matrix-engine-wgpu

Author: Nikola Lukić 📧 [email protected] 📅 Version: 1.6.0 2025

Logo

Logo includes the official WebGPU logo. WebGPU logo by W3C Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0

Description

This project is a work-in-progress WebGPU engine inspired by the original matrix-engine for WebGL. It uses the wgpu-matrix npm package as a replacement for gl-matrix to handle model-view-projection matrices.

Published on npm as: matrix-engine-wgpu

Roadmap

• ✔️ Support for 3D objects and scene transformations
• ✔️ Ammo.js physics full integration
• ✔️ Networking with Kurento/OpenVidu/Own middleware Nodejs -> frontend
• 🎯 Replicate matrix-engine (WebGL) features
• 📦 Based on the shadowMapping sample from webgpu-samples

Features

Scene Management

• Canvas is dynamically created in JavaScript—no <canvas> element needed in HTML.

• Access the main scene objects:

  app.mainRenderBundle[0];

  or by name:

  app.getSceneObjectByName("Sphere1");

• Add meshes with .addMeshObj(), supporting .obj loading, unlit textures, cubes, spheres, etc.

• Cleanly destroy the scene:

  app.destroyProgram();

Camera Options

For now translation is only with WASD keyboard keys.

Supported types: WASD, arcball

mainCameraParams: {
  type: 'WASD',
  responseCoef: 1000
}

Object Position

Best way for access physics body object: app.matrixAmmo.getBodyByName(name) also app.matrixAmmo.getNameByBody

Control object position:

app.mainRenderBundle[0].position.translateByX(12);

Teleport / set directly:

app.mainRenderBundle[0].position.SetX(-2);

Adjust movement speed:

app.mainRenderBundle[0].position.thrust = 0.1;

⚠️ For physics-enabled objects, use Ammo.js functions — .position and .rotation are not visually applied but can be read.

Example:

app.matrixAmmo.rigidBodies[0].setAngularVelocity(new Ammo.btVector3(0, 2, 0));
app.matrixAmmo.rigidBodies[0].setLinearVelocity(new Ammo.btVector3(0, 7, 0));

Object Rotation

Manual rotation:

app.mainRenderBundle[0].rotation.x = 45;

Auto-rotate:

app.mainRenderBundle[0].rotation.rotationSpeed.y = 10;

Stop rotation:

app.mainRenderBundle[0].rotation.rotationSpeed.y = 0;

⚠️ For physics-enabled objects, use Ammo.js methods (e.g., .setLinearVelocity()).

3D Camera Example

Manipulate WASD camera:

app.cameras.WASD.pitch = 0.2;

💡 Lighting System

Matrix Engine WGPU now supports independent light entities, meaning lights are no longer tied to the camera. You can freely place and configure lights in the scene, and they will affect objects based on their type and parameters.

Supported Light Types

SpotLight – Emits light in a cone shape with configurable cutoff angles.

(Planned: PointLight, DirectionalLight, AmbientLight)

Features

✅ Supports multiple lights (4 max), ~20 for next update. ✅ Shadow-ready (spotlight0 shadows implemented, extendable to others)

## Important Required to be added manual:

engine.addLight();

Access lights with array lightContainer:

app.lightContainer[0];

Small behavior object.

• For now just one ocs0 object Everytime if called than updated (light.position[0] = light.behavior.setPath0()) behavior.setOsc0(min, max, step); app.lightContainer[0].behavior.osc0.on_maximum_value = function() {/_ what ever_/}; app.lightContainer[0].behavior.osc0.on_minimum_value = function() {/_ what ever_/};

Make light move by x.

loadObjFile.addLight();
loadObjFile.lightContainer[0].behavior.setOsc0(-1, 1, 0.01);
loadObjFile.lightContainer[0].behavior.value_ = -1;
loadObjFile.lightContainer[0].updater.push(light => {
  light.position[0] = light.behavior.setPath0();
});

Materials

With last glb feature materials become part of engine also.

material: {type: 'standard'} material: {type: 'pong'} material: {type: 'power'}

• Standard is fully supported with lights shadow cast down (not for anims yet)
• Pong
• Power - no shadows cast

// Also for addMeshObj
TEST_ANIM.addGlbObj({
material: {type: 'power'},
...
}, null, glbFile);

Object Interaction (Raycasting)

The raycast returns:

