Cesiumjs Models Particles

CesiumJS Models, glTF & Particle Effects

Version baseline: CesiumJS v1.144.

Quick Reference

The Entity API exposes models through ModelGraphics (see cesiumjs-entities). The Primitive API uses Model.fromGltfAsync for full control over modelMatrix, animations, and node transforms.

Loading a glTF/GLB Model

Always use the async factory -- never call the constructor directly.

import { Model, Cartesian3, Transforms, HeadingPitchRoll, Math as CesiumMath } from "cesium";

const model = await Model.fromGltfAsync({ url: "path/to/model.glb" });
viewer.scene.primitives.add(model);

Public Sample Models

CesiumJS ships sample models usable without ion tokens:

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/CesiumGS/cesium/main/Apps/SampleData/models/CesiumAir/Cesium_Air.glb
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/CesiumGS/cesium/main/Apps/SampleData/models/CesiumMan/Cesium_Man.glb
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/CesiumGS/cesium/main/Apps/SampleData/models/CesiumMilkTruck/CesiumMilkTruck.glb

CesiumJS 1.143 decodes KHR_meshopt_compression automatically, including the v1 attribute codec and COLOR filter. Do not import a decoder or private loader helper. When loading compressed glTF, CAD-style lines/points/edges, or constant-LOD textures, read REFERENCE.md for the complete support and authoring matrix. The same loader behavior applies to glTF content inside 3D Tiles.

Positioned Model with Heading

const position = Cartesian3.fromDegrees(-123.074, 44.050, 5000);
const hpr = new HeadingPitchRoll(CesiumMath.toRadians(135), 0, 0);

const model = await Model.fromGltfAsync({
  url: "CesiumAir.glb",
  modelMatrix: Transforms.headingPitchRollToFixedFrame(position, hpr),
  minimumPixelSize: 128,  // never smaller than 128 px on screen
  maximumScale: 20000,    // cap for minimumPixelSize enlargement
  scale: 2.0,             // uniform scale multiplier
});
viewer.scene.primitives.add(model);

Visual eval framing: for model screenshots, the model must be fully inside the frame and recognizable, not clipped at the bottom edge. Use minimumPixelSize 256-400 for public sample aircraft, add a subtle silhouetteColor/silhouetteSize, and place the camera with explicit coordinates aimed at the known model position. Avoid shallow pitches that put the model below the frame or rely on viewer.flyTo(model), which is version-sensitive for Model primitives.

Avoiding Distorted Model Appearance

Models can appear stretched or warped when scale is applied non-uniformly or when the orientation matrix is built incorrectly. Common pitfalls:

• Always use Transforms.headingPitchRollToFixedFrame (or the Entity API's headingPitchRollQuaternion) for ground-aligned orientation. Hand-rolled quaternions often invert pitch/roll axes and produce vertically stretched silhouettes.
• Use scale (uniform) for size, not a non-uniform Matrix4.fromScale. A non-uniform scale baked into modelMatrix will distort the model. Reserve Matrix4.fromScale for per-node tweaks (e.g., stretching a single turret), not the whole model.
• Pair minimumPixelSize with a sensible maximumScale. Without a cap, distant small models can balloon to fill the frame and look elongated when the camera is close.

Key Model.fromGltfAsync Options

Readiness and Lifecycle

fromGltfAsync resolves once glTF JSON is parsed, but WebGL resources may still load. Wait for readyEvent before accessing animations, nodes, or boundingSphere.

const model = await Model.fromGltfAsync({ url: "robot.glb" });
viewer.scene.primitives.add(model);

model.readyEvent.addEventListener(() => {
  console.log("Bounding sphere:", model.boundingSphere);
});

// Synchronous check
if (model.ready) { const bs = model.boundingSphere; }

Animations

Managed through model.activeAnimations (ModelAnimationCollection).

Play by Name / Play All

model.readyEvent.addEventListener(() => {
  // Single animation
  const anim = model.activeAnimations.add({
    name: "Walk",                          // glTF animation name
    loop: Cesium.ModelAnimationLoop.REPEAT, // NONE | REPEAT | MIRRORED_REPEAT
    multiplier: 1.0,                       // playback speed (must be > 0)
  });
  anim.start.addEventListener((m, a) => console.log(`Started: ${a.name}`));

  // Or play all animations at once
  model.activeAnimations.addAll({
    loop: Cesium.ModelAnimationLoop.REPEAT,
    multiplier: 0.5,
  });
});

Additional add options: index, reverse, startTime, stopTime, delay, removeOnStop, animationTime (custom time callback).

