Needle Engine for Blender Artists
A guide for 3D artists and Blender users getting started with Needle Engine
Welcome! If you're a 3D artist, designer, or Blender enthusiast, Needle Engine opens up exciting possibilities for bringing your creations to the web—without requiring coding skills.
:::tip What You'll Learn
How Needle Engine works for artists and designers
What you can create without writing code
When and why you might want basic scripting
How to make your 3D work accessible on any device :::
What is Needle Engine?
Think of Needle Engine as a bridge between Blender and the web. You create in Blender (the tool you already know and love), and Needle Engine makes it run beautifully in any web browser—on phones, tablets, laptops, VR headsets, anywhere.
The magic: Your 3D scenes become interactive websites that:
✨ Load fast (even complex scenes)
📱 Work on any device automatically
🎮 Support interaction without coding
🌐 Can be shared with a simple URL
🥽 Support VR and AR natively
No more "download this 20GB game engine runtime" or "this only works on Windows". Just a link that works everywhere.
What Can You Create Without Coding?
Needle Engine includes powerful built-in components that let you add interactivity without writing a single line of code. Here's what you can do:
🎬 Animations & Playback
Play animations on click, hover, or automatically
Control timeline with buttons or scroll
Blend between animations smoothly
Loop, ping-pong, or play once
:::tip Example Use Cases Portfolio showcases, product reveals, animated explainer scenes, character presentations :::
🎨 Materials & Visuals
PBR materials with full texture support
Real-time lighting and shadows
Lightmaps for beautiful pre-baked lighting
Post-processing effects (bloom, ambient occlusion, etc.)
Particle systems for effects
Your materials look exactly like they do in Blender's Cycles/Eevee viewport.
👆 Interactive Elements
Built-in components for common interactions:
Buttons - Click to trigger animations or events
Draggable objects - Move objects around in 3D space
Hotspots - Click to show info, images, or text
Audio - Spatial 3D audio that plays in the scene
Video - Play videos on surfaces or as UI elements
:::tip Example Use Cases Product configurators, interactive tours, portfolio pieces, educational content :::
📸 Camera Control
Orbit camera - Let users explore your scene
Fixed cameras - Switch between predefined views
Animation paths - Smooth camera movements
Auto-framing - Keep objects in view on any screen size
🥽 XR (VR & AR)
Enable VR and AR with literally one click:
Works on Quest, Vive, Index, and more
WebXR means no app downloads needed
AR works on phones for placing objects in real space
:::tip Example Use Cases Virtual galleries, architectural visualization, product placement previews :::
🌐 Multiplayer & Sharing
Real-time collaboration - Multiple users in the same scene
Avatar systems - See other users
Voice chat - Built-in spatial audio communication
Shared interactions - See what others are doing
📦 Optimization Tools
Needle Engine automatically handles:
Mesh compression - Smaller file sizes
Texture compression - Faster loading
Level of Detail (LOD) - Better performance
Progressive loading - Show content while it loads
Your Workflow: Blender → Web
Here's how you work with Needle Engine. Don't have the add-on yet? Download the Blender Add-on and check out the Blender Getting Started Guide.
1. Create in Blender (What You Know)
Model, sculpt, texture, light—everything you already do
Set up cameras and animations
Organize with collections
2. Add Interactivity (No Code Required)
Add Needle Engine components from the side panel
Configure interactions with dropdowns and checkboxes
Preview instantly in your browser
3. Export & Share
Click "Generate Project" or "Build Production"
Get a folder with your web-ready 3D experience
Upload to any website host
Share the link—that's it!
:::tip Real-Time Preview Changes in Blender update instantly in your browser. No waiting for long exports or builds! :::
Example: Interactive Product Showcase
Let's see what you can build without coding:
What You Create in Blender:
Model of a product (e.g., a watch, furniture, sculpture)
Multiple material variants (colors, finishes)
Camera orbiting around the product
Smooth reveal animation
Add with Components:
Animator(with AnimatorController graph) orPlayableDirector(uses Blender's timeline) - Plays your reveal animationOrbit Controls- Let users rotate the viewButton- Switches between material variantsViewBox- Ensures it looks good on mobile and desktopWebXR- Enable AR for placing in real space
Result: A professional, interactive 3D product viewer that works on any device, loads fast, and lets customers see your product in AR. All without writing code!
For Artists Who Want More: Light Scripting
While you can do a lot without code, sometimes you want custom behavior. The good news: TypeScript (Needle's language) is much more designer-friendly than traditional programming.
