name: threejs-react
description: Integrates Three.js in React using React Three Fiber (R3F), @react-three/drei, and @react-three/postprocessing. Use when the user asks about Three.js in React, React Three Fiber, R3F, @react-three/drei, useFrame, useThree, Canvas setup, or 3D in React components. Trigger keywords: React Three Fiber, R3F, drei, useFrame, useThree, Canvas, 3D React, @react-three.
Three.js in React (React Three Fiber)
Install
npm install three @react-three/fiber @react-three/drei
npm install @react-three/postprocessing
npm install @react-three/rapier
Canonical Canvas Setup
import { Canvas } from "@react-three/fiber";
import { OrbitControls, Environment } from "@react-three/drei";
export default function App() {
return (
<Canvas
camera={{ position: [0, 2, 5], fov: 75 }}
shadows
gl={{
antialias: true,
toneMapping: THREE.ACESFilmicToneMapping,
toneMappingExposure: 1,
}}
>
<ambientLight intensity={0.5} />
<directionalLight position={[5, 10, 5]} intensity={1.5} castShadow />
<OrbitControls enableDamping />
<Environment preset="studio" />
<Box />
</Canvas>
);
}
function Box() {
const meshRef = useRef();
useFrame((state, delta) => {
meshRef.current.rotation.y += delta * 0.5;
});
return (
<mesh ref={meshRef} castShadow>
<boxGeometry args={[1, 1, 1]} />
<meshStandardMaterial color="royalblue" roughness={0.4} />
</mesh>
);
}
Core Hooks
import { useFrame, useThree, useLoader } from "@react-three/fiber";
import { GLTFLoader } from "three/addons/loaders/GLTFLoader.js";
useFrame((state, delta) => {
meshRef.current.rotation.y += delta;
meshRef.current.position.y = Math.sin(state.clock.elapsedTime) * 0.5;
});
const { camera, renderer, scene, size } = useThree();
const gltf = useLoader(GLTFLoader, "/model.glb");
@react-three/drei Essentials
import {
OrbitControls, FlyControls, PointerLockControls,
PerspectiveCamera, OrthographicCamera,
Environment, Sky, Stars, Cloud,
useGLTF, useTexture, useFBO,
Text, Text3D, Billboard,
Box, Sphere, Plane, Torus, Cylinder,
RoundedBox, MeshDistortMaterial, MeshWobbleMaterial,
shaderMaterial, MeshReflectorMaterial,
Loader, Html, Stats,
Center, Float, Sparkles,
useProgress, useIntersect,
Instances, Instance,
BakeShadows, SoftShadows,
TransformControls, GizmoHelper, GizmoViewport,
} from '@react-three/drei';
<Environment preset="studio" />
<Stats />
<Html position={[0,1,0]}> // DOM in 3D space
<div>Hello World</div>
</Html>
<Text fontSize={0.5} color="white">Hello</Text>
<Float speed={2} floatIntensity={1}> {/* gentle bob animation */}
<mesh />
</Float>
<BakeShadows />
<SoftShadows />
Loading GLTF
import { useGLTF } from "@react-three/drei";
function Model() {
const { scene, animations } = useGLTF("/model.glb");
return <primitive object={scene} />;
}
useGLTF.preload("/model.glb");
import { useGLTF } from "@react-three/drei";
const { scene } = useGLTF("/model.glb");
Animations with useAnimations
import { useGLTF, useAnimations } from "@react-three/drei";
function Character() {
const group = useRef();
const { scene, animations } = useGLTF("/character.glb");
const { actions } = useAnimations(animations, group);
useEffect(() => {
actions["walk"]?.reset().fadeIn(0.2).play();
return () => actions["walk"]?.fadeOut(0.2);
}, [actions]);
return <primitive ref={group} object={scene} />;
}
Custom Shader Material with shaderMaterial
import { shaderMaterial } from "@react-three/drei";
import { extend } from "@react-three/fiber";
const WaveMaterial = shaderMaterial(
{ uTime: 0, uColor: new THREE.Color(0x4488ff) },
`
uniform float uTime;
varying vec2 vUv;
void main() {
vUv = uv;
vec3 pos = position;
pos.y += sin(pos.x * 3.0 + uTime) * 0.1;
gl_Position = projectionMatrix * modelViewMatrix * vec4(pos, 1.0);
}
`,
`
uniform vec3 uColor;
varying vec2 vUv;
void main() {
gl_FragColor = vec4(uColor, 1.0);
}
`,
);
extend({ WaveMaterial });
function WaveMesh() {
const matRef = useRef();
useFrame(({ clock }) => {
matRef.current.uTime = clock.elapsedTime;
});
return (
<mesh>
<planeGeometry args={[4, 4, 32, 32]} />
<waveMaterial ref={matRef} />
</mesh>
);
}
Post-Processing
import {
EffectComposer,
Bloom,
SSAO,
ChromaticAberration,
} from "@react-three/postprocessing";
<Canvas>
{/* scene */}
<EffectComposer>
<Bloom luminanceThreshold={0.9} intensity={1.5} />
<SSAO radius={0.1} intensity={30} />
<ChromaticAberration offset={[0.002, 0.002]} />
</EffectComposer>
</Canvas>;
Physics with @react-three/rapier
import { Physics, RigidBody, CuboidCollider } from "@react-three/rapier";
<Canvas>
<Physics gravity={[0, -9.81, 0]}>
<RigidBody>
<mesh castShadow>
<boxGeometry />
<meshStandardMaterial color="royalblue" />
</mesh>
</RigidBody>
<RigidBody type="fixed">
<mesh receiveShadow rotation={[-Math.PI / 2, 0, 0]}>
<planeGeometry args={[20, 20]} />
<meshStandardMaterial />
</mesh>
</RigidBody>
</Physics>
</Canvas>;
Performance Tips
useEffect(() => {
return () => {
geo.dispose();
mat.dispose();
};
}, []);
const geo = useMemo(() => new THREE.SphereGeometry(1, 32, 16), []);
const mat = useMemo(
() => new THREE.MeshStandardMaterial({ color: "hotpink" }),
[],
);
<Instances limit={1000}>
<sphereGeometry args={[0.1]} />
<meshStandardMaterial color="orange" />
{positions.map((p, i) => (
<Instance key={i} position={p} />
))}
</Instances>;
Common Gotchas
useFrame runs outside React's render — don't call setState inside it (use ref)- Always wrap
useLoader components in <Suspense> or they'll throw
primitive clones the scene graph — use clone() if you need multiple instancesextend must be called before using custom JSX elements (<waveMaterial>)- Canvas fills its container — set container width/height, not the Canvas itself
useGLTF caches by URL — same URL returns the same object (use clone() for multiple)
