Three.js Skills for Claude Code: Boost 3D Development
Introduction
Three.js has become the go‑to library for creating rich, interactive 3D visualisations in the browser. Yet newcomers (and even seasoned developers) often struggle with API nuances, optimisation strategies, and bundling best‑practice patterns. The threejs‑skills repository solves this problem by providing a curated collection of fully‑documented skill files that plug straight into Claude Code or any JavaScript project.
Why “skills”?
Claude Code, OpenAI’s new productivity engine, automatically loads skill files from a specified directory. Each skill represents a discrete module—scene‑creation, loading models, shaders, post‑processing, etc.—that Claude can inject into the generated code base whenever the requested feature is relevant. By organising Three.js knowledge into reusable skills, the library eliminates boilerplate, promotes consistent architecture, and keeps code up‑to‑date with the latest Three.js releases.
Repository Overview
The repo lives on GitHub under CloudAI-X/threejs-skills and is licensed under the MIT licence. Key highlights include:
- Modular skill set – roughly 15 core skills covering fundamentals, geometry, materials, lighting, textures, animation, loaders, shaders, post‑processing, interaction, and more.
- API‑accurate – Every constructor, method, and property reference matches the official Three.js r160+ documentation.
- Performance‑focused – Each file includes optimisation notes (e.g., use InstancedMesh for repeated geometry, enable
renderer.setPixelRatio()for high‑DPI devices). - Consistent structure – A brief frontmatter, a title, quick‑start code, core concepts, common patterns, and a “See Also” cross‑reference.
Folder layout
.skills/
├─ threejs-fundamentals.md
├─ threejs-geometry.md
├─ threejs-materials.md
├─ threejs-lighting.md
├─ threejs-textures.md
├─ threejs-animation.md
├─ threejs-loaders.md
├─ threejs-shaders.md
├─ threejs-postprocessing.md
└─ threejs-interaction.md
Using the Skills in Your Project
Option 1: Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/CloudAI-X/threejs-skills.git
cd threejs-skills
.skills directory into your own project so Claude can discover them.
Option 2: Submodule
git submodule add https://github.com/CloudAI-X/threejs-skills .skills
Loading in Claude
If you're running Claude locally or via the web UI, simply add ./.skills to your claude.yaml under skills:
skills:
- ./.skills/*
threejs-fundamentals skill fires and generates a full runnable snippet.
Practical Examples
| Feature | Skill | Example Prompt | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic scene | threejs-fundamentals | Create a basic Three.js scene with a rotating cube | Boilerplate with renderer, camera, resize handling |
| GLTF loader | threejs-loaders + threejs-animation | Load a GLTF model with Draco compression and play its animations | Correct loader config, animation mixer, error handling |
| Custom shader | threejs-shaders | Create a custom shader material with a fresnel effect | GLSL code with uniforms, coordinate space handling |
These ready‑to‑use snippets can be dropped right into your code or used as teaching material.
Contributing
- Fork the repo.
- Create a new skill file following the header format.
- Verify against the official Three.js docs (e.g.,
r160commit). - Submit a pull request.
Contributions are welcome—whether it’s adding a missing material type, polishing an existing example, or translating documentation.
Why Use Three.js‑Skills?
- Time‑saving – Cut down on searching the docs and piecing together examples.
- Consistent quality – All skills are audited for accuracy, performance, and cross‑referencing.
- Extensible – You can extend the library, creating custom skill files for your own patterns.
- Community‑backed – MIT‑licensed, so it’s free to use, modify, and distribute.
Conclusion
The threejs-skills repository is more than a collection of code snippets; it’s a reusable knowledge base that bridges the gap between raw Three.js API and real‑world application scenarios. Whether you’re building interactive web art, data visualisations, or a full‑blown 3D game, these skills empower Claude Code and any developer to write clean, performant Three.js projects faster than ever. Fork the repo, explore the skill files, and start turning prompts into polished 3D scenes today.