Animations require viewer.clock.shouldAnimate = true to advance. A walking character will appear frozen mid-pose (or distorted if at the seam between keyframes) if the clock is stopped.

Animation Events

animation.start.addEventListener((model, animation) => { });
animation.update.addEventListener((model, animation, time) => { });
animation.stop.addEventListener((model, animation) => { });
// Collection-level
model.activeAnimations.animationAdded.addEventListener((model, anim) => { });

model.activeAnimations.remove(animation); // remove one
model.activeAnimations.removeAll();        // remove all

Model Nodes

Override named node transforms for procedural animation (e.g., turret rotation).

model.readyEvent.addEventListener(() => {
  const node = model.getNode("Turret");
  node.matrix = Cesium.Matrix4.fromScale(
    new Cesium.Cartesian3(5.0, 1.0, 1.0), node.matrix
  );
});

Properties: name (read-only), id (read-only index), show (boolean), matrix (Matrix4 -- set to undefined to restore original and re-enable glTF animations).

Coloring, Silhouettes, and Feature Picking

// Tint + silhouette
model.color = Cesium.Color.RED.withAlpha(0.5);
model.colorBlendMode = Cesium.ColorBlendMode.MIX;
model.colorBlendAmount = 0.5;
model.silhouetteColor = Cesium.Color.YELLOW;
model.silhouetteSize = 2.0;

Edge Display Mode (Experimental, 1.142+)

For glTF assets using the draft EXT_mesh_primitive_edge_visibility extension, EdgeDisplayMode controls whether extension-provided edges are hidden, composited over surfaces, or rendered alone. Models without the extension are unaffected.

import { EdgeDisplayMode, Model } from "cesium";

const model = await Model.fromGltfAsync({
  url: "/models/cad-part.glb",
  edgeDisplayMode: EdgeDisplayMode.SURFACES_AND_EDGES,
});
viewer.scene.primitives.add(model);

model.edgeDisplayMode = EdgeDisplayMode.EDGES_ONLY;       // CAD-style wireframe
model.edgeDisplayMode = EdgeDisplayMode.SURFACES_ONLY;    // default

When a glTF has EXT_mesh_features or EXT_structural_metadata, picking returns a ModelFeature:

const handler = new Cesium.ScreenSpaceEventHandler(viewer.scene.canvas);
handler.setInputAction((movement) => {
  const picked = viewer.scene.pick(movement.endPosition);
  if (picked instanceof Cesium.ModelFeature) {
    picked.getPropertyIds().forEach((name) => {
      console.log(`${name}: ${picked.getProperty(name)}`);
    });
    picked.color = Cesium.Color.YELLOW;
  }
}, Cesium.ScreenSpaceEventType.MOUSE_MOVE);

Height Reference

// Primitive API -- scene is required for height reference
const model = await Model.fromGltfAsync({
  url: "truck.glb",
  heightReference: Cesium.HeightReference.CLAMP_TO_GROUND,
  scene: viewer.scene,
});

// Entity API
viewer.entities.add({
  position: Cartesian3.fromDegrees(-75.59, 40.03),
  model: { uri: "truck.glb", heightReference: Cesium.HeightReference.CLAMP_TO_GROUND },
});

Values: NONE, CLAMP_TO_GROUND, RELATIVE_TO_GROUND, CLAMP_TO_TERRAIN, RELATIVE_TO_TERRAIN, CLAMP_TO_3D_TILE, RELATIVE_TO_3D_TILE.

Particle Systems

ParticleSystem renders billboard-based effects. Position with modelMatrix (world) and emitterModelMatrix (local offset).

Always set viewer.clock.shouldAnimate = true before adding a particle system -- particles only move when the clock is running. A stopped clock produces a static "blob" at the emitter origin rather than a directional plume.

