threejs-loaders

Three.js Loaders

Quick Start

import * as THREE from "three"; import { GLTFLoader } from "three/addons/loaders/GLTFLoader.js";

// Load GLTF model const loader = new GLTFLoader(); loader.load("model.glb", (gltf) => { scene.add(gltf.scene); });

// Load texture const textureLoader = new THREE.TextureLoader(); const texture = textureLoader.load("texture.jpg");

LoadingManager

Coordinate multiple loaders and track progress.

const manager = new THREE.LoadingManager();

// Callbacks manager.onStart = (url, loaded, total) => { console.log(Started loading: ${url}); };

manager.onLoad = () => { console.log("All assets loaded!"); startGame(); };

manager.onProgress = (url, loaded, total) => { const progress = (loaded / total) * 100; console.log(Loading: ${progress.toFixed(1)}%); updateProgressBar(progress); };

manager.onError = (url) => { console.error(Error loading: ${url}); };

// Use manager with loaders const textureLoader = new THREE.TextureLoader(manager); const gltfLoader = new GLTFLoader(manager);

// Load assets textureLoader.load("texture1.jpg"); textureLoader.load("texture2.jpg"); gltfLoader.load("model.glb"); // onLoad fires when ALL are complete

Texture Loading

TextureLoader

const loader = new THREE.TextureLoader();

// Callback style loader.load( "texture.jpg", (texture) => { // onLoad material.map = texture; material.needsUpdate = true; }, undefined, // onProgress - not supported for image loading (error) => { // onError console.error("Error loading texture", error); }, );

// Synchronous (returns texture, loads async) const texture = loader.load("texture.jpg"); material.map = texture;

Texture Configuration

const texture = loader.load("texture.jpg", (tex) => { // Color space (important for color accuracy) tex.colorSpace = THREE.SRGBColorSpace; // For color/albedo maps // tex.colorSpace = THREE.LinearSRGBColorSpace; // For data maps (normal, roughness)

// Wrapping tex.wrapS = THREE.RepeatWrapping; tex.wrapT = THREE.RepeatWrapping; // ClampToEdgeWrapping, RepeatWrapping, MirroredRepeatWrapping

// Repeat/offset tex.repeat.set(2, 2); tex.offset.set(0.5, 0.5); tex.rotation = Math.PI / 4; tex.center.set(0.5, 0.5);

// Filtering tex.minFilter = THREE.LinearMipmapLinearFilter; // Default tex.magFilter = THREE.LinearFilter; // Default // NearestFilter - pixelated // LinearFilter - smooth // LinearMipmapLinearFilter - smooth with mipmaps

// Anisotropic filtering (sharper at angles) tex.anisotropy = renderer.capabilities.getMaxAnisotropy();

// Flip Y (usually true for standard textures) tex.flipY = true;

tex.needsUpdate = true; });

CubeTextureLoader

For environment maps and skyboxes.

const loader = new THREE.CubeTextureLoader();

// Load 6 faces const cubeTexture = loader.load([ "px.jpg", "nx.jpg", // positive/negative X "py.jpg", "ny.jpg", // positive/negative Y "pz.jpg", "nz.jpg", // positive/negative Z ]);

// Use as background scene.background = cubeTexture;

// Use as environment map scene.environment = cubeTexture; material.envMap = cubeTexture;

HDR/EXR Loading

import { RGBELoader } from "three/addons/loaders/RGBELoader.js"; import { EXRLoader } from "three/addons/loaders/EXRLoader.js";

// HDR const rgbeLoader = new RGBELoader(); rgbeLoader.load("environment.hdr", (texture) => { texture.mapping = THREE.EquirectangularReflectionMapping; scene.environment = texture; scene.background = texture; });

// EXR const exrLoader = new EXRLoader(); exrLoader.load("environment.exr", (texture) => { texture.mapping = THREE.EquirectangularReflectionMapping; scene.environment = texture; });

PMREMGenerator

Generate prefiltered environment maps for PBR.

import { RGBELoader } from "three/addons/loaders/RGBELoader.js";

const pmremGenerator = new THREE.PMREMGenerator(renderer); pmremGenerator.compileEquirectangularShader();

new RGBELoader().load("environment.hdr", (texture) => { const envMap = pmremGenerator.fromEquirectangular(texture).texture;

scene.environment = envMap; scene.background = envMap;

texture.dispose(); pmremGenerator.dispose(); });

