Threebox

A Three.js plugin for Mapbox GL JS and Azure Maps using the CustomLayerInterface feature. Provides convenient methods to manage objects in lnglat coordinates, and to synchronize the map and scene cameras.

Latest release

Latest code release is , please review the Change log for more details.

Threebox is also available as an nmp package

npm i threebox-plugin

ONLY in this Threebox fork

Models built-in & custom animations	Mouse over/out, Selected, Drag&Drop, Drag&Rotate, Wireframe

Tooltips using altitude	Optimization of camera perspective and depth

Runtime style change	Optimized performance through cache

Customizable FOV	Geojson and Points Extrusions

Models built-in shadows	Sunlight illumination for a given datetime and lnglat

Only in this fork, there is a list of new features implemented on top of the amazing work from @peterqliu:

• Updated to Three.js v117.
• Updated to Mapbox-gl-js v1.11.1.
• Updated to Azure Maps v2.0.31.
• +20 examples with all the new features.
• Support for multiple 3D format objects (FBX, GLTF/GLB, Collada, OBJ/MTL).
• Support for 3D extruded shapes from GeoJson features or points array.
• Support for CSS2D labels and rich HTML controls through a new LabelManager.
• Support for CSS2D tooltips/title browser-like and mapbox-like.
• Support for built-in Raycaster in Object3D and fill-extrusions together.
• Support for built-in MouseOver/Mouseout, Selected, Drag&Drop, Drag&Rotate, Wireframe in loadedObjects including events.
• Support for wireframing on any Object3D, removing them from the Raycaster.
• Support for GeoJson standard features format import and export in different layers.
• Support for Object3D embedded animations, and custom animations on AnimationManager (i.e. embedded animation + translate + rotate).
• Support for multi-layer and multi-floor design of spaces.
• Support for built-in shadows and real Sun light positioning for a given datetime and lnglat coords.
• Support for Non-AABB Non Axes Aligned Bounding Box and real model size, including floor projection.
• Support for Object3D auto-centering and 9 default anchor positions customizable through adjustments.
• Support for setLayerZoomRange and setLayoutProperty on Custom Layers (not available in Mapbox).
• Support for removeLayer considering Object3D.
• Support for style change through setStyle and keeping Object3D.
• Support for partial and full dispose of Mapbox, Three and Threebox resources and memory.
• Support for Orthographic view, customizable Perspective FOV and fixed-size Object3D.
• Optimization of Camera perspective to have Raycast with pixel-precision level and depth sync between Mapbox and Threebox objects.
• Optimization for loading thousands of objects through cache.
• Available as npm package
• Check out change log for more detail.

Documentation

All the Threebox Documentation has been completely updated, including all the methods, properties and events implemented in Threebox and objects, but still 'work in progress' adding better documented examples and images to illustrate Threebox capabilities.

• Using Threebox
• Loading a 3D Model
• Threebox methods
• Object methods
• Examples

Compatibility/Dependencies

• Three.r117 (already bundled into the Threebox build). If desired, other versions can be swapped in and rebuilt here, though compatibility is not guaranteed. (WARNING: v118.3 breaks compatibility in some cases)
• Mapbox-gl-js v1.11.1.
• Azure Maps v2.0.31.

Getting started

You can use threebox in three different ways.

NPM install

Add threebox to your project via npm package : npm install threebox-plugin

Then you will need to import Threebox object in your code. Depending your javascript framework this might be different.

import { Threebox } from 'threebox-plugin/dist/threebox'; 

Use the bundle locally

Download the bundle from dist/threebox.js or dist/threebox.min.js and include it in a <script> tag on your page.
If you want to use styles predefined, add the link to the cascade style sheet, just ensure the src and href attributes are pointing to relative or absolute url path.

<script src="../dist/threebox.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<link href="../dist/threebox.css" rel="stylesheet" />

Public CDNs

Threebox can be also used from different public CDNs:

jsdelivr

This CDN has the particularity that always requires the version of the package to download individual files.

<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/jscastro76/threebox@v.2.1.9/dist/threebox.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<link href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/jscastro76/threebox@v.2.1.9/dist/threebox.css" rel="stylesheet" />

unpkg

Despite this CDN admits version, if omitted, it will download always the last one published.

<script src="https://unpkg.com/threebox-plugin/dist/threebox.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<link href="https://unpkg.com/threebox-plugin/dist/threebox.css" rel="stylesheet" />

For an specific version (i.e. v2.1.9) use the followin:

<script src="https://unpkg.com/threebox-plugin@2.1.9/dist/threebox.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<link href="https://unpkg.com/threebox-plugin@2.1.9/dist/threebox.css" rel="stylesheet" />

Test the samples

Several introductory examples are here.
To run them, create a config.js file with your Mapbox-gl-js access token, alongside and in the format of the template.

Contributing

• Clone the Github repo.
• Build the library with npm run build to get the minimized version, or npm run dev to get the development version and rebuild continuously as you develop.
• Both commands will output a bundle in dist/ folder.

Unit tests

Tests live here.

• Build first the test bundle with npm run test, this will create tests\threebox-tests-bundle.js
• Then in your preferred browser navigate to threebox-tests.html and check the console for test results.

How to build the project in Visual Studio

Sample to get a full build from scratch for Visual Studio:

• Install Node.js
• Clone the repo and open a new Project using main.js
• Install / Update the packages browserify, tape, ncp, uglyfy, watchify.
• Right click on the project at the Solution Explorer > Open Node.js Interactive Window:
• execute .npm [ProjectName] init -y
• execute .npm [ProjectName] install
• execute .npm [ProjectName] i
• execute .npm [ProjectName] run dev or .npm run build