{
  rayOrigin: [x, y, z],
  rayDirection: [x, y, z] // normalized
}

Manual raycast example:

window.addEventListener("click", event => {
  let canvas = document.querySelector("canvas");
  let camera = app.cameras.WASD;
  const {rayOrigin, rayDirection} = getRayFromMouse(event, canvas, camera);

  for (const object of app.mainRenderBundle) {
    if (
      rayIntersectsSphere(
        rayOrigin,
        rayDirection,
        object.position,
        object.raycast.radius
      )
    ) {
      console.log("Object clicked:", object.name);
    }
  }
});

Automatic raycast listener:

addRaycastListener();

// Must be app.canvas or [Program name].canvas
app.canvas.addEventListener("ray.hit.event", event => {
  console.log("Ray hit:", event.detail.hitObject);
});

Engine also exports (box):

• addRaycastsAABBListener
• rayIntersectsAABB,
• computeAABB,
• computeWorldVertsAndAABB,

How to Load .obj Models

import MatrixEngineWGPU from "./src/world.js";
import {downloadMeshes} from "./src/engine/loader-obj.js";

export let application = new MatrixEngineWGPU(
  {
    useSingleRenderPass: true,
    canvasSize: "fullscreen",
    mainCameraParams: {
      type: "WASD",
      responseCoef: 1000,
    },
  },
  () => {
    addEventListener("AmmoReady", () => {
      downloadMeshes(
        {
          welcomeText: "./res/meshes/blender/piramyd.obj",
          armor: "./res/meshes/obj/armor.obj",
          sphere: "./res/meshes/blender/sphere.obj",
          cube: "./res/meshes/blender/cube.obj",
        },
        onLoadObj
      );
    });

    function onLoadObj(meshes) {
      application.myLoadedMeshes = meshes;
      for (const key in meshes) {
        console.log(`%c Loaded obj: ${key} `, LOG_MATRIX);
      }

      application.addMeshObj({
        position: {x: 0, y: 2, z: -10},
        rotation: {x: 0, y: 0, z: 0},
        rotationSpeed: {x: 0, y: 0, z: 0},
        texturesPaths: ["./res/meshes/blender/cube.png"],
        name: "CubePhysics",
        mesh: meshes.cube,
        physics: {
          enabled: true,
          geometry: "Cube",
        },
      });

      application.addMeshObj({
        position: {x: 0, y: 2, z: -10},
        rotation: {x: 0, y: 0, z: 0},
        rotationSpeed: {x: 0, y: 0, z: 0},
        texturesPaths: ["./res/meshes/blender/cube.png"],
        name: "SpherePhysics",
        mesh: meshes.sphere,
        physics: {
          enabled: true,
          geometry: "Sphere",
        },
      });
    }
  }
);

window.app = application;

🔁 Load OBJ Sequence Animation

This example shows how to load and animate a sequence of .obj files to simulate mesh-based animation (e.g. walking character).

import MatrixEngineWGPU from "../src/world.js";
import {downloadMeshes, makeObjSeqArg} from "../src/engine/loader-obj.js";
import {LOG_MATRIX} from "../src/engine/utils.js";

export var loadObjsSequence = function () {
  let loadObjFile = new MatrixEngineWGPU(
    {
      useSingleRenderPass: true,
      canvasSize: "fullscreen",
      mainCameraParams: {
        type: "WASD",
        responseCoef: 1000,
      },
    },
    () => {
      addEventListener("AmmoReady", () => {
        downloadMeshes(
          makeObjSeqArg({
            id: "swat-walk-pistol",
            path: "res/meshes/objs-sequence/swat-walk-pistol",
            from: 1,
            to: 20,
          }),
          onLoadObj,
          {scale: [10, 10, 10]}
        );
      });

      function onLoadObj(m) {
        console.log(`%c Loaded objs: ${m} `, LOG_MATRIX);
        var objAnim = {
          id: "swat-walk-pistol",
          meshList: m,
          currentAni: 1,
          animations: {
            active: "walk",
            walk: {from: 1, to: 20, speed: 3},
            walkPistol: {from: 36, to: 60, speed: 3},
          },
        };

        loadObjFile.addMeshObj({
          position: {x: 0, y: 2, z: -10},
          rotation: {x: 0, y: 0, z: 0},
          rotationSpeed: {x: 0, y: 0, z: 0},
          scale: [100, 100, 100],
          texturesPaths: ["./res/meshes/blender/cube.png"],
          name: "swat",
          mesh: m["swat-walk-pistol"],
          physics: {
            enabled: false,
            geometry: "Cube",
          },
          objAnim: objAnim,
        });

        app.mainRenderBundle[0].objAnim.play("walk");
      }
    }
  );

  window.app = loadObjFile;
};

💡 GLB binary loading bvh(rig)animations.

