How to add a shader to a ThreeJS geometry in ReactJS

Oscar de la Hera Gomez
Two flowers that represent ReactJS and ThreeJS side by side. Beneath them sits the text "ReactJS & ThreeJS Implement a Shader."

A step by step guide on implementing a shader in a 3JS plane using ReactJS.

We recommend that you clone our Open Source React-Redux Starter Project, checking out the tutorial/three-js/starter branch and carrying out the steps below. The changes can be found on the tutorial/three-js/plane-shader branch.

git clone git@github.com:delasign/react-redux-starter-project.git

Step One: Setup the project

A screenshot of the app running in a browser. If you change the scale of the screen, the object will adapt accordingly.

Follow the tutorial below to setup a responsive ThreeJS, ReactJS project that displays a plane in a scene.

Step Two: Setup the Shader

A screenshot of VSCode showing the shader functions that we offer in the code below.

Create two new files for the vertex and fragment shader and paste in the code below.

Please note we recommend that you place the shader functions in a folder (i.e. sample) within a shaders folder at the root of the project.

Vertex Shader

Fragment Shader

If you are looking for a more advanced solution that implements standard GLSL files, please consult the guide below.

Step Three: Implement the Shader

A screenshot of VSCode showing the how to implement a shader on a plane in ThreeJS.The  code is available below.

Import the shader functions and add them to the plane using code similar to the one below.

Step Four: Test

A screenshot of Chrome showing that the plane is now using the shader that we offer in this tutorial.

Run the code and confirm that the shader looks as expected on the plane.

Looking to learn more about ReactJS and ThreeJS ?

Search our blog to find educational content on learning how to use ReactJS and ThreeJS.

Any Questions?

We are actively looking for feedback on how to improve this resource. Please send us a note to inquiries@delasign.com with any thoughts or feedback you may have.
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