Three ways to create 3D particle effects

Particles will never not be cool! I’ve been obsessed with them since the day I was introduced to generative art. They’re super versatile. You can use them for all kinds of things—flock of birds, snow, fire, fireworks, stars, sparks and so on. I’ve shown you how to build a confetti particle system in the past. This time we’re entering the third dimension.

I’ll break down the demo you see above and share three techniques for creating particle systems:

1. Using instanced meshes and animating their transforms.
2. Using dashed lines with an animated offset.
3. By drawing a line and advancing it step by step.

⚠️ This post assumes foundational knowledge of React Three Fiber. If you're new to 3D or not familiar with the R3F API, check out my intro post for a primer.

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