toji/gl-matrix

★ 5,669JavaScriptAudience · developerComplexity · 2/5Setup · easy

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((gl-matrix))
    What it does
      Vector math
      Matrix math
      3D transformations
    Operations
      Matrix multiply
      Vector normalize
      Cross product
      Perspective projection
    Performance
      Typed arrays
      Minimal allocation
      Hand-tuned code
    Use cases
      WebGL rendering
      3D browser games
      Graphics engines

mindmap root((gl-matrix)) What it does Vector math Matrix math 3D transformations Operations Matrix multiply Vector normalize Cross product Perspective projection Performance Typed arrays Minimal allocation Hand-tuned code Use cases WebGL rendering 3D browser games Graphics engines

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Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Add fast 3D math for matrix multiply, vector normalize, and cross products to a WebGL rendering project

USE CASE 2

Speed up a 3D browser game by replacing slow JavaScript math with glMatrix's optimized typed array operations

USE CASE 3

Build a 3D scene renderer that applies transforms like rotation, scaling, and translation using glMatrix matrices

Tech stack

JavaScriptWebGLTypedArrays

Getting it running

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

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In plain English

glMatrix is a JavaScript library for performing vector and matrix math at high speed, intended for use in WebGL applications and other computationally demanding work in the browser. Vectors and matrices are the core mathematical building blocks of 3D graphics. A vector represents a direction or position in space, and a matrix is used to apply transformations such as rotation, scaling, and translation to objects in a 3D scene. JavaScript does not include built-in tools optimized for this kind of math, so glMatrix fills that gap by providing hand-tuned functions for common operations like multiplying matrices, normalizing vectors, and computing cross products. The library was specifically designed with performance as its main priority. Each function is written to minimize unnecessary object creation and take advantage of how JavaScript engines handle typed arrays. The README notes that developers can switch from Float32Arrays to normal arrays using a configuration call, which can increase performance further in modern browsers depending on the engine. WebGL is the browser API for rendering 3D graphics using the GPU, and glMatrix is a common dependency in WebGL projects because almost every frame of a 3D rendering requires many matrix operations. The library has been available for many years and is well established in the JavaScript 3D graphics ecosystem. Documentation is hosted at the project homepage and a full tutorial is linked from the README for developers new to 3D math. The README is brief and the source is the primary reference for the API surface.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1

Show me how to use glMatrix to create a perspective projection matrix and view matrix for a WebGL camera setup

Prompt 2

Write a WebGL example using glMatrix mat4 to apply a model-view-projection transform to a 3D object each frame

Prompt 3

How do I use glMatrix to rotate an object around the Y axis and update the WebGL uniform matrix every render frame?

Prompt 4

What is the difference between glMatrix mat4.create and mat4.identity and when should I use each one?

Prompt 5

How do I switch glMatrix from using Float32Arrays to regular arrays for better performance in modern browsers?

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