Agent skill

R3f Animation

by zebbern in zebbern/claude-code-guide

React Three Fiber animation - useFrame, useAnimations, spring physics, keyframes.

MITAuto-check passedGame Development

Install R3f Animation

skills CLI
$ npx skills add zebbern/claude-code-guide --skill r3f-animation -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install zebbern/claude-code-guide r3f-animation --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/zebbern/claude-code-guide.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/r3f-animation .claude/skills/r3f-animation && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
r3f-animation
GitHub stars
4.7k
Token cost
~5.5k tokens
SKILL.md length
222 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
46
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

React Three Fiber animation - useFrame, useAnimations, spring physics, keyframes.

  • Works in 5 steps: Isolate animated components: Only the… → Use refs over state: Avoid React… → Throttle expensive calculations: Use… → …
  • Animating objects
  • SKILL.md covers Quick Start, useFrame Hook, GLTF Animations with… and Spring Animation…, plus 4 more sections
  • Calls npm

What it does

R3f Animation is an agent skill from zebbern/claude-code-guide. React Three Fiber animation - useFrame, useAnimations, spring physics, keyframes. Use when animating objects, playing GLTF animations, creating procedural motion, or implementing physics-based movement.

Its SKILL.md is about 5.5k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

It sits in Game Development, covering 3D graphics and WebGL. The repository describes itself as: Claude Code Guide - Setup, Commands, workflows, agents, skills & tips-n-tricks from beginner to power user! The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Animating objects
  • Playing GLTF animations
  • Creating procedural motion
  • Implementing physics-based movement

Example prompts

  • “/r3f-animation”

Requirements

  • Node.js

Workflow steps

5 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

  1. Isolate animated components: Only the animated mesh re-renders
  2. Use refs over state: Avoid React re-renders for animations
  3. Throttle expensive calculations: Use delta accumulation
  4. Pause offscreen animations: Check visibility
  5. Share animation clips: Same clip for multiple instances

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 9cde898. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    Shell commands in SKILL.md call:

    • npm

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md. Its commands use npm, which can reach the network depending on how they are called.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

R3f Animation loads about 5.5k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 54 tokens; SKILL.md has 222 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~54
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~5.5k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from zebbern/claude-code-guide at commit 9cde898, republished under its MIT licence (© zebbern). 222 words, ~5,500 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/r3f-animation/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).
name
r3f-animation
description
React Three Fiber animation - useFrame, useAnimations, spring physics, keyframes. Use when animating objects, playing GLTF animations, creating procedural motion, or implementing physics-based movement.

React Three Fiber Animation

Quick Start

tsx
import { Canvas, useFrame } from '@react-three/fiber'
import { useRef } from 'react'

function RotatingBox() {
  const meshRef = useRef()

  useFrame((state, delta) => {
    meshRef.current.rotation.x += delta
    meshRef.current.rotation.y += delta * 0.5
  })

  return (
    <mesh ref={meshRef}>
      <boxGeometry />
      <meshStandardMaterial color="hotpink" />
    </mesh>
  )
}

export default function App() {
  return (
    <Canvas>
      <ambientLight />
      <RotatingBox />
    </Canvas>
  )
}

useFrame Hook

The core animation hook in R3F. Runs every frame.

Basic Usage
tsx
import { useFrame } from '@react-three/fiber'
import { useRef } from 'react'

function AnimatedMesh() {
  const meshRef = useRef()

  useFrame((state, delta) => {
    // state contains: clock, camera, scene, gl, mouse, etc.
    // delta is time since last frame in seconds

    meshRef.current.rotation.y += delta
  })

  return (
    <mesh ref={meshRef}>
      <boxGeometry />
      <meshStandardMaterial color="orange" />
    </mesh>
  )
}
State Object
tsx
useFrame((state, delta, xrFrame) => {
  const {
    clock,           // THREE.Clock
    camera,          // Current camera
    scene,           // Scene
    gl,              // WebGLRenderer
    mouse,           // Normalized mouse position (-1 to 1)
    pointer,         // Same as mouse
    viewport,        // Viewport dimensions
    size,            // Canvas size
    raycaster,       // Raycaster
    get,             // Get current state
    set,             // Set state
    invalidate,      // Request re-render (when frameloop="demand")
  } = state

