Sketching the Impossible: A 3D Portfolio Built Without a Single 3D Model
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A developer with no 3D modeling skills built an award-winning interactive 3D portfolio using Three.js, React Three Fiber, and custom GLSL shaders — replacing traditional 3D models with flat geometry wrapped in hand-drawn AI-generated textures. The post covers the full technical journey: an infinite corridor with dynamic chunk spawning and visibility culling, a 500-line camera system handling scroll, parallax, gyroscope, and door-entry animations, a paint-reveal hover shader extending MeshBasicMaterial, performance fixes (removing real-time shadows, shader pre-compilation warmup, adaptive device tiering), and a gamified achievement system that doubles as a UX tutorial. The project won FWA of the Day, GSAP Site of the Day, Awwwards Honorable Mention, and several other awards.
