Going the Distance with Babylon.js

Book excerpt: Learn to effortlessly leverage the power of the GPU in a 3D game or application using Babylon.js v5.0 from start to finish Key FeaturesExplore browser-based, editable, interactive Playground samplesCreate GPU-based resources using the Node Material Editor – no shader code requiredExtended topics in each chapter as well as a dedicated chapter that helps you explore and contribute back to OSS projectsBook Description Babylon.js allows anyone to effortlessly create and render 3D content in a web browser using the power of WebGL and JavaScript. 3D games and apps accessible via the web open numerous opportunities for both entertainment and profit. Developers working with Babylon.js will be able to put their knowledge to work with this guide to building a fully featured 3D game. The book provides a hands-on approach to implementation and associated methodologies that will have you up and running, and productive in no time. Complete with step-by-step explanations of essential concepts, practical examples, and links to fully working self-contained code snippets, you'll start by learning about Babylon.js and the finished Space-Truckers game. You'll also explore the development workflows involved in making the game. Focusing on a wide range of features in Babylon.js, you'll iteratively add pieces of functionality and assets to the application being built. Once you've built out the basic game mechanics, you'll learn how to bring the Space-Truckers environment to life with cut scenes, particle systems, animations, shadows, PBR materials, and more. By the end of this book, you'll have learned how to structure your code, organize your workflow processes, and continuously deploy to a static website/PWA a game limited only by bandwidth and your imagination. What you will learnUse Babylon.js v5.0 to build an extensible open-source 3D game accessible with a web browserDesign and integrate compelling and performant 3D interactive scenes with a web-based applicationWrite WebGL/WebGPU shader code using the Node Material EditorSeparate code concerns to make the best use of the available resourcesUse the Babylon.js Playground to tightly iterate application implementationConvert a web application into a Progressive Web Application (PWA)Create rich, native-ready graphical user interfaces (GUIs) using the GUI EditorWho this book is for This book on 3D programming in JavaScript is for those who have some familiarity with JavaScript programming and/or 3D game engine development and are looking to learn how to incorporate beautiful interactive 3D scenes into their work. Developers familiar with Unity, Unreal Engine, or three.js will also find this book to be a key resource for learning the ins and outs of Babylon.js.