  // Time-based animation
  const t = clock.getElapsedTime()
  meshRef.current.position.y = Math.sin(t) * 2
})
Render Priority
tsx
// Lower numbers run first. Default is 0.
// Use negative for pre-render, positive for post-render

function PreRender() {
  useFrame(() => {
    // Runs before main render
  }, -1)
}

function PostRender() {
  useFrame(() => {
    // Runs after main render
  }, 1)
}

function DefaultRender() {
  useFrame(() => {
    // Runs at default priority (0)
  })
}
Conditional Animation
tsx
function ConditionalAnimation({ isAnimating }) {
  const meshRef = useRef()

  useFrame((state, delta) => {
    if (!isAnimating) return
    meshRef.current.rotation.y += delta
  })

  return <mesh ref={meshRef}>...</mesh>
}

GLTF Animations with useAnimations

The recommended way to play animations from GLTF/GLB files.

Basic Usage
tsx
import { useGLTF, useAnimations } from '@react-three/drei'
import { useEffect, useRef } from 'react'

function AnimatedModel() {
  const group = useRef()
  const { scene, animations } = useGLTF('/models/character.glb')
  const { actions, names } = useAnimations(animations, group)

  useEffect(() => {
    // Play first animation
    actions[names[0]]?.play()
  }, [actions, names])

  return <primitive ref={group} object={scene} />
}
Animation Control
tsx
function Character() {
  const group = useRef()
  const { scene, animations } = useGLTF('/models/character.glb')
  const { actions, mixer } = useAnimations(animations, group)

  useEffect(() => {
    const action = actions['Walk']
    if (action) {
      // Playback control
      action.play()
      action.stop()
      action.reset()
      action.paused = true

      // Speed
      action.timeScale = 1.5  // 1.5x speed
      action.timeScale = -1   // Reverse

      // Loop modes
      action.loop = THREE.LoopOnce
      action.loop = THREE.LoopRepeat
      action.loop = THREE.LoopPingPong
      action.repetitions = 3
      action.clampWhenFinished = true

      // Weight (for blending)
      action.weight = 1
    }
  }, [actions])

  return <primitive ref={group} object={scene} />
}
Crossfade Between Animations
tsx
import { useGLTF, useAnimations } from '@react-three/drei'
import { useState, useEffect, useRef } from 'react'

function Character() {
  const group = useRef()
  const { scene, animations } = useGLTF('/models/character.glb')
  const { actions } = useAnimations(animations, group)
  const [currentAnim, setCurrentAnim] = useState('Idle')

  useEffect(() => {
    // Fade out all animations
    Object.values(actions).forEach(action => {
      action?.fadeOut(0.5)
    })

    // Fade in current animation
    actions[currentAnim]?.reset().fadeIn(0.5).play()
  }, [currentAnim, actions])

  return (
    <group ref={group}>
      <primitive object={scene} />
    </group>
  )
}
Animation Events
tsx
function AnimatedModel() {
  const group = useRef()
  const { scene, animations } = useGLTF('/models/character.glb')
  const { actions, mixer } = useAnimations(animations, group)

  useEffect(() => {
    // Listen for animation events
    const onFinished = (e) => {
      console.log('Animation finished:', e.action.getClip().name)
    }

    const onLoop = (e) => {
      console.log('Animation looped:', e.action.getClip().name)
    }

    mixer.addEventListener('finished', onFinished)
    mixer.addEventListener('loop', onLoop)

    return () => {
      mixer.removeEventListener('finished', onFinished)
      mixer.removeEventListener('loop', onLoop)
    }
  }, [mixer])

  return <primitive ref={group} object={scene} />
}
Animation Blending
tsx
function CharacterController({ speed = 0 }) {
  const group = useRef()
  const { scene, animations } = useGLTF('/models/character.glb')
  const { actions } = useAnimations(animations, group)

  useEffect(() => {
    // Start all animations
    actions['Idle']?.play()
    actions['Walk']?.play()
    actions['Run']?.play()
  }, [actions])

