Three.js vs Blender and Animation Workflows

Three.js vs Blender

Three.js and Blender serve different purposes in the 3D content creation pipeline:

• Three.js is a JavaScript library for rendering 3D graphics in web browsers. It's primarily used for displaying and interacting with 3D content on websites, not for creating the 3D content itself.
• Blender is a full-featured 3D content creation suite used for modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, and more.

They're complementary rather than competitive tools. Typically, you would create assets in Blender and then use Three.js to display and interact with those assets on the web.

Creating and Rigging Characters

Three.js is not designed for modeling or rigging characters directly. The recommended workflow is:

1. Create and rig your characters in dedicated 3D modeling software like Blender, Maya, or 3ds Max
2. Export the models and animations in a compatible format (glTF is recommended)
3. Import and display them in Three.js for web-based visualization and interaction

Three.js does have an animation system that can play back animations created in other tools. The documentation mentions an Animation system that you can use to control these imported animations.

Learning Resources

Based on the documentation, here are some resources for learning Three.js:

1. Start with the official documentation's Getting Started section
2. The FAQ and Useful links sections may contain additional learning resources
3. For animation specifically, look at:
   • The Animation system documentation
   • Animation addons like CCDIKSolver

Recommended Workflow

For the best workflow with Three.js:

1. Model and animate in specialized tools (Blender, Maya, etc.)
2. Export to glTF format (the recommended format for Three.js)
3. Import into Three.js for web display and interaction
4. Use Three.js animation controls to play, pause, mix, or modify the animations at runtime

This approach leverages the strengths of each tool: the powerful creation capabilities of 3D modeling software and the web rendering capabilities of Three.js.