GLTF/GLB Loading

The most common 3D format for web.

import { GLTFLoader } from "three/addons/loaders/GLTFLoader.js";

const loader = new GLTFLoader();

loader.load("model.glb", (gltf) => { // The loaded scene const model = gltf.scene; scene.add(model);

// Animations const animations = gltf.animations; if (animations.length > 0) { const mixer = new THREE.AnimationMixer(model); animations.forEach((clip) => { mixer.clipAction(clip).play(); }); }

// Cameras (if any) const cameras = gltf.cameras;

// Asset info console.log(gltf.asset); // Version, generator, etc.

// User data from Blender/etc console.log(gltf.userData); });

GLTF with Draco Compression

import { GLTFLoader } from "three/addons/loaders/GLTFLoader.js"; import { DRACOLoader } from "three/addons/loaders/DRACOLoader.js";

const dracoLoader = new DRACOLoader(); dracoLoader.setDecoderPath( "https://www.gstatic.com/draco/versioned/decoders/1.5.6/", ); dracoLoader.preload();

const gltfLoader = new GLTFLoader(); gltfLoader.setDRACOLoader(dracoLoader);

gltfLoader.load("compressed-model.glb", (gltf) => { scene.add(gltf.scene); });

GLTF with KTX2 Textures

import { GLTFLoader } from "three/addons/loaders/GLTFLoader.js"; import { KTX2Loader } from "three/addons/loaders/KTX2Loader.js";

const ktx2Loader = new KTX2Loader(); ktx2Loader.setTranscoderPath( "https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/three@0.160.0/examples/jsm/libs/basis/", ); ktx2Loader.detectSupport(renderer);

const gltfLoader = new GLTFLoader(); gltfLoader.setKTX2Loader(ktx2Loader);

gltfLoader.load("model-with-ktx2.glb", (gltf) => { scene.add(gltf.scene); });

Process GLTF Content

loader.load("model.glb", (gltf) => { const model = gltf.scene;

// Enable shadows model.traverse((child) => { if (child.isMesh) { child.castShadow = true; child.receiveShadow = true; } });

// Find specific mesh const head = model.getObjectByName("Head");

// Adjust materials model.traverse((child) => { if (child.isMesh && child.material) { child.material.envMapIntensity = 0.5; } });

// Center and scale const box = new THREE.Box3().setFromObject(model); const center = box.getCenter(new THREE.Vector3()); const size = box.getSize(new THREE.Vector3());

model.position.sub(center); const maxDim = Math.max(size.x, size.y, size.z); model.scale.setScalar(1 / maxDim);

scene.add(model); });

Other Model Formats

OBJ + MTL

import { OBJLoader } from "three/addons/loaders/OBJLoader.js"; import { MTLLoader } from "three/addons/loaders/MTLLoader.js";

const mtlLoader = new MTLLoader(); mtlLoader.load("model.mtl", (materials) => { materials.preload();

const objLoader = new OBJLoader(); objLoader.setMaterials(materials); objLoader.load("model.obj", (object) => { scene.add(object); }); });

FBX

import { FBXLoader } from "three/addons/loaders/FBXLoader.js";

const loader = new FBXLoader(); loader.load("model.fbx", (object) => { // FBX often has large scale object.scale.setScalar(0.01);

// Animations const mixer = new THREE.AnimationMixer(object); object.animations.forEach((clip) => { mixer.clipAction(clip).play(); });

scene.add(object); });

STL

import { STLLoader } from "three/addons/loaders/STLLoader.js";

const loader = new STLLoader(); loader.load("model.stl", (geometry) => { const material = new THREE.MeshStandardMaterial({ color: 0x888888 }); const mesh = new THREE.Mesh(geometry, material); scene.add(mesh); });

PLY

import { PLYLoader } from "three/addons/loaders/PLYLoader.js";

const loader = new PLYLoader(); loader.load("model.ply", (geometry) => { geometry.computeVertexNormals(); const material = new THREE.MeshStandardMaterial({ vertexColors: true }); const mesh = new THREE.Mesh(geometry, material); scene.add(mesh); });

Async/Promise Loading

Promisified Loader

function loadModel(url) { return new Promise((resolve, reject) => { loader.load(url, resolve, undefined, reject); }); }

