(Intergrate P5.js and Three.js) — Create a ThreeJS

Before we begin, you may want to read my previous post which lead to the creation of this question:

Drawing/Rendering 3D objects with epicycles and fourier transformations [Animation]

Context:

Using the P5.js library and following a tutorial from The Coding Train (Coding Challenge #130.1 --> #130.3) i was able to animate and recreate any parametric drawing using epicycles and fourier transforms. (Read the Previous Post, trust me, it will help)

I am now looking to expand this to three Dimensions!

A helpful community member suggested breaking the 3D drawing into two planes. This way, i dont have to write new code, and could use my preexisting 2D code! cool right!

Another User suggested using the Three.JS library to create a 3D scene for this process.

So Far i have created 3 planes. I would like to essentially use these planes as TV Screens. TV screens where i can then display my 2D version from written in P5js and project a new point in 3D space to generate/draw a new 3D drawing.

<html>
  <head>
    <title>Epicyclic Circles</title>
    <style>
      body { margin: 0; }
      canvas { width: 100%; height: 100% }
    </style>
  </head>
  <body>

    <script src="https://rawgit.com/mrdoob/three.js/dev/build/three.js"></script>
    <script src="https://rawgit.com/mrdoob/three.js/dev/examples/js/controls/OrbitControls.js"></script>

    <script>

      // Set up the basic scene, camera, and lights.

      var scene = new THREE.Scene();
      scene.background = new THREE.Color( 0xf0f0f0 );

      var camera = new THREE.PerspectiveCamera( 75, window.innerWidth/window.innerHeight, 0.1, 1000 );
      scene.add(camera)

      var light = new THREE.PointLight( 0xffffff, 0.8 );
      camera.add( light );

      camera.position.z = 50;

      var renderer = new THREE.WebGLRenderer();
      renderer.setSize( window.innerWidth, window.innerHeight );
      document.body.appendChild( renderer.domElement );

      // Add the orbit controls to permit viewing the scene from different angles via the mouse.

      controls = new THREE.OrbitControls( camera, renderer.domElement );
      controls.enableDamping = true; // an animation loop is required when either damping or auto-rotation are enabled
      controls.dampingFactor = 0.25;
      controls.screenSpacePanning = false;
      controls.minDistance = 0;
      controls.maxDistance = 500;

      // Create center and epicyclic circles, extruding them to give them some depth.

      var plane = new THREE.Plane( new THREE.Vector3( 1, 0, 0 ), 0 );
var helper = new THREE.PlaneHelper( plane, 50, 0x696969 );
scene.add( helper );


var plane2 = new THREE.Plane( new THREE.Vector3( 0, 1, 0 ), 0 );
var helper2 = new THREE.PlaneHelper( plane2, 50, 0xE06666 );
scene.add( helper2 );


var plane3 = new THREE.Plane( new THREE.Vector3( 0, 0, 1 ), 0 );
var helper3 = new THREE.PlaneHelper( plane3, 50, 0xD85C6 );
scene.add( helper3 );

var size = 10;
var divisions = 10;

var gridHelper = new THREE.GridHelper( size, divisions );
scene.add( gridHelper );






      var animate = function () {
        requestAnimationFrame( animate );

        // During each animation frame, let's rotate the objects on their center axis,  
        // and also set the position of the epicyclic circle.

        renderer.render( scene, camera );
      };

      animate();
    </script>
  </body>
</html>

Any other suggestions/Methods are welcomed too! :D

Recap:

How do i display P5js animations in my ThreeJs screen
How can i make them use the same coordinate system (p5 is using X and Y pixels)

Dabbled a bit more with what I think is your basic concept. Believe it or not, more than 50% of the effort involved working around dithering issues associated with overlapping transparent objects in motion, an area where three.js is a bit weak. But, after a bit of searching, one can mitigate the dithering issues with adjustments to the Z alignment of the objects and the renderOrder.

In any event, take a look at the code below, which extends your effort, introducing 5 randomly sized and rotating transparent circles. For drawing lines, take a look at the following link https://threejs.org/docs/#manual/en/introduction/How-to-update-things .

<html>
  <head>
    <title>Epicyclic Circles</title>
    <style>
      body { margin: 0; }
      canvas { width: 100%; height: 100% }
    </style>
  </head>
  <body>

    <script src="https://rawgit.com/mrdoob/three.js/dev/build/three.js"></script>
    <script src="https://rawgit.com/mrdoob/three.js/dev/examples/js/controls/OrbitControls.js"></script>

    <script>

      // Set up the basic scene, camera, and lights.

      var scene = new THREE.Scene();
      scene.background = new THREE.Color( 0xf0f0f0 );

      var camera = new THREE.PerspectiveCamera( 75, window.innerWidth/window.innerHeight, 0.1, 1000 );
      scene.add(camera)

      var light = new THREE.PointLight( 0xffffff, 0.8 );
      camera.add( light );

      camera.position.z = 200;

      var renderer = new THREE.WebGLRenderer();
      renderer.setSize( window.innerWidth, window.innerHeight );
      document.body.appendChild( renderer.domElement );

