Starter Kit

react-babylonjs (link) aims to be an unopinionated way to integrate React and BabylonJS. You can choose a declarative or imperative programming style or a combination of both. This is a sample project to help people get started. The react-babylonjs homepage has more storybook examples, while this project shows how to integrate with other libraries like redux with just a few examples.

Using BabylonJS with ReactJS

If you are cloning this repo, you just need:

$ yarn install    # Install project dependencies
$ yarn start      # Compile and launch (same as `npm start`)

If you are starting a fresh Create React App, then you should only need these dependencies.

yarn add @babylonjs/core @babylonjs/gui react-babylonjs

If you are using the BabylonJS GUI components then you will need '@babylonjs/gui' and if you are loading 3D models '@babylonjs/loaders'. They are peer dependencies, so you will get warnings.

A BabylonJS scene to your webpage in either a declarative manner or code manner (or combination).

100% Declarative

Can be done purely with React Components and zero code. If you go this way, you can get a full HMR experience. Note that when the lights are dimmed that the state is persisted after the HMR update.

<Scene id="sample-canvas">
    <freeCamera name="camera1" position={new Vector3(0, 5, -10)} target={Vector3.Zero()} />
    <hemisphericLight name="light1" intensity={0.7} direction={Vector3.Up()} />
    <sphere name="sphere1" diameter={2} segments={16} position={new Vector3(0, 1, 0)} />
    <box name="box" size={1.7} position={new Vector3(0, 1, 0)}>
        <rotateMeshBehavior radians={0.01} axis={Axis.Y} />
    </box>
    <ground name="ground1" width={6} height={6} subdivisions={2}  />
</scene>

100% declarative - Loading 3D models with zero code (optional state/props flow).

You can easily control BabylonJS models as well. This sample loads 3D models and controls them with buttons. live demo: with model live demo: with props

class WithModel extends React.Component 
{
  ...
  render() {
    return (
      <Scene id="sample-canvas">
        <arcRotateCamera name="camera1" alpha={Math.PI / 2} beta={Math.PI / 2}
          radius={0.075} target={Vector3.Zero()} minZ={0.001}
        />
        <hemisphericLight name="light1" intensity={0.7} direction={Vector3.Up()} />
        <Model
          position={ new Vector3(0.02, 0, 0)}
          rootUrl = {`${baseUrl}BoomBox/glTF/`}
          sceneFilename="BoomBox.gltf"
        />
      </Scene>
    )
  }
}

class WithVR extends React.Component
{
  render() {
    return (
      <Scene id="sample-canvas" onMeshPicked={this.onMeshPicked}>
        <arcRotateCamera name="arc"
          target={ new Vector3(0, 1, 0) }
          alpha={-Math.PI / 2}
          beta={(0.5 + (Math.PI / 4))}
          radius={2}
          minZ={0.001} />

        <directionalLight name="dl" direction={new Vector3(0, -0.5, 0.5)} position = {new Vector3(0, 2, 0.5)}>
          <shadowGenerator mapSize={1024} useBlurExponentialShadowMap={true} blurKernel={32}
            shadowCasters={["counterClockwise", "clockwise", "BoomBox"]}
          />
        </directionalLight>

        <icoSphere name="counterClockwise" position={new Vector3(-0.5, 1, 0)} radius={0.2} flat={true} subdivisions={1}>
          <standardMaterial
            diffuseColor={Color3.Yellow()}
            specularColor={Color3.Black()}
          />
          <rotateMeshBehavior radians={0.01} axis={Axis.Y} />
        </icoSphere>
        <Model
          rotation= {new Vector3(0, this.state.modelRotationY, 0)}
          position={ new Vector3(0, 1, 0)}
          rootUrl = {`${baseUrl}BoomBox/glTF/`}
          sceneFilename="BoomBox.gltf"
          scaling={ new Vector3(20, 20, 20) }
        />
        <icoSphere name="clockwise" position={new Vector3(0.5, 1, 0)} radius={0.2} flat={true} subdivisions={1}>
          <standardMaterial
            diffuseColor={Color3.FromInts(255, 165, 0)}
            specularColor={Color3.Black()}
          />
          <rotateMeshBehavior radians={-0.01} axis={Axis.Y} />
        </icoSphere>
        <vrExperienceHelper createDeviceOrientationCamera={false} teleportEnvironmentGround={true} />
        <environment enableGroundShadow= {true} groundYBias={1} mainColor={Color3.FromHexString("#74b9ff")} />
      </Scene>
    )
  }
}

Code only

You don't need to rely on the declarative Components except for Scene and are free to completely create your own scenes and even control the runRenderLoop() logic. You are provided a created Scene (and Engine via scene.getEngine()) and loaded HTML5 canvas reference.

export default class NonDeclarative extends Component 
{
  meshPicked(mesh) {
    console.log('mesh picked:', mesh)
  }

  onSceneMount(e) {
    const { canvas, scene } = e

    // Scene to build your environment, Canvas you need to attach your camera.       
    var camera = new ArcRotateCamera("Camera", 0, 1.05, 6, Vector3.Zero(), scene)
    camera.attachControl(canvas)

    MeshBuilder.CreateBox('box', { size: 3 }, scene)

    new HemisphericLight('light', Vector3.Up(), scene);

    scene.getEngine().runRenderLoop(() => {
        if (scene) {
            scene.render();
        }
    });
}

render() {
  return (
    <Scene
      onMeshPicked={this.meshPicked}
      onSceneMount={this.onSceneMount}
    />)
  }
}

This project was bootstrapped with Create React App. You can find out about bootstrapping and ejecting on that site. This project has not been ejected.