Feature Overview
Complete feature overview of Needle Engine - graphics, animation, physics, networking, XR, UI, and more cross-platform capabilities.
Needle Engine is a fully-fledged 3D engine for the web with everything you'd expect from a modern 3D engine, and more. Build stunning web experiences that work everywhere – from browsers to VR headsets to mobile AR.
:::tip See It In Action Explore our Samples and Showcase to experience what's possible. :::
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Cross-Platform: Desktop, Mobile, VR, and AR
One codebase, every platform. Needle Engine runs everywhere web technology does – desktop, mobile, AR, and VR. We build Needle Engine with XR in mind as an integral part of responsive web design.
Native iOS WebXR Support
Full WebXR on iPhone and iPad – no app required! 🎉
Native iOS WebXR support is now available through App Clip technology. Users can experience your WebXR AR content instantly via QR codes or links, without installing an app. Powered by ARKit, it provides:
Hit testing and plane detection
DOM overlays for UI elements
Image tracking
Anchor creation and tracking (work in progress)
Lighting estimation (work in progress)
Try it now • Read iOS WebXR docs
Everywhere Actions for iOS and Android
Use Everywhere Actions for interactive AR experiences on both iOS and Android using USDZ and QuickLook. Perfect for product configurators, marketing experiences, and interactive storytelling.
Platform Support:
VR Headsets: Meta Quest, Apple Vision Pro, Pico, HTC Vive, Valve Index
Mobile AR: Android (WebXR), iOS (WebXR via App Clips + USDZ/QuickLook)
Desktop: All modern browsers
Future devices work automatically – that's the power of web standards
Graphics and Rendering
Shaders and Materials
Professional-grade rendering on the web. Export both PBR Materials and Custom shaders created with Shader Graph or other systems.
Use Unity's node-based ShaderGraph to create shaders for the web. Artists can keep creating without worrying about syntax or web-specific code.
Read more: PBR Materials • Custom Shaders
Lightmaps
Beautiful baked lighting, automatically exported to the web.
Lightmaps can be baked in Unity or Blender and automatically exported to your web experience. Just mark objects as static, add lights (or use emissive materials), click bake, and Needle Engine handles the rest. What you see in the editor is what you get on the web.
Flexible Setup:
Works with Unity's built-in lightmapper
Compatible with third-party lightmappers like Bakery
Per-scene lightmaps automatically loaded
Read more about exporting Lightmaps
Post-Processing Effects
Industry-standard post-processing for the web.
Built-in effects include Bloom, Screen Space Ambient Occlusion (SSAO), Depth of Field, and Color Correction. You can also create custom effects tailored to your project.
See all post-processing components
Animation and Sequencing
Powerful animation tools that translate directly to the web. From simple animations to complex state machines and cinematic sequences – Needle Engine brings professional animation workflows to web experiences.
Animator State Machines
Unity's Animator and AnimatorController let you set up animations and define conditions for blending between them. Needle Engine exports:
Animation state machines
StateMachineBehaviours with
OnStateEnter,OnStateUpdate, andOnStateExiteventsTransitions and layers
Parameter-driven state changes
Note: Sub-states and Blend Trees are not yet supported.
Timeline Sequencing
Create cinematic sequences with Unity's Timeline. Needle Engine translates Timeline setups into web-ready format.
Supported Tracks:
AnimationTrack
AudioTrack
ActivationTrack
ControlTrack
SignalTrack
Note: Sub-Timelines are not yet supported. Custom timeline tracks can be exported – see example.
Blender Support
Animation support extends to Blender too! Create animation state machines and export NLA tracks as timelines directly from Blender.
Read more about Animation Components
Physics
Real-time physics simulation in the browser.
Add realistic physics interactions using familiar components:
Rigidbodies for dynamic objects
Colliders: Box, Sphere, and Mesh
Physics materials for friction and bounce
Raycasting and collision detection
Read more about Physics Components
Particle Systems
Create stunning visual effects with Unity's Shuriken particle system.
Export Unity ParticleSystems to the web with support for:
World/local space simulation
Box and sphere emitter shapes
Emission over time and burst emission
Velocity and color over lifetime
Emission influenced by velocity
Texture sheet animation
Basic trails
User Interface
Build interactive UIs using Unity's Canvas system.
Export Unity UI components including:
Text (with custom fonts)
Images and sprites
Buttons with events
Layout groups
World-space and screen-space canvases
Multiplayer and Networking
Real-time multiplayer, built-in.
Networking is integrated into the core runtime. Deploy multiplayer 3D environments in seconds with built-in networked components. Synchronizing variables and state is incredibly simple.
Features:
Built-in networking components
Easy variable synchronization
Voice chat support (VoIP)
Works seamlessly with XR
Quick deployment to Glitch with included server
Read more about Networking • Scripting Guide
Editor Integrations
Visual authoring meets web deployment.
Powerful integrations for Unity and Blender allow artists and developers to collaborate seamlessly. Set up and export complex scenes visually, with flexible workflows for both technical and creative team members.
Unity Integration:
Full component support
Visual scene authoring
Asset pipeline integration
Hot reload during development
Blender Addon:
Export glTF with Needle Engine components
Animation support (NLA tracks, state machines)
Material and lighting export
Node-based workflow
Scripting and Development
Flexible, powerful, and developer-friendly.
Needle Engine uses a component-based architecture familiar to Unity developers. Create custom components in TypeScript or JavaScript.
Developer Features:
Component-based workflow (like Unity)
TypeScript and JavaScript support
TypeScript to C# component compiler – write TypeScript, get Unity components automatically
Hot module replacement for fast iteration
Full three.js access for advanced use cases
Read more: Scripting Reference • Npm Definition Files
Additional Features
Even more capabilities to power your projects:
EditorSync – Live synchronize editing in Unity to your running web application for instant feedback during development
Compression Pipeline – Automatic optimization for web delivery with glTF compression and texture optimization
Audio Support – Spatial audio, audio sources, and audio listeners
Image Tracking – WebXR image tracking on Android, QuickLook image tracking on iOS
Custom Components – Extend the engine with your own components and systems
Framework Integration – Works with React, Vue, Svelte, and other web frameworks
Deployment Tools – Built-in deployment to Glitch, Vercel, and other platforms
Where to Go Next
Get Started:
Getting Started Guide – Download and set up Needle Engine
Unity Integration – Set up the Unity integration
Blender Addon – Install the Blender addon
Learn More:
Our Vision – Learn about our goals and philosophy
Technical Overview – Deep dive into glTF and architecture
XR Documentation – Build immersive AR and VR experiences
Browse Samples – See what's possible
Start Building:
Scripting Guide – Create custom components
Component Reference – Browse all available components
Deployment Guide – Publish your experiences
Have questions? Join our Discord community or check out our support resources.
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