• See examples glb-loader.js (build with npm run glb-loader)
• Next update materials improvements!
• Light affect just for first frame or t-pose.
• For npm service import uploadGLBModel.

From 1.6.0 glb support multi skinned mesh + mutli primitives cases.

Limitation: glb loader not handled for non animation case. Use obj loader for static mesh.

Must powerfull call is new class MEMeshObjInstances. MEMeshObj is good now for optimised call(less conditionals). You can add instanced draws and modify basic color for each individualy also transformation good for fantazy or any game dev.

Example:

var glbFile01 = await fetch(p).then(res =>
  res.arrayBuffer().then(buf => uploadGLBModel(buf, this.core.device))
);
this.core.addGlbObjInctance(
  {
    material: {type: "standard", useTextureFromGlb: true},
    scale: [20, 20, 20],
    position: {x: 0, y: -4, z: -220},
    name: this.name,
    texturesPaths: ["./res/meshes/glb/textures/mutant_origin.png"],
    raycast: {enabled: true, radius: 1.5},
    pointerEffect: {enabled: true},
  },
  null,
  glbFile01
);

// access  - index -0 is BASE MESH ! I added maxLimit = 5 you can change this from engine source.
// added lepr smoot translate , also color+.
app.mainRenderBundle[1].instanceTargets[1].position[2] = 10;
// This recreate buffer it is not for loop call space
app.mainRenderBundle[1].updateInstances(5);

📽️ Video textures

TEST.loadVideoTexture({
  type: "video", // video , camera  //not tested canvas2d, canvas2dinline
  src: "res/videos/tunel.mp4",
});

For canvasinline attach this to arg (example for direct draw on canvas2d and passing intro webgpu pipeline):

canvaInlineProgram: (ctx, canvas) => {
  ctx.fillStyle = "black";
  ctx.fillRect(0, 0, canvas.width, canvas.height);
  ctx.fillStyle = "white";
  ctx.font = "20px Orbitron";
  ctx.fillText(`FPS: ${Math.round(performance.now() % 60)}`, 10, 30);
};

Note

If this happen less then 15 times (Loading procces) then it is ok probably...

Draw func (err):TypeError: Failed to execute 'beginRenderPass' on 'GPUCommandEncoder': The provided value is not of type 'GPURenderPassDescriptor'.

Note VideoTexture

It is possible for 1 or 2 warn in middle time when mesh switch to the videoTexture. Will be fixxed in next update.

Dimension (TextureViewDimension::e2DArray) of [TextureView of Texture "shadowTextureArray[GLOBAL] num of light 1"] doesn't match the expected dimension (TextureViewDimension::e2D).

Networking

From 1.7.0 engine powered by networking. Used kurento&Openvidu server for backend. Very good for handling streams, channels etc...

See example code at ./examples/games/rpg/

Buildin net sync basic: Lets say app is engine root object and net is networking object. webRTC tech with openvidu server middleware server

app.net = new MatrixStream({
  active: true,
  domain: "maximumroulette.com",
  port: 2020,
  sessionName: "forestOfHollowBlood-free-for-all",
  resolution: "160x240",
  isDataOnly: urlQuery.camera || urlQuery.audio ? false : true,
  customData: forestOfHollowBlood.player.data,
});

// `customData` if you wanna pass some extra meta data on connection-created event
// No need always camera and mic we can use is like data signaling only.

How to use buildin network operations:

// Activate emiting remote position, on remote side adapted on scene object with same name
sceneObject.position.netObject = sceneObject[0].name;
// For now net view for rot is axis separated - cost is ok for orientaion remote pass
sceneObject.rotation.emitY = sceneObject.name;
// If you need oposite remote/local situation. For example:
// you friendly object is enemy object at remote machine that just setup another flag
sceneObject.position.netObject = sceneObject[0].name; // we still need this setup!
sceneObject.position.remoteName = sceneObjecOposite[0].name;

Use toRemote arg prop in send pass, if not it is default [] emit to all.

Intelegent emit for teams (two teams implemented). Position will be emited for teams[0] and received for uniq scene obj name. Position will be emited for teams[1] and received for oposite (eg. enemy) uniq scene obj name. In this case toRemote is overrided (Don't pass it). Used for RPGMOG project.

mesh.position.teams[0] = [ connId0, connId1 ];
mesh.position.teams[1] = [ connId2, connId3 ];

// emiter in core engine file
  if(this.teams.length > 0) if(this.teams[0].length > 0) app.net.send({
    toRemote: this.teams[0], // default null remote conns
    sceneName: this.netObject, // origin scene name to receive
    netPos: {x: this.x, y: this.y, z: this.z},
  });
  if(this.teams.length > 0) if(this.teams[1].length > 0) app.net.send({
    toRemote: this.teams[1], // default null remote conns
    remoteName: this.remoteName, // to enemy players
    sceneName: this.netObject, // now not important
    netPos: {x: this.x, y: this.y, z: this.z},
  });

About URLParams

Buildin Url Param check for multiLang. MultiLang feature is also buildin options.