  // Blend based on speed
  useFrame(() => {
    if (speed < 0.1) {
      actions['Idle']?.setEffectiveWeight(1)
      actions['Walk']?.setEffectiveWeight(0)
      actions['Run']?.setEffectiveWeight(0)
    } else if (speed < 5) {
      const t = speed / 5
      actions['Idle']?.setEffectiveWeight(1 - t)
      actions['Walk']?.setEffectiveWeight(t)
      actions['Run']?.setEffectiveWeight(0)
    } else {
      const t = Math.min((speed - 5) / 5, 1)
      actions['Idle']?.setEffectiveWeight(0)
      actions['Walk']?.setEffectiveWeight(1 - t)
      actions['Run']?.setEffectiveWeight(t)
    }
  })

  return <primitive ref={group} object={scene} />
}

Spring Animation (@react-spring/three)

Physics-based spring animations that integrate with R3F.

Installation
bash
npm install @react-spring/three
Basic Spring
tsx
import { useSpring, animated } from '@react-spring/three'

function AnimatedBox() {
  const [active, setActive] = useState(false)

  const { scale, color } = useSpring({
    scale: active ? 1.5 : 1,
    color: active ? '#ff6b6b' : '#4ecdc4',
    config: { mass: 1, tension: 280, friction: 60 }
  })

  return (
    <animated.mesh
      scale={scale}
      onClick={() => setActive(!active)}
    >
      <boxGeometry />
      <animated.meshStandardMaterial color={color} />
    </animated.mesh>
  )
}
Spring Config Presets
tsx
import { useSpring, animated, config } from '@react-spring/three'

function SpringPresets() {
  const { position } = useSpring({
    position: [0, 2, 0],
    config: config.wobbly  // Presets: default, gentle, wobbly, stiff, slow, molasses
  })

  // Or custom config
  const { rotation } = useSpring({
    rotation: [0, Math.PI, 0],
    config: {
      mass: 1,
      tension: 170,
      friction: 26,
      clamp: false,
      precision: 0.01,
      velocity: 0,
    }
  })

  return (
    <animated.mesh position={position} rotation={rotation}>
      <boxGeometry />
      <meshStandardMaterial />
    </animated.mesh>
  )
}
Multiple Springs
tsx
import { useSprings, animated } from '@react-spring/three'

function AnimatedBoxes({ count = 5 }) {
  const [springs, api] = useSprings(count, (i) => ({
    position: [i * 2 - count, 0, 0],
    scale: 1,
    config: { mass: 1, tension: 280, friction: 60 }
  }))

  const handleClick = (index) => {
    api.start((i) => {
      if (i === index) return { scale: 1.5 }
      return { scale: 1 }
    })
  }

  return springs.map((spring, i) => (
    <animated.mesh
      key={i}
      position={spring.position}
      scale={spring.scale}
      onClick={() => handleClick(i)}
    >
      <boxGeometry />
      <meshStandardMaterial color="orange" />
    </animated.mesh>
  ))
}
Gesture Integration
tsx
import { useSpring, animated } from '@react-spring/three'
import { useDrag } from '@use-gesture/react'

function DraggableBox() {
  const [spring, api] = useSpring(() => ({
    position: [0, 0, 0],
    config: { mass: 1, tension: 280, friction: 60 }
  }))

  const bind = useDrag(({ movement: [mx, my], down }) => {
    api.start({
      position: down ? [mx / 100, -my / 100, 0] : [0, 0, 0]
    })
  })

  return (
    <animated.mesh {...bind()} position={spring.position}>
      <boxGeometry />
      <meshStandardMaterial color="hotpink" />
    </animated.mesh>
  )
}
Chain Animations
tsx
import { useSpring, animated, useChain, useSpringRef } from '@react-spring/three'

function ChainedAnimation() {
  const scaleRef = useSpringRef()
  const rotationRef = useSpringRef()

  const { scale } = useSpring({
    ref: scaleRef,
    from: { scale: 0 },
    to: { scale: 1 },
    config: { tension: 200, friction: 20 }
  })

  const { rotation } = useSpring({
    ref: rotationRef,
    from: { rotation: [0, 0, 0] },
    to: { rotation: [0, Math.PI * 2, 0] },
    config: { tension: 100, friction: 30 }
  })

