When it comes to drawing in a 3D space, three.js is the go-to tool. However, if your goal is to replicate a 2D drawing application like Paint, utilizing the 2D canvas with canvas.getContext("2d");
might be a more straightforward approach.
If you're set on using three.js for drawing, I've prepared a comprehensive example that you can explore by following these steps:
- Click anywhere on the page and drag your mouse to draw a line on the z-plane.
- Experiment with the Shapes button to observe how objects positioned on different planes behave - one closer and one further from the viewer based on their z-coordinate.
- Try out the Rotate button, which triggers camera zoom-out and rotation around axes, showcasing how all drawing occurs exclusively on the z plane as you rotate through it.
Take a look at the crucial parts of the code:
Firstly, you need to project the mouse click coordinates onto the z-axis plane using the function below:
function get3dPointZAxis(event)
{
// Code snippet here
}
Then, connect the projected point with the previous one to form a line:
// Line drawing function
Additionally, to avoid projection issues when rotating near the z plane boundary, utilize the following check:
// Check snippet
For detailed information on projecting mouse coordinates, references are availablehere andhere.
Update:
To draw a line between the mousedown and mouseup positions, check out this updated demo:demo link. The modification focuses on executing the draw operation between points solely upon mouse up event.
// Updated draw function