When You Might Want Scripting
Custom UI - Specialized interfaces for your scene
Game mechanics - Physics puzzles, simple games
Data visualization - Loading external data
API integration - Connect to databases or services
Complex interactions - Behaviors beyond built-in components
What Makes It Artist-Friendly?
Visual Studio Code - Free, friendly code editor with suggestions as you type
Hot reloading - See changes instantly without restarting
Great error messages - Helpful hints when something's wrong
Huge community - Web development has tons of tutorials
Start simple - Copy and modify examples
:::tip Learning Path Many artists start with built-in components, then gradually learn scripting by modifying examples. There's no pressure—use what you need! :::
Inspiration: What Can You Create?
Here are some ideas and possibilities for projects you can build with Needle Engine:
Portfolio Showcases
Character presentations with smooth camera movements
Architecture walkthroughs with ambient audio
Product catalogs with interactive variations
Art Installations
Interactive museum exhibits
Public installations with AR components
Collaborative art pieces with multiplayer
Client Work
Product configurators for e-commerce
Real estate virtual tours
Brand experiences and marketing sites
Educational Content
Anatomy viewers for medical training
Historical reconstructions
Interactive tutorials and explainers
Why Artists Love Needle Engine
🎨 Creative Freedom
Use your favorite 3D tools (Blender)
No technical limitations on your creativity
Full control over look and feel
🚀 Professional Results
Fast loading, even on mobile
Looks stunning on any device
Rivals native apps in quality
💼 Career Opportunities
Expand beyond static renders
Offer interactive experiences to clients
Build a unique portfolio that stands out
🌍 Maximum Reach
Works everywhere—no app stores, no downloads
Accessible to anyone with a browser
Easy to embed in existing websites
🆓 Open & Affordable
Free to start with personal projects
No per-seat licensing for small teams
Export glTF files that work anywhere
Common Questions from Artists
"I'm not a programmer. Is this really for me?"
Yes! Many Needle Engine users are artists and designers with no coding background. The built-in components cover most common needs, and when you do need custom behavior, the community is incredibly helpful.
"Will my Blender materials work?"
Absolutely. PBR materials, image textures, normal maps, roughness, metallic—everything transfers. Lightmaps work too for that extra quality boost.
"How complex can my scenes be?"
Pretty complex! Needle Engine includes automatic optimization, LOD systems, and progressive loading. Scenes with hundreds of thousands of polygons run smoothly on phones.
"Can I sell my interactive 3D work?"
Yes! Your creations are yours. Many artists offer interactive 3D experiences as a service or sell them on platforms like Gumroad.
"What if I get stuck?"
There's a friendly Discord community, extensive documentation, video tutorials, and examples. Many users are artists helping other artists!
Getting Started
Ready to bring your 3D art to the web?
Installation (5 minutes)
Install Blender Add-on
Install like any Blender add-on
Activate in Preferences
Download Sample Projects
Open sample .blend files to see working examples
Modify and experiment!
Start Creating
Begin with a simple scene
Add Needle components from the side panel
Click "Play in Browser" to preview
:::tip Start Small Don't start with your most complex scene. Begin with something simple to learn the workflow, then level up! :::
Learning Resources
For Visual Learners:
Video Tutorials - Step-by-step guides
Sample Projects - Explore working examples
Live Demos - See what's possible
For Reading:
Blender Integration Guide - Complete Blender workflow
Component Reference - All built-in components
How-To Guides - Specific tasks
Community:
Discord Community - Ask questions, share work
Forum - Discussions and examples
Samples & Showcase - Get inspired
Inspiration: What Will You Create?
Needle Engine gives you superpowers as a 3D artist:
🎨 Your art becomes interactive and alive
🌐 Reaches anyone, anywhere, instantly
📱 Works on every device automatically
🥽 Supports VR and AR natively
⚡ Loads fast and runs smoothly
Whether you're showcasing your portfolio, creating client work, building an art installation, or just exploring creative possibilities—Needle Engine makes your 3D work accessible to the world.
The best part? You don't need to be a programmer. You're a 3D artist, and that's exactly what Needle Engine needs.
Next Steps
Start your journey:
Install the Add-on - Download from needle.tools
Watch a Quick Start Video - YouTube
Open a Sample Project - See working examples in Blender
Join the Community - Discord for help and inspiration
Create Something Amazing - Your first interactive 3D experience!
:::tip Share Your Work! When you create something, share it in the Discord! The community loves seeing what artists create, and you'll get helpful feedback and encouragement. :::
Ready to bring your 3D art to life on the web? Let's go! 🚀
Install Needle Engine → • Watch Video Tutorial → • Join Discord →
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