Real-time WebGL — Real-Time WebGL 3D Product Configurators — Three.js & React Three Fiber Case Study
Real-time3D, everyoption live
Real-time product configurators built on Three.js and React Three Fiber — custom lighting rigs, constrained camera controls and bespoke material shaders that respond instantly to every choice.
(01) — The engineering brief
The
problem
Products with many finishes and options needed a way to be explored online in real time — every choice reflected instantly, on desktop and mobile, without long loading screens.
- Role
- WebGL engineering, shader authoring, scene & performance tuning
- Discipline
- Creative Web & 3D
(02) — System architecture
How it’s built
01
React Three Fiber + Drei
Declarative scenes where configurator state maps directly onto meshes, materials and cameras.
02
Custom GLSL materials
Bespoke shaders for finishes that standard materials couldn't reproduce convincingly.
03
Lighting rigs
Per-product studio lighting with environment maps so materials read accurately from every angle.
04
Constrained camera controls
Orbit limits and preset views keep the product framed and the experience easy on touch screens.
(03) — Key technical challenges solved
Hard parts,
handled
Instant feedback when options change.
Materials and textures are preloaded per option group and swapped in place, so changes don't trigger scene reloads.
Smooth performance on mid-range phones.
Compressed geometry and textures, adaptive pixel ratio and on-demand rendering that only draws frames when something changes.
Making 3D accessible and resilient.
All options are standard form controls outside the canvas, with a static image fallback when WebGL isn't available.
(04) — Tech stack
The toolkit
- Three.js
- React Three Fiber
- Drei
- GLSL
Need creative web & 3d?