  // Scale first (0-0.5), then rotation (0.5-1)
  useChain([scaleRef, rotationRef], [0, 0.5])

  return (
    <animated.mesh scale={scale} rotation={rotation}>
      <boxGeometry />
      <meshStandardMaterial color="cyan" />
    </animated.mesh>
  )
}

Morph Targets

Blend between different mesh shapes.

tsx
import { useGLTF } from '@react-three/drei'
import { useFrame } from '@react-three/fiber'
import { useRef } from 'react'

function MorphingFace() {
  const { scene, nodes } = useGLTF('/models/face.glb')
  const meshRef = useRef()

  useFrame(({ clock }) => {
    const t = clock.getElapsedTime()

    // Access morph target influences
    if (meshRef.current?.morphTargetInfluences) {
      // Animate smile
      const smileIndex = meshRef.current.morphTargetDictionary['smile']
      meshRef.current.morphTargetInfluences[smileIndex] = (Math.sin(t) + 1) / 2
    }
  })

  return (
    <primitive ref={meshRef} object={nodes.Face} />
  )
}
Controlled Morph Targets
tsx
function MorphControls({ morphInfluences }) {
  const { nodes } = useGLTF('/models/face.glb')
  const meshRef = useRef()

  useFrame(() => {
    if (meshRef.current?.morphTargetInfluences) {
      Object.entries(morphInfluences).forEach(([name, value]) => {
        const index = meshRef.current.morphTargetDictionary[name]
        if (index !== undefined) {
          meshRef.current.morphTargetInfluences[index] = value
        }
      })
    }
  })

  return <primitive ref={meshRef} object={nodes.Face} />
}

// Usage
<MorphControls morphInfluences={{ smile: 0.5, blink: 1, angry: 0 }} />

Skeletal Animation

Accessing Bones
tsx
import { useGLTF } from '@react-three/drei'
import { useFrame } from '@react-three/fiber'
import { useEffect, useRef } from 'react'

function SkeletalCharacter() {
  const { scene } = useGLTF('/models/character.glb')
  const headBoneRef = useRef()

  useEffect(() => {
    // Find skeleton
    scene.traverse((child) => {
      if (child.isSkinnedMesh) {
        const skeleton = child.skeleton
        const headBone = skeleton.bones.find(b => b.name === 'Head')
        headBoneRef.current = headBone
      }
    })
  }, [scene])

  // Animate bone
  useFrame(({ clock }) => {
    if (headBoneRef.current) {
      headBoneRef.current.rotation.y = Math.sin(clock.elapsedTime) * 0.3
    }
  })

  return <primitive object={scene} />
}
Bone Attachments
tsx
function CharacterWithWeapon() {
  const { scene } = useGLTF('/models/character.glb')
  const weaponRef = useRef()
  const handBoneRef = useRef()

  useEffect(() => {
    scene.traverse((child) => {
      if (child.isSkinnedMesh) {
        const handBone = child.skeleton.bones.find(b => b.name === 'RightHand')
        if (handBone && weaponRef.current) {
          handBone.add(weaponRef.current)
          handBoneRef.current = handBone
        }
      }
    })

    return () => {
      // Cleanup
      if (handBoneRef.current && weaponRef.current) {
        handBoneRef.current.remove(weaponRef.current)
      }
    }
  }, [scene])

  return (
    <>
      <primitive object={scene} />
      <mesh ref={weaponRef} position={[0, 0, 0.5]}>
        <boxGeometry args={[0.1, 0.1, 1]} />
        <meshStandardMaterial color="gray" />
      </mesh>
    </>
  )
}

