PlayCanvas

PlayCanvas is an open-source, web-first 3D graphics platform with an MIT-licensed JavaScript engine, a real-time collaborative Editor, a React wrapper, and Web Components.

Covers

• Engine API and standalone usage
• Editor visual development
• PlayCanvas React declarative components
• Web Components HTML-based 3D
• Scripting and ECS architecture
• Graphics, materials, shaders
• Physics simulation
• Animation system
• Asset pipeline
• 2D and UI systems
• Performance optimization
• Publishing to web/mobile/desktop
• Gaussian Splatting
• PCUI framework

Reference Files (30 files)

Docs in references/ — load on demand:

| File | Covers | |------|--------| | getting-started | Overview, community, OSS | | editor | Overview + press | | editor-interface | Toolbar, Hierarchy, Inspector, Viewport, Launch, Settings | | editor-assets | Assets panel | Panel, import pipeline, inspectors, store | pipeline | | editor-scenes | Scenes, entities, components, templates/prefabs | | editor-scripting | Editor scripting tools | | editor-publishing-web | Web, mobile, ads | | editor-version-control | Branches, checkpoints, merging | | editor-realtime-collaboration | Collaboration | | editor-editor-api | Editor extension API | | editor-engine-compatibility | V1 vs V2 | | editor-faq | FAQ | | editor-troubleshooting | Brightness/darkness fixes | | editor-getting-started | Tutorial | | engine-standalone | Engine API, standalone, Node.js, migrations, browser support | | graphics | Cameras, lighting, materials, shaders, particles, layers, batching | | physics | Rigid body, collision, compound shapes, ammo.js API | | animation | Anim component, state graphs, events, layer masking | | scripting | ESM/Classic, lifecycle, attributes, events, debugging, migration | | ecs | Entity-Component-System | | react | React installation, scenes, assets, materials, physics, interactivity | | web-components | HTML tags, installation, tag reference | | 2D | Sprites, 9-slicing, sprite editor, texture packing | | user-interface | Screen/Element components, localization | | assets | Asset registry, loading, preloading, formats | | optimization | GPU profiling, load time, texture compression, device pixel ratio | | api | REST API endpoints | | account-management | Organizations, billing | | pcui | PCUI UI framework | | gaussian-splatting | 3D Gaussian Splatting | | glossary | Terminology | | security | Vulnerability reporting

Key APIs

Core Engine

import * as pc from 'playcanvas';

const app = new pc.Application(canvas);
app.start();

Entity & Component

const entity = new pc.Entity('myEntity');
entity.addComponent('camera', { fov: 60 });
entity.addComponent('script');
entity.script.create('myScript', { attributes: { speed: 10 } });
app.root.addChild(entity);

Asset Loading

app.assets.loadFromUrl('model.glb', 'container', (err, asset) => {
  const entity = asset.resource.instantiateRenderEntity();
  app.root.addChild(entity);
});

Input

if (app.keyboard.isPressed(pc.KEY_SPACE)) { /* jump */ }
if (app.mouse.isPressed(pc.MOUSEBUTTON_LEFT)) { /* click */ }