// Usage async function init() { try { const gltf = await loadModel("model.glb"); scene.add(gltf.scene); } catch (error) { console.error("Failed to load model:", error); } }

Load Multiple Assets

async function loadAssets() { const [modelGltf, envTexture, colorTexture] = await Promise.all([ loadGLTF("model.glb"), loadRGBE("environment.hdr"), loadTexture("color.jpg"), ]);

scene.add(modelGltf.scene); scene.environment = envTexture; material.map = colorTexture; }

// Helper functions function loadGLTF(url) { return new Promise((resolve, reject) => { new GLTFLoader().load(url, resolve, undefined, reject); }); }

function loadTexture(url) { return new Promise((resolve, reject) => { new THREE.TextureLoader().load(url, resolve, undefined, reject); }); }

Caching

Built-in Cache

// Enable cache THREE.Cache.enabled = true;

// Clear cache THREE.Cache.clear();

// Manual cache management THREE.Cache.add("key", data); THREE.Cache.get("key"); THREE.Cache.remove("key");

Custom Asset Manager

class AssetManager { constructor() { this.textures = new Map(); this.models = new Map(); this.gltfLoader = new GLTFLoader(); this.textureLoader = new THREE.TextureLoader(); }

async loadTexture(key, url) { if (this.textures.has(key)) { return this.textures.get(key); }

const texture = await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
  this.textureLoader.load(url, resolve, undefined, reject);
});

this.textures.set(key, texture);
return texture;

}

async loadModel(key, url) { if (this.models.has(key)) { return this.models.get(key).clone(); }

const gltf = await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
  this.gltfLoader.load(url, resolve, undefined, reject);
});

this.models.set(key, gltf.scene);
return gltf.scene.clone();

}

dispose() { this.textures.forEach((t) => t.dispose()); this.textures.clear(); this.models.clear(); } }

// Usage const assets = new AssetManager(); const texture = await assets.loadTexture("brick", "brick.jpg"); const model = await assets.loadModel("tree", "tree.glb");

Loading from Different Sources

Data URL / Base64

const loader = new THREE.TextureLoader(); const texture = loader.load("data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgo...");

Blob URL

async function loadFromBlob(blob) { const url = URL.createObjectURL(blob); const texture = await loadTexture(url); URL.revokeObjectURL(url); return texture; }

ArrayBuffer

// From fetch const response = await fetch("model.glb"); const buffer = await response.arrayBuffer();

// Parse with loader const loader = new GLTFLoader(); loader.parse(buffer, "", (gltf) => { scene.add(gltf.scene); });

Custom Path/URL

// Set base path loader.setPath("assets/models/"); loader.load("model.glb"); // Loads from assets/models/model.glb

// Set resource path (for textures referenced in model) loader.setResourcePath("assets/textures/");

// Custom URL modifier manager.setURLModifier((url) => { return https://cdn.example.com/${url}; });

Error Handling

// Graceful fallback async function loadWithFallback(primaryUrl, fallbackUrl) { try { return await loadModel(primaryUrl); } catch (error) { console.warn(Primary failed, trying fallback: ${error}); return await loadModel(fallbackUrl); } }

// Retry logic async function loadWithRetry(url, maxRetries = 3) { for (let i = 0; i < maxRetries; i++) { try { return await loadModel(url); } catch (error) { if (i === maxRetries - 1) throw error; await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 1000 * (i + 1))); } } }

// Timeout async function loadWithTimeout(url, timeout = 30000) { const controller = new AbortController(); const timeoutId = setTimeout(() => controller.abort(), timeout);

try { const response = await fetch(url, { signal: controller.signal }); clearTimeout(timeoutId); return response; } catch (error) { if (error.name === "AbortError") { throw new Error("Loading timed out"); } throw error; } }

Performance Tips

Use compressed formats: DRACO for geometry, KTX2/Basis for textures
Load progressively: Show placeholders while loading
Lazy load: Only load what's needed
Use CDN: Faster asset delivery
Enable cache: THREE.Cache.enabled = true

// Progressive loading with placeholder const placeholder = new THREE.Mesh( new THREE.BoxGeometry(1, 1, 1), new THREE.MeshBasicMaterial({ wireframe: true }), ); scene.add(placeholder);

loadModel("model.glb").then((gltf) => { scene.remove(placeholder); scene.add(gltf.scene); });

threejs-loaders

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