Procedural Animation Patterns

Smooth Damping
tsx
import { useFrame } from '@react-three/fiber'
import { useRef } from 'react'
import * as THREE from 'three'

function SmoothFollow({ target }) {
  const meshRef = useRef()
  const currentPos = useRef(new THREE.Vector3())

  useFrame((state, delta) => {
    // Lerp towards target
    currentPos.current.lerp(target, delta * 5)
    meshRef.current.position.copy(currentPos.current)
  })

  return (
    <mesh ref={meshRef}>
      <sphereGeometry args={[0.5]} />
      <meshStandardMaterial color="blue" />
    </mesh>
  )
}
Spring Physics (Manual)
tsx
function SpringMesh({ target = 0 }) {
  const meshRef = useRef()
  const spring = useRef({
    position: 0,
    velocity: 0,
    stiffness: 100,
    damping: 10
  })

  useFrame((state, delta) => {
    const s = spring.current
    const force = -s.stiffness * (s.position - target)
    const dampingForce = -s.damping * s.velocity

    s.velocity += (force + dampingForce) * delta
    s.position += s.velocity * delta

    meshRef.current.position.y = s.position
  })

  return (
    <mesh ref={meshRef}>
      <boxGeometry />
      <meshStandardMaterial color="green" />
    </mesh>
  )
}
Oscillation Patterns
tsx
function OscillatingMesh() {
  const meshRef = useRef()

  useFrame(({ clock }) => {
    const t = clock.elapsedTime

    // Sine wave
    meshRef.current.position.y = Math.sin(t * 2) * 0.5

    // Circular motion
    meshRef.current.position.x = Math.cos(t) * 2
    meshRef.current.position.z = Math.sin(t) * 2

    // Bouncing
    meshRef.current.position.y = Math.abs(Math.sin(t * 3)) * 2

    // Figure 8
    meshRef.current.position.x = Math.sin(t) * 2
    meshRef.current.position.z = Math.sin(t * 2) * 1
  })

  return (
    <mesh ref={meshRef}>
      <sphereGeometry args={[0.3]} />
      <meshStandardMaterial color="purple" />
    </mesh>
  )
}

Drei Animation Helpers

Float
tsx
import { Float } from '@react-three/drei'

function FloatingObject() {
  return (
    <Float
      speed={1}            // Animation speed
      rotationIntensity={1} // Rotation intensity
      floatIntensity={1}   // Float intensity
      floatingRange={[-0.1, 0.1]} // Range of y-axis float
    >
      <mesh>
        <boxGeometry />
        <meshStandardMaterial color="gold" />
      </mesh>
    </Float>
  )
}
MeshWobbleMaterial / MeshDistortMaterial
tsx
import { MeshWobbleMaterial, MeshDistortMaterial } from '@react-three/drei'

function WobblyMesh() {
  return (
    <mesh>
      <torusKnotGeometry args={[1, 0.4, 100, 16]} />
      <MeshWobbleMaterial
        factor={1}     // Wobble amplitude
        speed={2}      // Wobble speed
        color="hotpink"
      />
    </mesh>
  )
}

function DistortedMesh() {
  return (
    <mesh>
      <sphereGeometry args={[1, 64, 64]} />
      <MeshDistortMaterial
        distort={0.5}  // Distortion amount
        speed={2}      // Animation speed
        color="cyan"
      />
    </mesh>
  )
}
Trail
tsx
import { Trail } from '@react-three/drei'
import { useFrame } from '@react-three/fiber'
import { useRef } from 'react'

function TrailingMesh() {
  const meshRef = useRef()

  useFrame(({ clock }) => {
    const t = clock.elapsedTime
    meshRef.current.position.x = Math.sin(t) * 3
    meshRef.current.position.y = Math.cos(t * 2) * 2
  })

  return (
    <Trail
      width={2}
      length={8}
      color="hotpink"
      attenuation={(t) => t * t}
    >
      <mesh ref={meshRef}>
        <sphereGeometry args={[0.2]} />
        <meshStandardMaterial color="white" />
      </mesh>
    </Trail>
  )
}

