SceneJS vs. Three.JS vs. Others

Question

Advantages and disadvantages? Could not find full feature set for three.js library. Although I know its popularity and active development. Maybe someone did R&D in WebGL engines and can offer what benefits each library provides?

Answer 1

As the author of SceneJS, I thought I would give it up if it helps: SceneJS specializes in quickly rendering a large number of individually articulated objects, without game engine effects such as shadows, reflections, etc.

In other words, it focuses on the requirements of CAD, medical anatomy, engineering imaging, items with 1000 nuts and bolts, organs, etc.

Consequently, it has less flexibility than three.js, GLGE and PhiloGL.

However, it does have a pure JSON API that people think integrates well with AJAX, parsers, and databases (like CouchDB).

So, if you are writing a game, I would point you to one of the other frameworks, but if you are writing a CAD viewer, then SceneJS can do the trick.

Answer 2

I often use the popularity of a project on GitHub as an indicator of its success. Although there are problems with this method, I often find it the best way to make a choice. List of popular WebGL projects, in declining popularity by the number of "stars":

• ThreeJS (15339)
• PhiloGL (565)
• GLGE (342)
• SceneJS (306)
• OSGJS (170)
• C3DL (45)

It also reflects what I found while studying these projects. three.js seems to be the most fully featured, has an extensive set of examples, a well-structured code base, and a thriving community.

Answer 3

This is basically a duplicate of the WebGL Framework , but the answers have probably changed since then. See Also. What WebGL structure should I learn?

Since the world of WebGL is developing so fast, it will be difficult to find a complete, up-to-date comparison of WebGL frameworks. As soon as someone took the time to learn such a thing, it would be obsolete. But here is the annotated list of WebGL frameworks:

http://www.khronos.org/webgl/wiki/User_Contributions

If you run a project using one of these frameworks, and then if you update this list based on your experience, it will be more relevant than before.

By the way, looking now at PhiloGL , I was impressed with the full set of API documents, ve ported all WebGL lessons for using PhiloGL (only source code, without explanatory text). I do not see the textbook as such; but they have a few examples, so overall they are better than three.js in terms of documentation.

A few more notes for those who may come after (including me):

• CopperLicht seems to play an important role in loading models from files, as opposed to creating geometry in code. This is not open source.
• PhiloGL uses O3D to generate geometry, for example. spheres.
• Three.js comes with commonly used textures.

Answer 4

I am the author of Jax ( http://blog.jaxgl.com/what-is-jax ), a framework with an emphasis on test management based on behavior and pure performance. Jax offers powerful code generators, an integrated application server and test environment, and a carefully organized MVC (Model, View, Controller) architecture for your WebGL application.

Jax is designed primarily around Getting Stuff Done. This is a configuration agreement, which means that although you can certainly do as you like, if you accept its agreements, you will find that there are very few upfront costs for getting your application land.

In addition, Jax has been designed around extensibility. It is easy to create grids with any data set or algorithms that you prefer to use, from loading them through JSON to generating them in the vertex shader; and within the framework of this platform there is a plug-in system with honest to perfection, so you can choose and select additional functions (such as conflict detection) based on the needs of your application, without bloating the structure with things that you do not need.

It has a lot of documentation, and I add the most chances I get; The quick launch page is now online at http://jaxgl.com , and a set of complete manuals slowly makes its way to http://guides.jaxgl.com . Links to API documentation are also available.

Jax's growing selection of live demos in action is also alive and well on Github: http://sinisterchipmunk.github.com .