Web 3d Asset Pipeline

Format Rules

• Default shipping format: GLB or glTF 2.0.
• Do not treat FBX, OBJ, or DCC-native formats as the long-term runtime contract.
• Apply or normalize transforms before shipping.
• Keep units, pivots, and orientation conventions consistent across the whole asset set.

Optimization Rules

• Use glTF Transform for pruning, deduplication, simplification, and packaging.
• Use geometry compression intentionally.
  • Draco is a valid option when decode cost and compatibility fit the runtime.
  • Meshopt is often a strong default for web delivery.
• Compress textures deliberately.
  • Use KTX2 or BasisU when the runtime stack supports it.
  • Use WebP or AVIF where they make sense in the broader asset pipeline.
• Reuse materials and textures where possible to cut memory and draw-call cost.

Runtime-Ready Asset Rules

• Keep model hierarchy names stable and meaningful.
• Set pivots and origins for gameplay interaction, not just for DCC convenience.
• Author explicit collision proxies for physics-heavy scenes.
• Decide whether lighting is dynamic, baked, or hybrid before final export.
• Plan LODs for large environments or repeated props.
• Keep texture resolution proportional to on-screen use, not source-art ambition.

Common Failure Modes

• Shipping raw DCC exports without cleanup
• Too many unique materials
• Texture sizes far above visible need
• Missing collision proxies
• Scale or pivot mismatches between assets
• Runtime code compensating for asset mistakes that should be fixed upstream

References

• Three.js stack: ../../references/threejs-stack.md
• React Three Fiber stack: ../../references/react-three-fiber-stack.md
• GLB loader starter: ../../references/gltf-loading-starter.md
• Rapier starter: ../../references/rapier-integration-starter.md
• 3D asset pipeline reference: ../../references/web-3d-asset-pipeline.md
• Alternative engines: ../../references/alternative-3d-engines.md