Animation with Zustand State

tsx
import { create } from 'zustand'
import { useFrame } from '@react-three/fiber'

const useStore = create((set) => ({
  isAnimating: false,
  speed: 1,
  toggleAnimation: () => set((state) => ({ isAnimating: !state.isAnimating })),
  setSpeed: (speed) => set({ speed })
}))

function AnimatedMesh() {
  const meshRef = useRef()
  const { isAnimating, speed } = useStore()

  useFrame((state, delta) => {
    if (isAnimating) {
      meshRef.current.rotation.y += delta * speed
    }
  })

  return (
    <mesh ref={meshRef}>
      <boxGeometry />
      <meshStandardMaterial color="orange" />
    </mesh>
  )
}

// UI Component
function Controls() {
  const { toggleAnimation, setSpeed } = useStore()

  return (
    <div>
      <button onClick={toggleAnimation}>Toggle</button>
      <input
        type="range"
        min="0"
        max="5"
        step="0.1"
        onChange={(e) => setSpeed(parseFloat(e.target.value))}
      />
    </div>
  )
}

State Management Performance

Critical patterns for high-performance state management in animations.

getState() in useFrame

Use getState() instead of hooks inside useFrame for zero subscription overhead:

tsx
import { create } from 'zustand'

const useGameStore = create((set) => ({
  playerPosition: [0, 0, 0],
  targetPosition: [0, 0, 0],
  setPlayerPosition: (pos) => set({ playerPosition: pos }),
}))

function Player() {
  const meshRef = useRef()

  useFrame((state, delta) => {
    // ✅ GOOD: getState() has no subscription overhead
    const { targetPosition } = useGameStore.getState()

    // Lerp towards target
    meshRef.current.position.lerp(
      new THREE.Vector3(...targetPosition),
      delta * 5
    )
  })

  return (
    <mesh ref={meshRef}>
      <boxGeometry />
      <meshStandardMaterial color="blue" />
    </mesh>
  )
}
Transient Subscriptions

Subscribe to state changes without triggering React re-renders:

tsx
import { useEffect, useRef } from 'react'

function Enemy() {
  const meshRef = useRef()

  useEffect(() => {
    // Subscribe directly - updates mesh without re-rendering component
    const unsub = useGameStore.subscribe(
      (state) => state.playerPosition,
      (playerPos) => {
        // Look at player (runs on every state change, no re-render)
        meshRef.current.lookAt(...playerPos)
      }
    )
    return unsub
  }, [])

  return (
    <mesh ref={meshRef}>
      <coneGeometry args={[0.5, 1, 4]} />
      <meshStandardMaterial color="red" />
    </mesh>
  )
}
Selective Subscriptions with Shallow

Subscribe to multiple values efficiently:

tsx
import { shallow } from 'zustand/shallow'

function HUD() {
  // Only re-renders when health OR score actually changes
  const { health, score } = useGameStore(
    (state) => ({ health: state.health, score: state.score }),
    shallow
  )

  return (
    <Html>
      <div>Health: {health}</div>
      <div>Score: {score}</div>
    </Html>
  )
}

// For single values, no shallow needed
const health = useGameStore((state) => state.health)
Isolate Animated Components

Separate state-dependent UI from animated 3D objects:

tsx
// ❌ BAD: Parent re-renders cause animation jank
function BadPattern() {
  const [score, setScore] = useState(0)
  const meshRef = useRef()

  useFrame((_, delta) => {
    meshRef.current.rotation.y += delta  // Affected by score re-renders
  })

  return (
    <>
      <mesh ref={meshRef}>...</mesh>
      <ScoreDisplay score={score} />
    </>
  )
}

// ✅ GOOD: Isolated animation component
function GoodPattern() {
  return (
    <>
      <AnimatedMesh />      {/* Never re-renders from score */}
      <ScoreDisplay />      {/* Has its own state subscription */}
    </>
  )
}

function AnimatedMesh() {
  const meshRef = useRef()

  useFrame((_, delta) => {
    meshRef.current.rotation.y += delta  // Smooth, uninterrupted
  })

  return <mesh ref={meshRef}>...</mesh>
}

function ScoreDisplay() {
  const score = useGameStore((state) => state.score)
  return <Html><div>Score: {score}</div></Html>
}

