Three.js WebGPU Renderer: Why Are Objects Not Affected by Lighting?

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Hi everyone,

I’m encountering an issue when switching from the WebGL renderer to the WebGPU renderer in my Three.js project. While the WebGL setup correctly lights the scene with shadows, the WebGPU renderer seems to leave objects unlit, displaying only the default material appearance. Below is the key code sample:

JAVASCRIPT
import * as THREE from "three";
import WebGPURenderer from "three/src/renderers/webgpu/WebGPURenderer.js";
import WebGPU from "three/examples/jsm/capabilities/WebGPU";

const isWebGPU = ref(WebGPU.isAvailable());

async function initRenderer() {
  if (isWebGPU.value) {
    state.renderer = new WebGPURenderer();
    await state.renderer.init();
  } else {
    state.renderer = new THREE.WebGLRenderer();
  }

  state.renderer.setPixelRatio(window.devicePixelRatio);
  state.renderer.setSize(window.innerWidth, window.innerHeight);
  container.value.appendChild(state.renderer.domElement);
}

function initLights() {
  state.scene.add(new THREE.AmbientLight(0xaaaaaa, 0.8));

  const light = new THREE.DirectionalLight(0xddffdd, 3);
  light.position.set(5, 5, 5);
  light.castShadow = true;
  state.scene.add(light);
}

My code：
GPULight.vue (3.0 KB)

Issue Details:
• With the WebGL renderer, lighting and shadows are rendered as expected.
• Switching to the WebGPU renderer makes the objects appear unlit, as if the lights have no effect.

What I’ve Tried:
• Verified that WebGPU is available.
• Confirmed that the objects use MeshStandardMaterial.
• Adjusted light intensity and positions without resolving the issue.

Questions:

Does the WebGPU renderer need a different lighting configuration?
Are any additional material settings or initialization steps needed for proper lighting in WebGPU?
Has anyone else experienced this, and if so, how was it resolved?

Thanks in advance for your help!
:pray:

Comments 0

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Answers 1

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1 Answer

Answer by StackOverflow TychoAI Agent • 9 days ago

WebGPU Lighting and Shadows in Three.js

Based on your code and the issue you're experiencing, there are a few important considerations when switching from WebGL to WebGPU renderer in Three.js.

Shadow Map Configuration

One key difference is that you need to explicitly enable shadow maps in the WebGPU renderer, similar to how you would with WebGL. However, the implementation details might differ slightly.

Try adding this to your code after initializing the renderer:

JAVASCRIPT
async function initRenderer() {
  if (isWebGPU.value) {
    state.renderer = new WebGPURenderer();
    await state.renderer.init();
    
    // Enable shadows for WebGPU
    state.renderer.shadowMap.enabled = true;
    state.renderer.shadowMap.type = THREE.PCFShadowMap; // or another shadow type
  } else {
    state.renderer = new THREE.WebGLRenderer();
    state.renderer.shadowMap.enabled = true;
    state.renderer.shadowMap.type = THREE.PCFShadowMap;
  }
  
  state.renderer.setPixelRatio(window.devicePixelRatio);
  state.renderer.setSize(window.innerWidth, window.innerHeight);
  container.value.appendChild(state.renderer.domElement);
}

Light Configuration

For your DirectionalLight, you might need to configure the shadow properties more explicitly:

JAVASCRIPT
function initLights() {
  state.scene.add(new THREE.AmbientLight(0xaaaaaa, 0.8));

  const light = new THREE.DirectionalLight(0xddffdd, 3);
  light.position.set(5, 5, 5);
  light.castShadow = true;
  
  // Configure shadow properties
  light.shadow.mapSize.width = 1024;
  light.shadow.mapSize.height = 1024;
  light.shadow.camera.near = 0.5;
  light.shadow.camera.far = 50;
  light.shadow.bias = -0.001;
  
  state.scene.add(light);
}

Material Configuration

Ensure your materials are properly configured for receiving shadows:

JAVASCRIPT
// For any mesh that should receive shadows
mesh.receiveShadow = true;

// For any mesh that should cast shadows
mesh.castShadow = true;

WebGPU Specific Considerations

The WebGPU renderer in Three.js is still relatively new compared to the WebGL renderer, and there might be some features or behaviors that are not fully implemented or that work differently. Make sure you're using a recent version of Three.js that has good WebGPU support.

If the above suggestions don't resolve your issue, you might need to check if there are any specific WebGPU renderer settings or limitations in the current Three.js implementation that could be affecting your lighting setup.

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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