Why Does Changing the Environment Preset Trigger a Full Scene Re-render?

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Hello,
I encountered an unexpected behavior in my Three.js viewer: when I change the preset in the Env component, the entire scene re-renders, including the useEffect that reloads the model. Oddly, if I switch back to a preset I used before (for example, from 'sunset' to 'forest' and then back to 'sunset'), nothing is reloaded. I haven’t seen this issue discussed elsewhere and I’m curious if this is intended behavior or a bug.

Below are the relevant code snippets for the Viewer and Env components.

Viewer code:

TYPESCRIPT
'use client'
import { Cache, Color, Light, PCFSoftShadowMap } from 'three'
import {
  AccumulativeShadows,
  Center,
  Environment,
  GizmoHelper,
  GizmoViewport,
  Grid,
  RandomizedLight,
} from '@react-three/drei'
import Lights from './Lights/Lights'
import ModelHandler from './ModelSettings/ModelHandler'
import { Stats } from '@react-three/drei'
import { TransformControls, OrbitControls, Shadow } from '@react-three/drei'
import useModelLoader from './ModelSettings/ModelLoader'
import { RoomEnvironment } from 'three/addons/environments/RoomEnvironment.js'
import React, {
  useEffect,
  useRef,
  useState,
  useMemo,
  createContext,
  useContext,
} from 'react'
import { MyProvider } from '../MyContext'
import Env from './Environment'
import { memo } from 'react'
import {
  Leva,
  useControls,
  LevaPanel,
  LevaStoreProvider,
  useStoreContext,
  useCreateStore,
  folder,
} from 'leva'
import { environments } from './environments'
import { removeListener } from 'process'
import { FBXLoader } from 'three/examples/jsm/Addons.js'
import { contain } from 'three/src/extras/TextureUtils.js'
import { Canvas, render, useThree } from '@react-three/fiber'
interface ViewerProps {
  url: string
  rootPath: string
  fileMap: Map<string, File>
  options?: {
    kiosk?: boolean
    preset?: string
    cameraPosition?: number[] | null
  }
  rootFile: File | string
  fileType: string
}

const Shadows = memo(() => (
  <AccumulativeShadows
    temporal
    frames={100}
    color='#9d4b4b'
    colorBlend={0.5}
    alphaTest={0.9}
    scale={20}
  >
    <RandomizedLight amount={8} radius={4} position={[5, 5, -10]} />
  </AccumulativeShadows>
))

function SceneBackground({ backgroundStore }: any) {
  const { scene } = useThree()
  const { ColorType } = useControls(
    { ColorType: '#191919' },
    { store: backgroundStore }
  )

  useEffect(() => {
    scene.background = new Color(ColorType)
  }, [ColorType])

  return null
}

const GridChange = ({ circleSize, segments }: any) => {
  // const { gridSize, ...gridConfig } = useControls({
  //  gridSize: [10.5, 10.5],
  //  cellSize: { value: 0.6, min: 0, max: 10, step: 0.1 },
  //  cellThickness: { value: 1, min: 0, max: 5, step: 0.1 },
  //  cellColor: '#6f6f6f',
  //  sectionSize: { value: 3.3, min: 0, max: 10, step: 0.1 },
  //  sectionThickness: { value: 1.5, min: 0, max: 5, step: 0.1 },
  //  sectionColor: '#9d4b4b',
  //  fadeDistance: { value: 25, min: 0, max: 100, step: 1 },
  //  fadeStrength: { value: 1, min: 0, max: 1, step: 0.1 },
  //  followCamera: false,
  //  infiniteGrid: true,
  // })

  // return <Grid position={[0, -0.01, 0]} args={gridSize} {...gridConfig} />
  return (
    <mesh rotation-x={-Math.PI / 2} receiveShadow>
      <circleGeometry args={[circleSize, segments]} />
      <meshStandardMaterial />
    </mesh>
  )
}

const GridHelperChange = ({ gridSize }: any) => {
  return <gridHelper args={[gridSize]} position={[0, -0.01, 0]} />
}

const GridOrHelper = ({ gridChangeStore }: any) => {
  const { Change } = useControls({ Change: true }, { store: gridChangeStore })

  const GridVal = useControls(
    {
      'Grid Helper': folder(
        {
          gridSize: 10,
        },
        { render: get => !get('Change') }
      ),
    },
    { store: gridChangeStore }
  )

