Optimizing 3D Model Loading in Three.js
A 50MB 3D model will instantly ruin a website's user experience. We employ aggressive compression and progressive loading strategies to make WebGL experiences instant and seamless.
Table of contents:
Draco Compression
Using Google's Draco library, we compress mesh data by up to 10x. The browser decompresses the data quickly via WebAssembly before passing it to the GPU.
glb vs glTF
Using binary .glb files instead of .gltf + separate textures reduces HTTP requests and overhead, streamlining the delivery pipeline.
Progressive Decoding
Loading low-resolution surrogate meshes first allows the user to interact with the scene immediately, while the high-resolution assets stream in silently in the background.