R3F Physics

R3F Physics

"Physics makes games feel real – Rapier is fast and reliable."

When to Use This Skill

Use when:

• Adding physics simulation to objects
• Implementing collision detection
• Creating vehicles or character controllers
• Building interactive environments

Quick Start

import { Physics, RigidBody } from '@react-three/​rapier';

function PhysicsScene() {
  return (
    <Physics>
      {/​* Falling cube */​}
      <RigidBody>
        <mesh>
          <boxGeometry />
          <meshStandardMaterial />
        </​mesh>
      </​RigidBody>

      {/​* Static floor */​}
      <RigidBody type="fixed">
        <mesh position={[0, -2, 0]}>
          <boxGeometry args={[10, 0.5, 10]} />
          <meshStandardMaterial />
        </​mesh>
      </​RigidBody>
    </​Physics>
  );
}

Decision Framework

Progressive Guide

Level 1: Basic Physics

import { Physics, RigidBody } from '@react-three/​rapier';

function BasicPhysics() {
  return (
    <Physics gravity={[0, -9.81, 0]}>
      {/​* Dynamic body - affected by physics */​}
      <RigidBody position={[0, 5, 0]}>
        <mesh>
          <boxGeometry />
          <meshStandardMaterial color="red" />
        </​mesh>
      </​RigidBody>

      {/​* Fixed body - doesn't move */​}
      <RigidBody type="fixed">
        <mesh position={[0, -1, 0]} rotation={[-Math.PI / 2, 0, 0]}>
          <planeGeometry args={[20, 20]} />
          <meshStandardMaterial color="green" />
        </​mesh>
      </​RigidBody>
    </​Physics>
  );
}

Level 2: Collision Events

import { RigidBody } from '@react-three/​rapier';

function CollisionBox() {
  const handleCollisionEnter = (event) => {
    console.log('Collision with:', event.colliderObject);
  };

  const handleCollisionExit = (event) => {
    console.log('Collision ended with:', event.colliderObject);
  };

  return (
    <RigidBody onCollisionEnter={handleCollisionEnter} onCollisionExit={handleCollisionExit}>
      <mesh>
        <boxGeometry />
        <meshStandardMaterial />
      </​mesh>
    </​RigidBody>
  );
}

Level 3: Sensors (Triggers)

import { RigidBody, CuboidCollider } from '@react-three/​rapier';

function TriggerZone() {
  const handleIntersection = (event) => {
    console.log('Something entered the zone!');
  };

  return (
    <RigidBody type="fixed">
      <CuboidCollider args={[2, 2, 2]} sensor onIntersectionEnter={handleIntersection} />
      {/​* Visual representation (optional) */​}
      <mesh>
        <boxGeometry args={[4, 4, 4]} />
        <meshStandardMaterial color="blue" transparent opacity={0.3} />
      </​mesh>
    </​RigidBody>
  );
}

Level 4: Applying Forces

import { useRef } from 'react';
import { RigidBody, RapierRigidBody } from '@react-three/​rapier';
import { useFrame } from '@react-three/​fiber';

function JumpingBall() {
  const rigidBodyRef = useRef<RapierRigidBody>(null);

  const jump = () => {
    rigidBodyRef.current?.applyImpulse({ x: 0, y: 10, z: 0 }, true);
  };

  useFrame(() => {
    // Apply continuous force (e.g., for movement)
    // rigidBodyRef.current?.applyForce({ x: 5, y: 0, z: 0 }, true);
  });

  return (
    <RigidBody ref={rigidBodyRef} onClick={jump}>
      <mesh>
        <sphereGeometry />
        <meshStandardMaterial color="orange" />
      </​mesh>
    </​RigidBody>
  );
}

Level 5: Vehicle Physics

import { useRef } from 'react';
import { RigidBody, useRapier } from '@react-three/​rapier';
import { useFrame } from '@react-three/​fiber';

function Vehicle() {
  const chassisRef = useRef();
  const { rapier, world } = useRapier();

  useFrame(() => {
    if (!chassisRef.current) return;

    // Get velocity
    const vel = chassisRef.current.linvel();
    const speed = Math.sqrt(vel.x ** 2 + vel.z ** 2);

    // Apply steering based on input
    // ... implement steering logic
  });

  return (
    <RigidBody
      ref={chassisRef}
      colliders="cuboid"
      mass={1500}
      linearDamping={0.5}
      angularDamping={0.5}
    >
      <mesh>
        <boxGeometry args={[2, 0.5, 4]} />
        <meshStandardMaterial color="blue" />
      </​mesh>
    </​RigidBody>
  );
}

Collision Groups

// Define collision groups (bitmask)
const GROUPS = {
  PLAYER: 0b0001,
  ENEMY: 0b0010,
  GROUND: 0b0100,
  PROJECTILE: 0b1000,
};

// Player collides with ground and enemy, not projectiles
<RigidBody
  collisionGroups={interactionGroups(
    GROUPS.PLAYER,
    GROUPS.GROUND | GROUPS.ENEMY
  )}
>

Anti-Patterns

DON'T:

• Use trimesh for dynamic bodies (not supported)
• Apply forces every frame without deltaTime
• Create/​destroy RigidBodies frequently
• Use physics for non-interactive decorations
• Ignore collision layers (performance)

DO:

• Use appropriate collider shapes (simpler = faster)
• Use fixed for static environment
• Pool physics objects when possible
• Use collision groups for filtering
• Dispose physics world on scene change

Physics Debugging

import { Physics, Debug } from '@react-three/​rapier';

function DebugScene() {
  return (
    <Physics>
      <Debug /> {/​* Shows collision shapes */​}
      {/​* Your physics objects */​}
    </​Physics>
  );
}

Checklist

Before implementing physics:

• Appropriate RigidBody type selected
• Collision shapes match visual reasonably
• Collision groups configured
• Events handled (if needed)
• Forces scaled by deltaTime
• Physics debug visualized during development

Reference

• Rapier documentation
• @react-three/​rapier docs
• developer/​r3f/​r3f-fundamentals.md — R3F basics