Retrieving the pixel's color value when clicking on a mesh using three.js

In my current project using the latest version of three.js, I have a scene with a 2D mesh that has gradient colors assigned to each vertex. I am trying to retrieve the value of every point on the gradient by simply clicking on it with the mouse, extracting the color information and performing some calculations based on that.

Previously, I attempted to implement a similar approach which seemed promising in this example: http://jsbin.com/wepuca/2/edit?html,js,output

var canvas = document.getElementById("myCanvas");
var ctx = canvas.getContext("2d");

function echoColor(e){
    var imgData = ctx.getImageData(e.pageX, e.pageX, 1, 1);
    red = imgData.data[0];
    green = imgData.data[1];
    blue = imgData.data[2];
    alpha = imgData.data[3];
    console.log(red + " " + green + " " + blue + " " + alpha);  
}

However, I encountered an issue as this method is designed to extract data from a canvas displaying an image, not from a mesh object. When attempting to apply it to my mesh, I received errors such as "TypeError: ctx is null" or "imageData is not a function" (depending on how I defined my canvas and its context).

Having searched for solutions without success, I am reaching out here to inquire whether this technique can be adapted for use with a mesh or if there are alternative methods available.

Your help is greatly appreciated.

Answer №1

Initially, it is important to note that you cannot retrieve a 2D context from a canvas that is already utilizing a WebGL context. This explains the occurrence of the ctx is null error message.

There are two approaches to obtain the pixel color.

1. Copy the WebGL canvas image to a new canvas with a 2D context.

To accomplish this, generate a fresh canvas matching the dimensions of your THREE.js canvas and acquire a 2D context from it. You can then transfer the rendered image from the THREE.js canvas to your new canvas as an image by using the 2D context:

var img2D = new Image();
twoDeeCanvasImage.addEventListener("load", function () {
    ctx2D.clearRect(0, 0, canvas2D.width, canvas2D.height);
    ctx2D.drawImage(img2D, 0, 0);
    // Subsequently, access your pixel data
});
img2D.src = renderer.domElement.toDataURL("img/png");

Afterward, you can utilize getImageData, as previously demonstrated.

An aspect worth considering with this method is the potential degradation of the image due to compression during the export through toDataURL. In some instances, you can mitigate this issue:

if(ctx2D.imageSmoothingEnabled !== undefined){
    ctx2D.imageSmoothingEnabled  = false;
}
else if(ctx2D.mozImageSmoothingEnabled  !== undefined){
    ctx2D.mozImageSmoothingEnabled   = false;
}
else if(ctx2D.webkitImageSmoothingEnabled  !== undefined){
    ctx2D.webkitImageSmoothingEnabled   = false;
}
else{
    console.warn("The browser does not support disabling canvas antialiasing, potentially resulting in a blurry image.");
}

2. Alternatively, you can directly extract a pixel value from the renderer, albeit requiring an additional render pass.

Refer to this example from THREE.js:

This demonstration employs readRenderTargetPixels within the THREE.WebGLRenderer. Details can be found at:

While I lack personal experience with this technique, hopefully someone else can provide further insights.

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