Getting Started & Installation
Install Needle Engine and create your first interactive 3D web experience with Unity, Blender, or JavaScript in minutes.
Getting Started with Needle Engine
Build fully interactive 3D websites using your favorite tools. Needle Engine works with professional 3D editors and modern web frameworks, giving you the power to create rich web experiences that deploy anywhere.
What You'll Get
With Needle Engine, you get:
🎨 Visual authoring in Unity or Blender
🚀 Automatic optimization with state-of-the-art compression (up to 100x smaller files)
📱 Cross-platform support (desktop, mobile, VR, AR)
⚡ Hot reload for instant feedback during development
🌐 Deploy anywhere on the web with a single command
Choose Your Workflow
Pick the tool that matches your skills and project needs:
Which Tool Is Right for You?
Unity Integration
💼 Professional game development workflows
🎮 Extensive asset ecosystem
📜 C# scripting support
🔧 Advanced editor features
Blender Add-on
🆓 Free and open-source
🎨 Powerful modeling and animation tools
🐍 Python scripting
💪 Industry-standard workflows
Vanilla JavaScript
💻 No 3D editor needed
🌐 Pure web development
📦 Use with any framework (React, Vue, Svelte, etc.)
✨ Full three.js compatibility
Install a Code Editor
Visual Studio Code is recommended for creating and editing JavaScript, TypeScript, HTML, and CSS files. It's a free, open-source editor that works on all platforms and integrates seamlessly with Needle Engine.
Download Visual Studio Code
Why VS Code?
Built-in TypeScript support
Excellent debugging tools
Rich extension ecosystem
Live Server support for local development
Git integration
Required Tools
:::tip Automatic Installation with Unity or Blender When using the Unity or Blender integration, we'll guide you through installing these tools automatically. You don't need to install them manually. :::
The following tools are used by Needle Engine to create, preview, and build your web app:
Node.js (Required)
Download Node.js 20 LTS or 22 LTS
What it does:
Manages your web project dependencies
Runs a local development server with hot reload
Builds and optimizes your project for production
Handles deployment to hosting platforms
KTX Software (Recommended)
Download toktx texture tools
What it does:
Compresses textures for optimal web performance
Reduces file sizes dramatically without quality loss
Creates GPU-compressed formats (KTX2)
Required for production builds
Learn more about production builds
Quick Start Paths
Choose your path based on your preferred tool and workflow:
Path 1: Start with Unity
Best for: Game developers, Unity users, teams with existing Unity projects
Download Needle Engine for Unity
What you'll learn:
Install Needle Engine in Unity
Create your first interactive 3D scene
Export and preview in the browser
Add interactivity with components
Supported Unity versions: 2020.3.16+, 2021.3.9+, 2022.3.0+
Path 2: Start with Blender
Best for: 3D artists, Blender users, open-source enthusiasts
Download Needle Engine for Blender
What you'll learn:
Install the Blender add-on
Set up your first web project
Export scenes to the web
Add Needle components
Supported Blender versions: 4.1+
Path 3: Start with Web Code
Best for: Web developers, three.js users, integration into existing sites
Quick options:
CDN (Fastest):
NPM (Production):
Your First Project
Ready to build something? Follow one of our step-by-step tutorials:
🎓 For Unity Users
Your First Unity Project → - Create an interactive 3D scene in Unity and export it to the web in minutes.
🎓 For Blender Users
Your First Blender Project → - Build a web-ready 3D experience using the Blender add-on.
🎓 For Web Developers
Your First Web Project → - Integrate Needle Engine into your existing web project with JavaScript.
🚀 Beyond the Basics
After completing your first project, explore these tutorials:
TypeScript Essentials - Learn TypeScript for custom components
Create Custom Components - Add interactivity with code
Deploy Your Project - Publish your 3D experience to the web
Next Steps
📚 Learn by Doing (Tutorials)
New to Needle Engine? Start with these learning-oriented guides:
TypeScript Essentials - Learn TypeScript basics for web development
Needle Engine for Unity Developers - Key differences from traditional Unity
Your First Interactive Scene - Build something real (Unity)
Your First Interactive Scene - Build something real (Blender)
🛠️ Solve Specific Problems (How-To Guides)
Know what you want to build? Jump straight to task-oriented guides:
Export 3D Content - Get your models and assets web-ready
Create Custom Components - Add interactivity with code
Deploy Your Project - Publish to hosting platforms
Enable WebXR - Build VR and AR experiences
Add Multiplayer - Create networked experiences
💡 Understand the Concepts (Explanation)
Want to understand how Needle Engine works under the hood?
Project Structure - Editor vs web project architecture
Technical Architecture - How glTF extensions work
Component System - Component lifecycle and design
📖 Look Things Up (Reference)
Need to find specific information quickly?
Component Catalog - All 100+ built-in components
API Documentation - Complete TypeScript API
Features Overview - Platform compatibility matrix
FAQ - Common questions and troubleshooting
🎨 Get Inspired
Samples & Showcase - Explore interactive samples and see what others have built
💬 Get Help
Discord - Join our community for live support
Forum - Ask questions and share projects
FAQ - Common issues and solutions
:::tip Need Help? If you run into issues during setup, check out our FAQ or join our Discord community where we're happy to help! :::
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