3D INTERACTIVE
MENUS & WEBSITES

Why Go 3D?

Flat menus and static hero images blend into every other website. A real-time 3D scene stops the scroll. With Three.js — the leading JavaScript 3D library — you can turn navigation, product displays, and landing pages into things visitors want to touch, spin, and explore, all running in the browser with no plugins or downloads. Here are the biggest advantages.

1. Visual Immersion

3D depth, lighting, and motion make a page feel like a space rather than a document. That immersion grabs attention instantly and leaves a lasting impression — exactly what a brand wants on a hero section or product page.

2. Real Interactivity

Visitors can orbit a product, hover to highlight a menu item, or click to dive into a scene. This hands-on interaction keeps people engaged far longer than clicking flat links, and it makes navigation itself part of the experience.

3. Realistic Rendering

Three.js renders through WebGL, so you get real-time lighting, shadows, reflections, and PBR materials that used to require a desktop app. Products and scenes look believable, which builds trust and desire on commerce sites.

4. Cross-Platform Reach

WebGL is built into every modern browser, so the same 3D page runs on desktops, laptops, tablets, and phones with no install and no app store. One codebase, universal reach.

5. A Huge Community

Three.js is one of the most popular libraries on GitHub, with endless examples, tutorials, and add-ons (loaders, controls, post-processing). Whatever you are trying to build, someone has paved part of the path.

This is the exact rotating ring of clickable image panels running behind this page — a real 3D interactive menu. Each panel is a textured plane; clicking one navigates to that project. Paste into index.html and open it, or press Launch.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Three.js 3D Interactive Menu Ring</title>
  <style> body { margin: 0; background: #0a0b0f; overflow: hidden; } </style>
  <script type="importmap">
  {
    "imports": {
      "three": "https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/three@0.160/build/three.module.js",
      "three/addons/": "https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/three@0.160/examples/jsm/"
    }
  }
  </script>
</head>
<body>
<script type="module">
  import * as THREE from 'three';
  import { OrbitControls } from 'three/addons/controls/OrbitControls.js';

  // Each menu item: an image panel + the page it links to.
  const projects = [
    { image: 'https://www.shanebrumback.com/images/super-soldier-battl-game-demo.jpg', link: 'https://www.supersoldierbattle.com' },
    { image: 'https://www.shanebrumback.com/images/threejs-examples-first-person-shooter-game-starter.jpg', link: 'https://www.shanebrumback.com/tutorials/first-person-shooter-game-starter.html' },
    { image: 'https://www.shanebrumback.com/images/spacex-3d-falcon-9-launch-pad.jpg', link: 'https://www.shanebrumback.com/spacex-falcon-9-launch-complex.html' },
    { image: 'https://www.shanebrumback.com/images/threejs-examples-interactive-image-particle-system.jpg', link: 'https://www.shanebrumback.com/tutorials/interactive-smiley-particle-system.html' },
    { image: 'https://www.shanebrumback.com/images/threejs-examples-how-to-animate-3d-spheres.jpg', link: 'https://www.shanebrumback.com/tutorials/animating-3d-spheres-and-fragment-shaders.html' },
    { image: 'https://www.shanebrumback.com/images/shane-brumback-zombie-attack-game.jpg', link: 'https://www.shanebrumback.com/threejs-zombie-attack.html' }
  ];

  const scene = new THREE.Scene();
  scene.background = new THREE.Color(0x0a0b0f);
  const camera = new THREE.PerspectiveCamera(60, window.innerWidth / window.innerHeight, 0.1, 4000);
  camera.position.set(0, 6, 34);
  camera.lookAt(0, 0, 0);

  const renderer = new THREE.WebGLRenderer({ antialias: true });
  renderer.setPixelRatio(Math.min(window.devicePixelRatio, 2));
  renderer.setSize(window.innerWidth, window.innerHeight);
  document.body.appendChild(renderer.domElement);

  const controls = new OrbitControls(camera, renderer.domElement);
  controls.enableDamping = true;
  controls.enableZoom = false;
  controls.enablePan = false;
  controls.minPolarAngle = Math.PI / 180 * 70;
  controls.maxPolarAngle = Math.PI / 180 * 100;

  scene.add(new THREE.AmbientLight(0xffffff, 1));