Producing a Legible Vertical Plume

A common failure mode is rendering a diffuse spherical blob instead of a recognizable rising column. To make plumes read as vertical:

• Use CircleEmitter or a narrow ConeEmitter for upward-biased velocity. SphereEmitter and BoxEmitter radiate in all directions and produce blob-like shapes.
• Bias velocity strongly upward -- emitters' local +Z is up in the modelMatrix frame; set modelMatrix via Transforms.eastNorthUpToFixedFrame so +Z is local up.
• Use a multi-second minimumParticleLife / maximumParticleLife (e.g., 1.5-4.0) so particles travel far enough to form a visible column before fading.
• Scale particles over their lifetime (startScale small, endScale 3-6x larger) so the plume widens with height, matching real smoke.
• Keep the emitter footprint smaller than the visible plume. For crater smoke, use a small disk or point source; oversized ground ellipses read as the subject instead of a source marker.
• Avoid solving clipping by making the plume huge. If the top is clipped, first increase camera range or lower particle life/speed/endScale; do not let the plume fill all four edges of the frame.
• Wait for several seconds of simulation time before screenshotting -- the plume needs to develop. Advance the clock or use viewer.clock.shouldAnimate = true and wait.

Smoke Trail

import { ParticleSystem, CircleEmitter, Color, Cartesian2, Transforms, Cartesian3 } from "cesium";

viewer.clock.shouldAnimate = true; // required -- particles don't move on a stopped clock

const smokeSystem = new ParticleSystem({
  image: "smoke.png",
  startColor: Color.LIGHTGRAY.withAlpha(0.7),
  endColor: Color.WHITE.withAlpha(0.0),
  startScale: 1.0,
  endScale: 5.0,
  emissionRate: 10,
  minimumSpeed: 1.0,
  maximumSpeed: 4.0,
  minimumParticleLife: 1.2,
  maximumParticleLife: 3.0,
  imageSize: new Cartesian2(25, 25), // pixel size
  emitter: new CircleEmitter(2.0),   // radius in meters
  modelMatrix: Transforms.eastNorthUpToFixedFrame(Cartesian3.fromDegrees(-75.157, 39.978)),
  lifetime: 16.0,
  loop: true,
});
viewer.scene.primitives.add(smokeSystem);

Volcanic / Crater Smoke Calibration

For terrain-scale smoke such as Mount St. Helens, use an oblique camera and a restrained source marker. The marker should confirm the emitter location without becoming a giant ground disk, and the plume should fit entirely in frame with terrain visible underneath.

import { ParticleSystem, CircleEmitter, Color, Cartesian2, Transforms, Cartesian3 } from "cesium";

viewer.clock.shouldAnimate = true;

const sourcePosition = Cartesian3.fromDegrees(-122.1944, 46.1914, 2549);

viewer.entities.add({
  position: sourcePosition,
  point: {
    pixelSize: 10,
    color: Color.ORANGE,
    outlineColor: Color.BLACK,
    outlineWidth: 2,
  },
});

const craterSmoke = new ParticleSystem({
  image: createRadialParticle(48, "rgba(180,180,180,0.75)"),
  startColor: Color.LIGHTGRAY.withAlpha(0.65),
  endColor: Color.WHITE.withAlpha(0.0),
  startScale: 0.8,
  endScale: 4.0,
  emissionRate: 35,
  minimumSpeed: 20.0,
  maximumSpeed: 45.0,
  minimumParticleLife: 2.0,
  maximumParticleLife: 4.0,
  imageSize: new Cartesian2(22, 22),
  emitter: new CircleEmitter(35.0),
  modelMatrix: Transforms.eastNorthUpToFixedFrame(sourcePosition),
  lifetime: 20.0,
  loop: true,
});
viewer.scene.primitives.add(craterSmoke);

viewer.trackedEntity = undefined;
viewer.camera.lookAt(
  sourcePosition,
  new Cesium.HeadingPitchRange(
    Cesium.Math.toRadians(35),
    Cesium.Math.toRadians(-22),
    6500
  )
);

Use this pattern when a prompt asks for smoke over a named geographic source:

• Prefer a point or small billboard marker over an ellipse unless the prompt specifically asks for a ground footprint.
• Keep the plume top, base, and source marker visible at once. A clipped plume or missing marker is a framing failure even if particles are rendering.
• Use an oblique pitch for tall plumes. Near-nadir views flatten the vertical volume into a gray blob.