  // Standard grid controls - only rendered when Change is true
  const CircleVal = useControls(
    '',
    {
      'Circle Settings': folder(
        {
          circleSize: 10,
          segment: 10,
          cellColor: '#6f6f6f',
          // Add other grid controls
        },
        { render: get => get('Change') }
      ),
    },
    { store: gridChangeStore }
  )

  return Change ? (
    <GridChange
      circleSize={CircleVal.circleSize}
      segments={CircleVal.segment}
    />
  ) : (
    <GridHelperChange gridSize={GridVal.gridSize} />
  )
}

interface PanelConfig {
  id: string
  title: string
  Component?: React.FC<{ store: any }>
  store: any
  isCollapsed: boolean
}

interface Panel {
  id: string
  store: any
  isCollapsed: boolean
}

const Viewer = ({
  url,
  rootPath,
  fileMap,
  options,
  rootFile,
  fileType,
}: ViewerProps) => {
  const panelConfigs: PanelConfig[] = [
    {
      id: 'grid',
      title: 'Grid Controls',
      store: useCreateStore(),
      isCollapsed: true,
      Component: GridOrHelper,
    },
    {
      id: 'background',
      title: 'Scene Settings',
      store: useCreateStore(),
      isCollapsed: true,
      Component: SceneBackground,
    },
    {
      id: 'transform',
      title: 'Transform Controls',
      store: useCreateStore(),
      isCollapsed: true,
      Component: ModelHandler,
    },
    {
      id: 'model',
      title: 'Model Settings',
      isCollapsed: true,
      store: useCreateStore(),
    },
  ]

  // Initialize panels with stores and collapse state
  const [panels, setPanels] = useState<PanelConfig[]>(panelConfigs)

  // update panel state
  const updatePanelState = (panelId: string, isCollapsed: boolean) => {
    setPanels(prevPanels =>
      prevPanels.map(panel =>
        panel.id === panelId ? { ...panel, isCollapsed } : panel
      )
    )
  }

  // Получить store по id
  const getStoreById = (id: string) =>
    panels.find(panel => panel.id === id)?.store

  const renderPanel = ({ id, title }: PanelConfig) => {
    const panel = panels.find(p => p.id === id)
    if (!panel) return null

    return (
      <LevaPanel
        key={id}
        store={panel.store}
        titleBar={{
          drag: false,
          title: title,
        }}
        fill
        flat
        collapsed={{
          collapsed: panel.isCollapsed,
          onChange: state => updatePanelState(id, state),
        }}
      />
    )
  }

  return (
    <div className='h-full w-full relative'>
      <Canvas
        shadows
        gl={{
          antialias: false,
        }}
      >
        <SceneBackground backgroundStore={getStoreById('background')} />
        <MyProvider value={{ url, rootPath, fileMap, fileType, rootFile }}>
          <ModelHandler
            key={`${url}-${rootPath}-${fileType}-${rootFile}`}
            transformStore={getStoreById('transform')}
            modelStore={getStoreById('model')}
          />
        </MyProvider>
        <Env envStore={getStoreById('background')} />
        <Lights lightStore={getStoreById('background')} />
        <OrbitControls makeDefault />
        <GridOrHelper gridChangeStore={getStoreById('grid')} />
        <GizmoHelper alignment='bottom-center' margin={[80, 80]}>
          <GizmoViewport
            axisColors={['red', 'green', 'blue']}
            labelColor='white'
          />
        </GizmoHelper>
        <Stats />
      </Canvas>

      <div
        className='absolute top-0 right-0 w-80 h-full bg-black/20 backdrop-blur-sm'
        style={{
          maxHeight: 'calc(100vh - 5rem)',
          overflowY: 'auto',
          overflowX: 'hidden',
        }}
      >
        <div className='flex flex-col gap-2 p-2'>
          {panelConfigs.map(renderPanel)}
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
  )
}

export default Viewer

Env code:

TYPESCRIPT
import React, { memo, useCallback } from 'react'
import { Environment } from '@react-three/drei'
import { useControls } from 'leva'

const Env = memo(({ envStore }: any) => {
  // Move state to component level to prevent re-renders
  const [isVisible, setIsVisible] = React.useState(true)

  const controls = useControls(
    'Ground',
    {
      'off/on': {
        value: true,
        onChange: useCallback((v: any) => setIsVisible(v), []),
      },
      height: {
        value: 10,
        min: 0,
        max: 100,
        step: 1,
      },
      radius: {
        value: 115,
        min: 0,
        max: 1000,
        step: 1,
      },
      scale: {
        value: 100,
        min: 0,
        max: 1000,
        step: 1,
      },
      preset_: {
        value: 'sunset' as const,
        options: [
          'apartment',
          'city',
          'dawn',
          'forest',
          'lobby',
          'night',
          'park',
          'studio',
          'sunset',
          'warehouse',
        ] as const,
      },
      background_: {
        options: [false, true, 'only'] as const,
        value: true,
      },
    },
    {
      collapsed: true,
      store: envStore,
    }
  )

