Using JavaScript canvas to zoom and pan with a substantial amount of data (100k-1M objects)

Looking to enhance the zoom and pan capabilities on my Canvas for fast and high-resolution results. Dealing with a large quantity of data makes using CanvasRenderingContext2D.scale() and 

CanvasRenderingContext2D.translate()
along with redrawing too sluggish. Attempted utilizing Images, but seeking a way to view all data points while zooming and panning. Initially thought about rendering only visible data points, but this limits zoom and pan functionality to very close ranges - aiming to achieve visibility of all data points even when zoomed out. The data points are represented by circles located closely together if that helps provide any ideas. Open to suggestions on how best to address this challenge.

javascriptcanvaszoomingdrawingpan

Answer №1

If you're looking for some recommendations, here are a couple of options to consider:

  1. Have you explored WebGL? It's similar to OpenGL but designed for web browsers.
    Resources: Khronos Group website, GitHub repository
  2. You might also want to check out three.js.
    Resources: three.js website, GitHub repository

I recommended these because they can handle both 2D and 3D work, as well as support for working with large textures. You can even create a static camera that adjusts the distance to the textured surface (zoom).

With Three.js, there are techniques for loading bitmaps progressively using mipmaps or the "Prefiltered, Mipmapped Radiance Environment Map" method through the PMREMGenerator tool.

Answer №2

A unique strategy that I found effective was utilizing a hidden canvas for drawing purposes alongside a visible viewport canvas for the user to interact with. By drawing on the hidden canvas, it allowed for creating larger images and seamlessly updating the viewport by redrawing only the necessary section (using 

viewportContext.drawImage(sourceCanvas, -canvasWidth / 2, -canvasHeight / 2)
to transfer content from one canvas to another).

For implementing zooming and panning functionalities, I simply captured the initial image from the source canvas on mouseDown or scroll events and then updated it based on new mouse positions or scrolling actions (either by translating or resizing it) directly on the source canvas.

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