3D web visualization. Three.js (webgl) or any other technology to use?

Question

We're going to develop 3D Truck Loading visualization application like this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHLNwcyZH-w but only with manual loading for now. Application will calculate weight per axles each time we drop a new cargo on our truck. But we don't know with which technology to start; for now we are planning to start with Three.js (WebGL) but as we are new in webgl we don't know are these all calculations painful in Three.js or we rather prefer any other platform for this 3D web application? And learning period also must take no more than 1-1.5 weeks approximately.

Any suggestions is appreciated! Looking forward for tips from Three.js / webgl experts..

P.S for detailed axle load calculations please take a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Bridge_Gross_Weight_Formula

Answer 1

Three.js is a great framework to work with, yet it helps you only with the visual part of the application and I seriously doubt that someone with no computer graphics experience can learn it in 1.5 weeks. Three.js is also good because it support various 3d formats and has exporters for them, which makes the production fast.

Find a good Three.js ninja and JavaScript programmer that will also do the logic part of the application and preferably an artist that will do the modelling.

Out of all engines/frameworks, Three.js is probably best choice because it has different controls, picking, can import models and has very understandable code.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Well, I think Three.js would be a good and fast start to do this. You will need to have a truck model with different trailer sizes and you are going to load those according to use input. For this, you need to be able to create a model on your own using Blender, 3dsMax or other software. The container itself is just a box with reversed normals or some kind of transparency. The controls for rotating around are already there. Concering your weight distribution formulas: Well you will have to do this on your own of course, Three.js is just doing the visual part of your application. You don't quite sound like experts, if I may say so, so I think three.js would be the way to go if you want 3D-Graphics in the browser because it is the easiest library out there, I would say, although for developing a whole app, you will still need some knowledge...but this can be learned.

btw. if you only have boxes in different sizes to load, then you should maybe really opt for automatic loading, i think there are enough "packing algorithms" out there and Having to place those boxes manually with some comfort is not that easy to implement, too.