostics and transpilation

• debug() callbacks receive (builder, code); DebugNode callbacks receive raw data.
• StackTrace and stack debug() are available for diagnostics.
• The transpiler handles matrices, boolean vectors, varyings, texture operations, discard, switch, structs, bitcasts, simplified Fn() layouts, linking, and WGSL encoding.

Assets and interchange quick reference

• ImageUtils.getDataURL(image, type) selects the encoded MIME type; without a type, do not assume the source image format is preserved.
• DRACOLoader and KTX2Loader use relative file URLs by default. Configure deployed decoder/transcoder paths deliberately.
• GLTFLoader no longer probes WebP or AVIF support; gate incompatible assets in the application.
• KTX2Loader covers additional ASTC, EAC, BCn, PVRTC, RGB9E5, R11G11B10, and 16-bit normalized formats and can generate mipmaps.
• MaterialLoader.registerMaterial() and Material.fromJSON() support custom material deserialization.
• GLTFExporter carries animation metadata, supports animations across multiple scenes, and can export WebP textures.
• PLYLoader and PLYExporter preserve declared attribute data types.
• USDLoader handles unified USD input, composition, animation, broader primitives and materials; USDZExporter supports hierarchy, animation, and multi-material output.

Scene, material, and geometry quick reference

• Material.allowOverride controls override-material replacement and is preserved by copy().
• Object3D.static and pivot survive copying and serialization.
• Mesh and Sprite expose count; BatchedMesh supports per-instance opacity and wireframes.
• Physically based output changed through corrected blending, GGX VNDF PMREM sampling, direct-light multi-scattering compensation, and energy-conservation fixes. Revalidate image baselines after upgrades.
• Geometry without normals is flat-shaded automatically, but ProgressiveLightMap still requires normals.
• CapsuleGeometry uses height and heightSegments; TorusGeometry adds thetaStart and thetaLength.
• Quaternion slerp extrapolates outside [0, 1].
• Use Timer for new timing code instead of deprecated Clock.

Working method

1. Read the installed three version and identify direct imports from three/addons, TSL, renderer internals, and copied example assets.
2. Search the migration reference for every imported symbol and directly accessed renderer or node property.
3. Read the topic reference for the subsystem being changed; many rendering changes alter output without causing an exception.
4. Update application code and asset URLs together when an addon, decoder, or packaged resource moved.
5. Exercise both WebGL and WebGPU paths when the application supports both.
6. Re-run image comparisons, animation tests, serializer fixtures, and XR or input smoke tests affected by the change.

When code depends on renderer internals, inspect the installed source before choosing a property or class name. Internal renderer and node-pipeline surfaces have changed more often than public scene APIs.