Performance Tips

  1. Isolate animated components: Only the animated mesh re-renders
  2. Use refs over state: Avoid React re-renders for animations
  3. Throttle expensive calculations: Use delta accumulation
  4. Pause offscreen animations: Check visibility
  5. Share animation clips: Same clip for multiple instances
tsx
// Isolate animation to prevent parent re-renders
function Scene() {
  return (
    <>
      <StaticMesh />   {/* Never re-renders */}
      <AnimatedMesh /> {/* Only this updates */}
    </>
  )
}

// Throttle expensive operations
function ThrottledAnimation() {
  const meshRef = useRef()
  const accumulated = useRef(0)

  useFrame((state, delta) => {
    accumulated.current += delta

    // Only update every 100ms
    if (accumulated.current > 0.1) {
      // Expensive calculation here
      accumulated.current = 0
    }

    // Cheap operations every frame
    meshRef.current.rotation.y += delta
  })
}

See Also

  • r3f-loaders - Loading animated GLTF models
  • r3f-fundamentals - useFrame and animation loop
  • r3f-shaders - Vertex animation in shaders

© zebbern, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

Just SKILL.md in skills/r3f-animation of zebbern/claude-code-guide.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 9cde898

Compare with similar skills

R3f Animation next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

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R3f Animation this skillzebbern/claude-code-guide4.7k—~5.5kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Image to Three.js Modelimg2threejs/img2threejs18k1 repos~8.2kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0
Web CloneJane-xiaoer/claude-skill-web-clone1k1 repos~2.7kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Threejs Game Directormajidmanzarpour/threejs-game-skills2.5k—~2.2kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Game Asset Generatorhtdt/godogen7.1k—~2.8kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Threejs Gameplay Systemsvalkor-ai/loom1.2k1 repos~1.4kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0

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Questions about R3f Animation

What does R3f Animation do?

React Three Fiber animation - useFrame, useAnimations, spring physics, keyframes. R3f Animation is an agent skill from zebbern/claude-code-guide. React Three Fiber animation - useFrame, useAnimations, spring physics, keyframes.

When should I use R3f Animation?

R3f Animation fits situations like: animating objects; playing GLTF animations; creating procedural motion; implementing physics-based movement.

How do I install R3f Animation in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add zebbern/claude-code-guide --skill r3f-animation -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/r3f-animation in zebbern/claude-code-guide) into .claude/skills/r3f-animation in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install R3f Animation in Codex?

Run `npx skills add zebbern/claude-code-guide --skill r3f-animation -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/r3f-animation in zebbern/claude-code-guide) into .agents/skills/r3f-animation in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use R3f Animation in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add zebbern/claude-code-guide --skill r3f-animation -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/r3f-animation, .gemini/skills/r3f-animation, .github/skills/r3f-animation and .opencode/skills/r3f-animation in your project.

What does R3f Animation need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, R3f Animation needs the command-line tools its instructions call (npm). Our summary lists: Node.js.

Does R3f Animation access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Its commands use npm, which can reach the network depending on how they are called. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is R3f Animation safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does R3f Animation use?

R3f Animation is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does R3f Animation use?

About 5.5k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 22k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to R3f Animation?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with R3f Animation: Image to Three.js Model (img2threejs/img2threejs, 18k stars), Web Clone (Jane-xiaoer/claude-skill-web-clone, 1k stars), Threejs Game Director (majidmanzarpour/threejs-game-skills, 2.5k stars) and Game Asset Generator (htdt/godogen, 7.1k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains R3f Animation?

zebbern (a GitHub user) maintains it in zebbern/claude-code-guide, which has 4,652 GitHub stars. The repository holds 46 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 9, 2026.

Source: zebbern/claude-code-guide on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.