React Three Fiber

Overview

React Three Fiber (R3F) is a React renderer for Three.js that brings declarative, component-based 3D development to React applications. Instead of imperatively creating and managing Three.js objects, you build 3D scenes using JSX components that map directly to Three.js objects.

When to Use This Skill:

• Building 3D experiences within React applications
• Creating interactive product configurators or showcases
• Developing 3D portfolios, galleries, or storytelling experiences
• Building games or simulations in React
• Adding 3D elements to existing React projects
• When you need state management and React hooks with 3D graphics
• When working with React frameworks (Next.js, Gatsby, Remix)

Key Benefits:

• Declarative: Write 3D scenes like React components
• React Integration: Full access to hooks, context, state management
• Reusability: Create and share 3D component libraries
• Performance: Automatic render optimization and reconciliation
• Ecosystem: Works with Drei helpers, Zustand, Framer Motion, etc.
• TypeScript Support: Full type safety for Three.js objects

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Core Concepts

1. Canvas Component

The <Canvas> component sets up a Three.js scene, camera, renderer, and render loop.

import { Canvas } from '@react-three/fiber'

function App() {
  return (
    <Canvas
      camera={{ position: [0, 0, 5], fov: 75 }}
      gl={{ antialias: true }}
      dpr={[1, 2]}
    >
      {/* 3D content goes here */}
    </Canvas>
  )
}

Canvas Props:

• camera - Camera configuration (position, fov, near, far)
• gl - WebGL renderer settings
• dpr - Device pixel ratio (default: [1, 2])
• shadows - Enable shadow mapping (default: false)
• frameloop - "always" (default), "demand", or "never"
• flat - Disable color management for simpler colors
• linear - Use linear color space instead of sRGB

2. Declarative 3D Objects