Load multilang json file data.

• ?lang=en

Access from code:

urlQuery.lang;

About main.js

main.js is the main instance for the jamb 3d deluxe game template. It contains the game context, e.g., dices.

What ever you find here onder main.js is open source part. Next level of upgrade is commercial part.

For a clean startup without extra logic, use empty.js. This minimal build is ideal for online editors like CodePen or StackOverflow snippets.

NPM Scripts

Uses watchify to bundle JavaScript.

"main-worker": "watchify app-worker.js -p [esmify --noImplicitAny] -o public/app-worker.js",
"examples": "watchify examples.js -p [esmify --noImplicitAny] -o public/examples.js",
"main": "watchify main.js -p [esmify --noImplicitAny] -o public/app.js",
"empty": "watchify empty.js -p [esmify --noImplicitAny] -o public/empty.js",
"build-all": "npm run main-worker && npm run examples && npm run main && npm run build-empty"

Resources

All resources and output go into the ./public folder — everything you need in one place. This is static file storage.

Proof of Concept

🎲 The first full app example will be a WebGPU-powered Jamb 3d deluxe game.

RPG game Beta version done

Features done:

• Navigation mesh
• Hero class
• GLB animations
• Automatic team selection (South vs North)
• Homebase stone (tron / enemytron)
• Invertory (construct from 2 or 3 new upgraded item)

Install it on your desktop with one click.

Invest in Forest Of Hollow Blood 9,660$ See more details at FOHB Wiki

Live Demos & Dev Links

• WebGPU Demos Support this project on itch.io

• CodePen Demo → Uses empty.js build from: https://maximumroulette.com/apps/megpu/empty.js

• CodeSandbox Implementation

• 📘 Learning Resource: WebGPU Ray Tracing

• 💲 Commercial part: 3d-jamb

Performance for Jamb game:

Special licence for RPG example:

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

You are free to share and adapt this project, provided that you give appropriate credit.
Attribution requirement:
Include the following notice (with working link) in any distributed version or about page:

"Forest Of Hollow Blood — an RPG example made with MatrixEngineWGPU (https://github.com/zlatnaspirala/matrix-engine-wgpu)"

License && Credits

Usage Note

You may use, modify, and sell projects based on this code — just keep this notice and included references intact (whole licence paragraph).

You need just to copy paste this text to about form on your web page or any other type of app.

Attribution & Credits

• Engine design and scene structure inspired by: WebGPU Samples

• OBJ Loader adapted from: http://math.hws.edu/graphicsbook/source/webgl/cube-camera.html

• Dice roll sound roll1.wav sourced from: https://wavbvkery.com/dice-rolling-sound/

• Raycasting logic and glb loader assisted by ChatGPT.

• GLTF Loader: https://github.com/Twinklebear/webgpu-gltf, improved with chatgpt.

• Music by Mykola Sosin from Pixabay

• Characters used from great mixamo.com -✅What you can do You can use Mixamo characters and animations royalty-free in commercial, personal, or non‑profit projects (games, films, prints, etc.).You own your creations / how you use them.No requirement to credit Adobe / Mixamo (though allowed). -🚫What you cannot do You cannot redistribute or sell the raw Mixamo character or animation files “as is” (i.e. as standalone assets) to others.You can’t use Mixamo content to create a competing library of characters / animations (i.e. you can’t just package them and sell them to others). You can’t use Mixamo’s content (or outputs) to train AI / machine learning models.

• Used free assets from great https://craftpix.net Magic icons : https://craftpix.net/freebies/free-rpg-splash-game-512x512-icons/

• For background music in rpg template used: Music by Dvir Silverstone from Pixabay Sound Effect by Crunchpix Studio from Pixabay Music by Emmraan from Pixabay

  'Ruined rock fence' (https://skfb.ly/6RLwN) by VladNeko is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

  // test "fantasy rock" (https://skfb.ly/oHXAz) by duckcracker02 is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

  "Fantasy Rock" (https://skfb.ly/oHZSq) by lalune is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

  Invertory images https://djinnbestiary.itch.io/ancient-oddities-vol-1-13-free-potions

BSD 3-Clause License (from WebGPU Samples)

Full License Text

Top level main.js instance (Jamb 3d deluxe)