Portal 2 Clone with Three.js - Project Feedback

Your Portal 2 editor chamber clone looks impressive! Based on your demo and references, you've made excellent progress in just one month. Let me provide some insights on Three.js components that could further enhance your project.

Recommended Three.js Addons

For your Portal 2 clone, these Three.js addons could be particularly useful:

Controls

• PointerLockControls: Perfect for first-person navigation like in Portal
• TransformControls: Useful for the editor functionality to manipulate objects

Loaders

• GLTFLoader: Since you're using Portal 2 assets, this will help with efficient model loading
• DRACOLoader: Can be paired with GLTFLoader for compressed models if performance becomes an issue

Physics

• You're already using cannon.js which is a good choice. Consider exploring the integration examples in Three.js documentation

Post-Processing

• EffectComposer: Essential for portal effects, bloom for energy balls, and other visual enhancements

Utils

• BufferGeometryUtils: Helpful for optimizing geometry when you have many similar objects
• CameraUtils: Useful for portal view calculations

Portal Rendering Techniques

For the portal rendering specifically, you'll need to implement:

1. Stencil buffer techniques for the portal surfaces
2. Camera cloning and positioning for rendering the "through portal" view
3. Recursive rendering for when portals can be seen through other portals

The articles you referenced cover these techniques well. Three.js supports the necessary WebGL features for implementing these effects.

Performance Considerations

As you prepare for playtesting:

1. Implement level-of-detail (LOD) for complex objects
2. Use instancing for repeated elements (like wall panels)
3. Consider implementing frustum culling to avoid rendering objects not in view
4. Profile your application to identify bottlenecks

Next Steps

Your plan to begin playtesting next month is a good approach. Consider implementing:

1. A simple level editor interface using CSS3DRenderer for UI elements
2. Save/load functionality for user-created levels
3. Progressive enhancement for different hardware capabilities

The Three.js examples you've referenced provide excellent starting points for these features. Your project shows great promise, and the Three.js ecosystem offers all the tools you need to complete your Portal 2 clone successfully.