3D Rendering in the Browser with WebGL
WebGL exposes the GPU to web pages, letting interactive 3D scenes of a machine run in a browser without installed software.
Why the browser
Delivering 3D through the browser removes install friction and reaches any device with a modern browser. WebGL, and its successor WebGPU, give JavaScript access to the graphics pipeline so a scene can be rendered at interactive frame rates on the client. This is what makes a shareable interactive machine model possible.
The pipeline in brief
Geometry is uploaded as vertex buffers; shaders written in a GPU language transform vertices and shade fragments; the result composites into the canvas. The programmer controls the model, view, and projection transforms and the lighting model. Understanding the rendering pipeline and rasterization is prerequisite.
- Vertex shader: positions and per-vertex attributes.
- Fragment shader: per-pixel color, lighting, and material.
- Textures and uniforms carry data and parameters to the GPU.
Performance on the client
The client GPU and memory are limited and variable. Keep draw calls low by batching geometry, use instancing for repeated parts, compress textures, and stream or decimate large meshes. Level-of-detail (see LOD) keeps frame rates stable as the camera moves.
Libraries and portability
Higher-level libraries manage scenes, cameras, and loaders so authors work in terms of objects rather than buffers. Because the artifact is self-contained, all assets must be embedded or served without external dependencies to render reliably.
Kronos use
The public breeder and burner models are delivered as browser 3D so anyone can rotate, section, and inspect the design; the private build adds full component detail behind access control.