Learning Three.js - the JavaScript 3D Library for WebGL - Second Edition

by Jos Dirksen

Overview

Modern browsers support WebGL, which makes it possible to create 3D graphics in a browser without having to use plugins such as Flash and Java. Programming WebGL, however, is difficult, complex, and very difficult to debug. With Three.js, it is possible to create stunning 3D graphics in an intuitive manner using JavaScript, without the need to know the details of WebGL.

Learning Three.js – the JavaScript 3D Library for WebGL, Second Edition, is a practical, example-rich book that will help you learn about all the features of Three.js. This book will show you how to create or load models from externally created models and realistic-looking 3D objects using materials and textures. You'll also learn how to use the HTML5 video and canvas elements as a material for your 3D objects, different ways of animating your models, skeleton-based animation, and how to add physics such as gravity and collision detection to your scene. By the end of the book, you'll know everything that is required to create 3D animated graphics that run in any browser using Three.js.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781784391027
Publisher:	Packt Publishing
Publication date:	03/31/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	422
File size:	34 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Jos Dirksen has worked as a software developer and architect for more than a decade. He has a lot of experience in a wide range of technologies, ranging from backend technologies, such as Java and Scala, to frontend development using HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript. Besides working with these technologies, Jos also regularly speaks at conferences and likes to write about new and interesting technologies on his blog. He also likes to experiment with new technologies and see how they can be best used to create beautiful data visualizations, the results of which you can see on his blog at http://www.smartjava.org/.
Jos is currently working as a consultant for a large Dutch financial institution and has just finished a function as an enterprise architect for Malmberg, a large Dutch publisher of educational material. There, he helped to create a new digital platform for the creation and publishing of educational content for primary, secondary, and vocational education. Previously, Jos worked in many different roles in the private and public sectors, ranging from private companies, such as Philips and ASML, to organizations in the public sector, such as the Department of Defense.
Jos has also written two other books on Three.js—Three.js Essentials, which uses an example-based approach to explore the most important feature of Three.js, and Three.js Cookbook, which provides a recipe-based approach to cover important use cases of Three.js.
Besides his interest in frontend JavaScript and HTML5 technologies, he is also interested in backend service development using REST and traditional web services.