Unlocking 3D Visuals in Vue with Lunchbox.js

What is Lunchbox.js?

Lunchbox.js is a custom renderer for Three.js, designed to seamlessly integrate with Vue’s component-based model. By harnessing the power of Three.js, Lunchbox.js provides a declarative way to handle imperative functionalities under the hood. This library offers a range of primitive Three.js objects and classes as components, making it easy to build complex 3D scenes.

Getting Started with Lunchbox.js

To set up a Lunchbox.js app, start by installing Vue using Vite’s CLI. Then, install Lunchbox.js and Three.js as dependencies. Next, clean up the boilerplate code and import the createApp function from lunchboxjs instead of vue. This will transform your Vue app into a Lunchbox environment, ready for 3D rendering.

npm install -g @vue/cli
vue create my-app
cd my-app
npm install lunchboxjs three

Creating a Scene

A scene is the foundation of any 3D application. In Lunchbox.js, creating a scene is straightforward. Simply add a <Lunchbox> component to your App.vue file, and nest your 3D objects within it. You can customize the scene with various props, such as background color, camera position, and zoom.

<template>
  <Lunchbox>
    <!-- 3D objects go here -->
  </Lunchbox>
</template>

Adding Meshes

Meshes are the building blocks of 3D scenes. Lunchbox.js provides a range of auto-generated geometry components, including boxes, spheres, and planes. To add a mesh, simply nest a geometry component within a <mesh> component, and don’t forget to include a material component with a color prop.

<template>
  <Lunchbox>
    <mesh>
      <boxGeometry />
      <meshBasicMaterial color="#ff0000" />
    </mesh>
  </Lunchbox>
</template>

Adding Textures

Textures bring realism to your 3D meshes. With Lunchbox.js, you can easily apply textures using the <textureLoader> component. This component utilizes the Three.js Texture class to map realistic textures to mesh surfaces.

<template>
  <Lunchbox>
    <mesh>
      <boxGeometry />
      <meshBasicMaterial>
        <textureLoader src="image.jpg" />
      </meshBasicMaterial>
    </mesh>
  </Lunchbox>
</template>

Adding Animation

Animation brings your 3D scenes to life. Lunchbox.js provides an onBeforeRender function that allows you to animate your meshes by adding a value to their rotation property on every frame.

export default {
  methods: {
    onBeforeRender() {
      this.mesh.rotation.x += 0.01;
    }
  }
}

Adding Events

You can add event listeners to Lunchbox components just like any other element in Vue. For example, you can add a click event to pause or play your animation.

<template>
  <Lunchbox @click="toggleAnimation">
    <!-- 3D objects go here -->
  </Lunchbox>
</template>

export default {
  methods: {
    toggleAnimation() {
      // toggle animation logic goes here
    }
  }
}