When to use this skill
ALWAYS use this skill when the user mentions:
- Parent/child relationships,
position/rotation/scale,matrixAutoUpdate,updateMatrixWorld - Choosing mesh types: static vs instanced vs skinned vs batched LOD
- Picking:
Raycaster.setFromCamera,intersectObjects, recursive flag, face/uv results - Layers: selective visibility for cameras/lights/objects
IMPORTANT: objects vs math
| Need | Skill | |------|--------| | Scene graph + picking | threejs-objects | | Box/ray math only | threejs-math |
Trigger phrases include:
- "Object3D", "InstancedMesh", "SkinnedMesh", "Raycaster", "layers"
- "父子节点", "射线拾取", "图层"
How to use this skill
- Compose scenes with
Groupand transforms; minimize deep hierarchies where possible. - Instancing — set per-instance matrices; understand
countand frustum culling behavior. - SkinnedMesh — bind skeleton; clips in threejs-animation; skinning material flags in threejs-materials.
- Picking — normalize device coords, set ray from camera, filter by layers, validate intersections are sorted by distance before processing.
- Events —
EventDispatcheron custom objects; patterns only, not DOM frameworks. - Clipping —
ClippingGroupusage per docs when user needs sectional cuts. - Dispose — call
dispose()on geometries/materials/textures when removing objects permanently.
Example: Raycaster picking with validation
import * as THREE from 'three';
const raycaster = new THREE.Raycaster();
const pointer = new THREE.Vector2();
function onPointerMove(event) {
// Normalize device coordinates (-1 to +1)
pointer.x = (event.clientX / window.innerWidth) * 2 - 1;
pointer.y = -(event.clientY / window.innerHeight) * 2 + 1;
}
function pick(camera, scene) {
raycaster.setFromCamera(pointer, camera);
const intersections = raycaster.intersectObjects(scene.children, true);
// Validate: intersections are sorted by distance (nearest first)
if (intersections.length > 0) {
console.log('Nearest hit:', intersections[0].object.name,
'at distance:', intersections[0].distance);
}
return intersections;
}
See examples/workflow-raycaster-pick.md.
Doc map (official)
| Docs section | Representative links | |--------------|----------------------| | Core | https://threejs.org/docs/Object3D.html | | Objects | https://threejs.org/docs/Mesh.html | | Objects | https://threejs.org/docs/InstancedMesh.html | | Core | https://threejs.org/docs/Raycaster.html |
Scope
- In scope: Object3D graph, renderable object types, raycasting, layers, dispatcher basics.
- Out of scope: Physics engines; XR input mapping (threejs-webxr).
Common pitfalls and best practices
- Forgetting
updateMatrixWorldbefore world-space ray tests on moved objects. - Raycaster without
layersset picks unintended objects—set masks consistently on camera and objects. - InstancedMesh raycast hits need per-instance handling—check docs for your version.
Documentation and version
Object3D, mesh types, Raycaster, and Layers are documented under Objects and Core in three.js docs. Behavior of picking and layers can shift slightly—link the exact page for the user’s three.js line.
Agent response checklist
When answering under this skill, prefer responses that:
- Link
Object3D,Mesh,InstancedMesh,Raycaster, orLayersas needed. - Pair skeletal animation with threejs-animation and skinned mesh setup.
- Route pure linear-algebra questions without a scene graph to threejs-math.
- Route XR input to threejs-webxr when sessions/controllers are involved.
- Mention
dispose()for geometries/materials when removing objects permanently.
References
- https://threejs.org/docs/Object3D.html
- https://threejs.org/docs/Raycaster.html
- https://threejs.org/docs/Layers.html
- https://threejs.org/docs/InstancedMesh.html
Keywords
English: object3d, mesh, instancedmesh, skinnedmesh, raycaster, layers, scene graph, three.js
中文: 场景图、Object3D、Mesh、实例化、骨骼网格、射线拾取、图层、three.js