How do I render three.js in node.js?

Question

How do I render three.js code in node.js?

I'd like to export from blender, then open the export through fs and render a scene with it.

Answer 1

This is kind of a smelly implementation, but the key parts to remember are the part where the geometry is created, everything else is pretty straightforward. I'm mostly putting this here for my own reference later, but it does work and it's cool to have 3d rendering in nodejs. oh yea it requires canvas to work too.

it relies on three.js npm module https://github.com/uniba/node-three.js

fs = require("fs")

THREE = require("three.js")
join = require("path").join

app.get '/test/top_:top_id/side_:side_id/x_:x/y_:y.jpg', (req, res, next) =>

  width = 660
  height = 500

  camera = new THREE.PerspectiveCamera(50, width / height, 1, 1000)
  scene = new THREE.Scene()
  renderer = new THREE.CanvasRenderer( )
  renderer.setSize width, height

  camera.position.z = 100

  camera_container = new THREE.Object3D
  scene.add camera_container
  camera_container.add camera

  camera.position.z = 75

  # We have one background plane
  plane_image = new Image
  plane_image.src = fs.readFileSync TOP_DIR + "public/images/vtx_logo.jpg"
  texture = new THREE.Texture plane_image, new THREE.UVMapping()
  texture.needsUpdate = true

  loader = new THREE.JSONLoader()

  geometry = new THREE.PlaneGeometry(200, 200)
  material = new THREE.MeshBasicMaterial
    color       : 0x698144
    #shading        : THREE.SmoothShading
    map     : texture
    overdraw: true
  plane = new THREE.Mesh geometry, material
  plane.position.z = -50
  plane.position.y = -4
  plane.position.x = 4.5

  # We also have an object in the foreground
  scene.add plane
  geometry = false
  loader.createModel JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(TOP_DIR + 'public/blender_export.json')), (done) =>
    geometry = done

  # Imager.texture gives us a canvas based on some code that grabs specific info
  texture = new THREE.Texture (Imager.texture req.params.side_id, req.params.top_id), new THREE.UVMapping()
  texture.needsUpdate = true

  material = new THREE.MeshBasicMaterial
    color: 0xaaaaaa
    map: texture
    overdraw: true
  mesh = new THREE.Mesh geometry, material

  mesh.rotation.x = parseFloat req.params.x
  mesh.rotation.y = parseFloat req.params.y

  scene.add mesh
  mesh.dynamic = true
  renderer.render scene, camera

  renderer.domElement.toBuffer (err, buf) ->
    res.contentType 'image/jpg'
    res.send buf

If you get an error cannot find ./lib/Three:

The three.js module I mentioned might point to an old version of three internally. I remember having to go into the module and edit a file that require('./lib/Three') to require('./lib/three'). I guess he included a non specific three in his package.json, so it got updated without his npm module being updated.. could be fixed by now