Performance in the Age of WebGL

WebGL has opened up a new dimension for web experiences, allowing for rich, 3D graphics directly in the browser. However, with great power comes great responsibility. A poorly optimized Three.js scene can quickly bring a browser to its knees. Performance is not an afterthought; it's a critical component of the user experience.

Key Optimization Techniques

• Geometry Instancing: Render multiple copies of the same object with a single draw call.
• Texture Atlasing: Combine multiple textures into a single image to reduce HTTP requests and GPU memory usage.
• Level of Detail (LOD): Use simpler models for objects that are far from the camera.
• Shaders: Offload complex calculations from the CPU to the GPU using custom GLSL shaders.

// Example of using InstancedMesh in Three.js
const mesh = new THREE.InstancedMesh(geometry, material, count);
scene.add(mesh);