  // Memoize the Environment props
  const environmentProps = React.useMemo(
    () => ({
      preset: controls.preset_,
      background: controls.background_,
      ground: {
        height: controls.height,
        radius: controls.radius,
        scale: controls.scale,
      },
    }),
    [
      controls.preset_,
      controls.background_,
      controls.height,
      controls.radius,
      controls.scale,
    ]
  )

  // Only render if visible
  if (!isVisible) return null

  return <Environment {...environmentProps} />
})

// Ensure proper display name for debugging
Env.displayName = 'Environment'

export default Env

If anyone has insights on why the preset change is causing a full re-render, your help would be greatly appreciated.

Comments 0

•

Answers 1

•

1 Answer

Answer by StackOverflow TychoAI Agent • 9 days ago

Understanding Environment Preset Re-renders in Three.js

The behavior you're experiencing with environment preset changes causing full scene re-renders is related to how Three.js handles environment map loading and caching.

Why This Is Happening

When you change the environment preset in your Env component, the Environment component from @react-three/drei needs to load a new HDR environment map. This process involves:

Loading a new texture from the network or cache
Creating a new environment map
Applying it to the scene

The first time you load a specific preset, Three.js needs to fetch and process the environment map. When you switch to a different preset and then back to a previously used one, the environment map is likely being retrieved from Three.js's internal cache system, which is why you don't see the full reload behavior.

Solution Approaches

1. Implement Custom Caching

You can use the Cache class from Three.js that you're already importing to ensure environment maps are properly cached:

TYPESCRIPT
import { Cache } from 'three'

// Enable caching at the start of your application
Cache.enabled = true

2. Prevent Model Reloading on Environment Changes

In your ModelHandler component, you should ensure that the model loading logic doesn't depend on environment-related state changes. The key in your Viewer component:

TYPESCRIPT
<ModelHandler
  key={`${url}-${rootPath}-${fileType}-${rootFile}`}
  transformStore={getStoreById('transform')}
  modelStore={getStoreById('model')}
/>

Using a key that only includes model-related properties ensures the component only re-mounts when the model changes, not when environment settings change.

3. Optimize Environment Component

Modify your Env component to better handle preset changes:

TYPESCRIPT
const Env = memo(({ envStore }: any) => {
  // Move state to component level to prevent re-renders
  const [isVisible, setIsVisible] = React.useState(true)
  const [currentPreset, setCurrentPreset] = React.useState('sunset')
  
  const controls = useControls(
    'Ground',
    {
      // Your existing controls
      preset_: {
        value: 'sunset' as const,
        options: [
          'apartment', 'city', 'dawn', 'forest', 'lobby',
          'night', 'park', 'studio', 'sunset', 'warehouse',
        ] as const,
        onChange: (value) => {
          setCurrentPreset(value)
        }
      },
      // Other controls
    },
    {
      collapsed: true,
      store: envStore,
    }
  )

  // Only render if visible
  if (!isVisible) return null

  return (
    <Environment 
      preset={currentPreset}
      background={controls.background_}
      ground={{
        height: controls.height,
        radius: controls.radius,
        scale: controls.scale,
      }}
    />
  )
})

4. Use Preloaded Environment Maps

You could preload all environment maps at application startup to avoid loading delays:

TYPESCRIPT
import { EnvironmentLoader } from '@react-three/drei'

// In your main component
<EnvironmentLoader 
  presets={['sunset', 'forest', 'night', 'apartment']} 
  path="/path/to/hdri/" 
/>

Why Switching Back Works

When you switch from 'sunset' to 'forest' and back to 'sunset', the second time you use 'sunset' the environment map is already in Three.js's texture cache. The TextureLoader (used internally by the Environment component) checks if the texture has already been loaded before making a new request.

This caching behavior is handled by Three.js's loaders, particularly the TextureLoader and related classes that manage asset loading.

By implementing one or more of these solutions, you should be able to prevent the full scene re-render when changing environment presets.

Tycho is an AI agent, that grounds responses in various sources like documentation, code bases, live discussions, and relevant posts. Want to chat privately with Tycho?

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