  // Build the rotating ring of image panels
  const menu = new THREE.Group();
  const planes = [];
  const loader = new THREE.TextureLoader();
  const radius = 20, pw = 12, ph = 6.75;
  const step = (2 * Math.PI) / projects.length;

  projects.forEach((p, i) => {
    const tex = loader.load(p.image);
    tex.colorSpace = THREE.SRGBColorSpace;
    const plane = new THREE.Mesh(
      new THREE.PlaneGeometry(pw, ph),
      new THREE.MeshBasicMaterial({ map: tex, side: THREE.DoubleSide })
    );
    const a = step * i;
    plane.position.set(Math.cos(a) * radius, 0, Math.sin(a) * radius);
    plane.lookAt(0, 0, 0);
    plane.userData.link = p.link;
    menu.add(plane);
    planes.push(plane);
  });
  scene.add(menu);

  function animate() {
    requestAnimationFrame(animate);
    menu.rotation.y += 0.0035;   // slow carousel spin
    controls.update();
    renderer.render(scene, camera);
  }
  animate();

  // Click a panel to open its project
  const raycaster = new THREE.Raycaster();
  const ndc = new THREE.Vector2();
  window.addEventListener('click', (e) => {
    ndc.x = (e.clientX / window.innerWidth) * 2 - 1;
    ndc.y = -(e.clientY / window.innerHeight) * 2 + 1;
    raycaster.setFromCamera(ndc, camera);
    const hit = raycaster.intersectObjects(planes)[0];
    if (hit && hit.object.userData.link) window.location.href = hit.object.userData.link;
  });

  // Pointer cursor when hovering a panel
  window.addEventListener('pointermove', (e) => {
    ndc.x = (e.clientX / window.innerWidth) * 2 - 1;
    ndc.y = -(e.clientY / window.innerHeight) * 2 + 1;
    raycaster.setFromCamera(ndc, camera);
    document.body.style.cursor = raycaster.intersectObjects(planes)[0] ? 'pointer' : '';
  });

  window.addEventListener('resize', () => {
    camera.aspect = window.innerWidth / window.innerHeight;
    camera.updateProjectionMatrix();
    renderer.setSize(window.innerWidth, window.innerHeight);
  });
</script>
</body>
</html>

Do It Right: SEO & Performance Tips

• Keep your real text content in normal HTML so search engines can read and rank it — let the 3D enhance, not replace, the page.
• Lazy-load heavy 3D assets and show a lightweight poster or loader first so the page feels instant.
• Compress models with glTF + Draco and downscale textures to keep file sizes small.
• Cap the pixel ratio (Math.min(devicePixelRatio, 2)) and pause rendering when the scene is off-screen.
• Add touch controls and test on real phones — WebGL runs everywhere, but input differs.

SEE 3D AND 2D BROWSER GAMES IN ACTION

My free browser games are full Three.js 3D experiences — no download, they run right in your browser.

Super Soldier Battle

Free 3D multiplayer FPS built with Three.js and WebGL. Destroy the enemy bots and turrets, climb the leaderboard.

Play now →

AI Tic-Tac-Toe

Play the classic game against an AI opponent right in your browser. Free, no download, with an online leaderboard.

Play now →

Zombie Attack

Survive waves of zombies in this free 3D browser shooter built with Three.js. No download, plays instantly.

Play now →

Space Wow

Blast through space in this free 3D Three.js arcade shooter. Free, no download, plays right in your browser.

Play now →

More Tutorials

Build a rotating field of 1,000 particles with BufferGeometry.

Create a realistic reflective ocean with a dynamic sky.

Make one 3D object smoothly chase another with lerp and velocity.