🐕 Fur System

Strata provides GPU-accelerated fur rendering using the shell technique, capable of rendering realistic fur, grass, and hair on any mesh.

Quick Start

import { createFurSystem } from 'strata-game-library/core';

const fur = createFurSystem({
  density: 1000,
  length: 0.5
});

Usage

Basic Fur

import { FurMesh } from 'strata-game-library/core';

<FurMesh
  geometry={animalGeometry}

  // Fur properties
  density={2000}
  length={0.3}
  thickness={0.01}

  // Color
  color="#8B4513"
  tipColor="#D2691E"

  // Shells
  shellCount={30}
/>

With Wind

<FurMesh
  geometry={animalGeometry}
  density={2000}
  length={0.3}

  // Wind animation
  wind
  windSpeed={1}
  windStrength={0.2}
  windDirection={[1, 0, 0.5]}
/>

With Physics

<FurMesh
  geometry={animalGeometry}
  density={2000}
  length={0.3}

  // Physics simulation
  physics
  gravity={[0, -1, 0]}
  stiffness={0.5}
  damping={0.1}
/>

Configuration

Fur Density

// Sparse fur (performance friendly)
<FurMesh density={500} />

// Normal density
<FurMesh density={2000} />

// Dense fur (high quality)
<FurMesh density={5000} />

Shell Count

More shells = smoother fur, higher performance cost:

// Mobile (low quality)
<FurMesh shellCount={10} />

// Desktop (medium quality)
<FurMesh shellCount={30} />

// High-end (high quality)
<FurMesh shellCount={60} />

Color Gradients

<FurMesh
  // Base to tip gradient
  color="#4a3728"        // Root color (darker)
  tipColor="#8b7355"     // Tip color (lighter)
  colorVariation={0.1}   // Random color variation

  // Or use a texture
  colorTexture={furPatternTexture}
/>

Fur Patterns

<FurMesh
  // Density texture (where fur grows)
  densityTexture={furDensityMap}

  // Length texture (fur length variation)
  lengthTexture={furLengthMap}

  // Direction texture (fur direction)
  directionTexture={furDirectionMap}
/>

Animation

Wind Animation

<FurMesh
  wind
  windSpeed={1.5}
  windStrength={0.3}
  windDirection={[1, 0, 0]}
  windTurbulence={0.2}
  windNoiseScale={0.5}
/>

Physics-Based Movement

<FurMesh
  physics

  // Physical properties
  gravity={[0, -9.8, 0]}
  stiffness={0.8}      // How quickly fur returns to rest
  damping={0.3}        // Movement dampening
  mass={0.01}          // Per-strand mass

  // Velocity influence
  velocityInfluence={0.5}  // How much object movement affects fur
/>

Touch Interaction

import { useFurInteraction } from 'strata-game-library/core';

function InteractiveFur() {
  const { onPointerMove, deformation } = useFurInteraction();

  return (
    <FurMesh
      onPointerMove={onPointerMove}
      deformation={deformation}
      deformationDecay={0.95}
    />
  );
}

Presets

Animal Presets

import { FurPresets } from 'strata-game-library/presets';

// Short fur (cat, dog)
<FurMesh {...FurPresets.SHORT_FUR} />

// Long fur (persian cat, lion mane)
<FurMesh {...FurPresets.LONG_FUR} />

// Fluffy (sheep, alpaca)
<FurMesh {...FurPresets.FLUFFY} />

// Spiky (hedgehog, porcupine)
<FurMesh {...FurPresets.SPIKY} />

Material Presets

// Realistic animal fur
<FurMesh {...FurPresets.REALISTIC} />

// Stylized cartoon fur
<FurMesh {...FurPresets.STYLIZED} />

// Grass-like
<FurMesh {...FurPresets.GRASS_LIKE} />

Core API

`createFurSystem`

Low-level fur system creation:

import { createFurSystem } from 'strata-game-library/core';

const furSystem = createFurSystem({
  geometry: meshGeometry,

  // Strand generation
  density: 2000,
  length: 0.3,
  thickness: 0.01,

  // Shells
  shellCount: 30,
  shellSpacing: 'linear',  // or 'exponential'

  // Material
  color: new THREE.Color('#8B4513'),
  tipColor: new THREE.Color('#D2691E'),

  // Textures
  densityMap: densityTexture,
  lengthMap: lengthTexture,
  directionMap: directionTexture
});

// Access generated data
const { meshes, material, update } = furSystem;

// Add to scene
meshes.forEach(mesh => scene.add(mesh));

// Update each frame
useFrame((_, delta) => {
  update(delta, { wind: windVector });
});

Shader Access

import { furVertexShader, furFragmentShader } from 'strata-game-library/shaders';

const material = new THREE.ShaderMaterial({
  vertexShader: furVertexShader,
  fragmentShader: furFragmentShader,
  uniforms: {
    uTime: { value: 0 },
    uShellIndex: { value: 0 },
    uShellCount: { value: 30 },
    uDensity: { value: 2000 },
    uLength: { value: 0.3 },
    uColor: { value: new THREE.Color('#8B4513') },
    uTipColor: { value: new THREE.Color('#D2691E') },
    uWind: { value: new THREE.Vector3(1, 0, 0) }
  },
  transparent: true,
  side: THREE.DoubleSide
});

Performance

Quality Levels

// Mobile (15-20 FPS target)
<FurMesh
  shellCount={8}
  density={500}
  simplified
/>

// Desktop (60 FPS)
<FurMesh
  shellCount={30}
  density={2000}
/>

// High-end
<FurMesh
  shellCount={60}
  density={5000}
  physics
/>

Optimization Tips

Reduce shell count - Most visible optimization
Lower density - Fewer strands per shell
Disable physics - Use wind-only animation
Use LOD - Fewer shells at distance

<FurMesh
  lod
  lodDistances={[10, 30, 100]}
  lodShellCounts={[30, 15, 5]}
/>

Vegetation - Grass instancing
Characters - Character integration
Shaders - Custom shader access