      // Add the orbit controls to permit viewing the scene from different angles via the mouse.

      controls = new THREE.OrbitControls( camera, renderer.domElement );
      controls.enableDamping = true; // an animation loop is required when either damping or auto-rotation are enabled
      controls.dampingFactor = 0.25;
      controls.screenSpacePanning = false;
      controls.minDistance = 0;
      controls.maxDistance = 500;

      function createCircleMesh(plane, radius, depth, meshColor, meshOpacity) {
          let extrudeSettings = { depth: depth, bevelEnabled: true, bevelSegments: 2, steps: 2, bevelSize: .25, bevelThickness: .25 };

          let arcShape = new THREE.Shape();
          arcShape.moveTo( 0, 0 );
          arcShape.absarc( 0, 0, radius, 0, Math.PI * 2, false );
          let holePath = new THREE.Path();
          holePath.moveTo( 0, radius * 0.75 );
          holePath.absarc( 0, radius * 0.75, radius * 0.20, 0, Math.PI * 2, true );
          arcShape.holes.push( holePath );
            
          var geometry = new THREE.ExtrudeBufferGeometry( arcShape, extrudeSettings );
          var mesh = new THREE.Mesh( geometry, new THREE.MeshStandardMaterial({color: meshColor, roughness: 1, metalness: 0, transparent: meshOpacity !== 1, opacity: meshOpacity}) );
          scene.add( mesh );
          
          if (plane === "XZ") {
            mesh.rotateX(Math.PI / 2);
          } else if (plane === "YZ") {
            mesh.rotateY(Math.PI / 2);
          }
          return mesh;
      }
      
      // Create an array of circles and their meshes.
      circle = [];
      for (let i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
      
          let r = 5 - i;
          
          circle[i] = {
              radius: r*10 + Math.random() * r * 10,
              rotationRate: (Math.random() * 2 * Math.PI - Math.PI) / 100
          };

          // RenderOrder is stepped to reduce dithering.
          circle[i].mesh = createCircleMesh("XY", circle[i].radius, 5, 0xff0000, 0.5);
          circle[i].mesh.renderOrder = i;
          
          circle[i].centerMesh = createCircleMesh("XY", 5, 2, 0xff0000, 1);
          if (i === 0) {
              circle[i].centerX = circle[i].radius;
              circle[i].centerY = circle[i].radius;
              circle[i].centerZ = i;  // Offset the meshes to reduce dithering.
          } else {
              circle[i].centerX = circle[i-1].centerX + circle[i-1].radius;
              circle[i].centerY = circle[i-1].centerY;
              circle[i].centerZ = i;  // Offset the meshes to reduce dithering.
          }
          circle[i].rotated = 0;
      }

      // Set up "viewing" planes.
      
      var plane = new THREE.Plane( new THREE.Vector3( 1, 0, 0 ), 0 );
      var helper = new THREE.PlaneHelper( plane, 500, 0x696969 );
      scene.add( helper );

      var plane2 = new THREE.Plane( new THREE.Vector3( 0, 1, 0 ), 0 );
      var helper2 = new THREE.PlaneHelper( plane2, 500, 0xE06666 );
      scene.add( helper2 );

      var plane3 = new THREE.Plane( new THREE.Vector3( 0, 0, 1 ), 0 );
      var helper3 = new THREE.PlaneHelper( plane3, 500, 0xD85C6 );
      scene.add( helper3 );

      var size = 250;
      var divisions = 10;

      var gridHelper = new THREE.GridHelper( size, divisions );
      scene.add( gridHelper );

      var animate = function () {
        requestAnimationFrame( animate );

        // During each animation frame, let's rotate the objects.
        
        for (let i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
            let c = circle[i];
            
            c.rotated += c.rotationRate;
            if (0 < i) {
                c.centerX = circle[i-1].centerX + circle[i-1].radius * Math.cos(circle[i-1].rotated);
                c.centerY = circle[i-1].centerY + circle[i-1].radius * Math.sin(circle[i-1].rotated);
            }
            
            // Note that due to the stepping of the meshes to reduce dithering, it is necessary
            // to alter the step (via Math.sign(camera.position.z)) if we're looking via the backside.
            c.mesh.rotateZ(c.rotationRate);
            c.mesh.position.set(c.centerX, c.centerY, c.centerZ * Math.sign(camera.position.z));
            c.centerMesh.position.set(c.centerX, c.centerY, c.centerZ * Math.sign(camera.position.z));            
            
        }

        renderer.render( scene, camera );
      };

      animate();
    </script>
  </body>
</html>

This might look better full screen rather than in the small viewport within Stackoverflow.

Hope this helps you along your way.