The network for creativity
Join 1.25M professional creatives like you
Connect with clients, get discovered, and run your business 100% commission-free
Creatives on Contra have earned over $150M and we are just getting started
Back to feedPost
🌊 The Bioluminescent Abyss: Building a 3D World with ZERO Assets
What if I told you I built a fully playable, visually stunning 3D underwater exploration game... without using a single image, 3D model, or audio file? Welcome to the Bioluminescent Abyss.
I wanted to push the absolute limits of the modern browser. The challenge? Build an entire ecosystem, complete with post-processing, physics, and a playable submarine, packed entirely into a single, self-contained HTML file using pure code, math, and WebGL.
Play🚀 : https://omma.build/p/webgl-threejs-graphics-programming-exper-8oss00
Here’s how I brought this neon-drenched deep-sea world to life using Three.js, GLSL, and the Web Audio API.
🥊 The Technical Punches (How it works under the hood)
⚡ 15,000 GPU-Accelerated Particles: Animating 15k bioluminescent plankton on the CPU would tank the frame rate. Instead, I injected custom GLSL into the onBeforeCompile hook, offloading the mathematical drift, sway, and wrap-around logic entirely to the GPU. Zero performance drops.
🐍 Custom Vertex Shaders for Organic Life: The "Phantom Ribbon Eels" aren't rigged models. They are simple 2D planes driven by a custom vertex shader that uses sine waves to physically undulate their geometry, making them slither organically through the water.
🔊 100% Synthesized Audio: No MP3s or WAVs here. I built a procedural audio synthesizer using the Web Audio API. It passes a sawtooth oscillator through a 120Hz Biquad lowpass filter, dynamically scaling pitch and volume based on your submarine's throttle to create a muffled, deep-sea engine rumble.
🕹️ Custom Vehicle Controller & Physics: Built a fully responsive 3D submarine with a smooth 3rd-person chase camera. It features mouse-driven steering, dynamic FOV stretching for speed effects, buoyancy bobbing, and a procedural bubble trail system.
🌍 Infinite Procedural Terrain: The 500x500 ocean floor is carved using inline Simplex Noise octaves, generating sprawling dunes and valleys entirely from math.
🧠 Extreme Optimization: Populated the seabed with over 700 coral clusters and 35 glowing jellyfish by aggressively caching shared geometries and MeshStandardMaterials, keeping the VRAM footprint incredibly light while bathed in Unreal Bloom post-processing.
🎬 The Polish
Great tech needs great UX. I wrapped the experience in a 5-second cinematic sweeping camera intro that seamlessly interpolates down to the player's submarine, coupled with a sleek, high-tech HUD that fades in to teach the controls.
💡 The Takeaway
This project is a testament to what's possible when you combine creative coding with deep technical optimization. You don't always need massive asset libraries to build an immersive world—sometimes, all you need is a blank canvas and some math.
Thankyou.
i guess haha
due to some gitch I couldn't submit the social like after multiple attempts. So I've attached it here in this comment.
The network for creativity
Join 1.25M professional creatives like you
Connect with clients, get discovered, and run your business 100% commission-free
Creatives on Contra have earned over $150M and we are just getting started
Related posts
VOLTRA // [BUILDATHON]
THE NEW ERA OF INTERACTIVE DESIGN.
Wrapping up my second entry for the @Contra x @Omma Buildathon. Moving away from the dark void into a vibrant, high-fidelity studio environment.
THE SPECS:
70/30 Rule: 100% Native Omma geometry and layouts. Zero external 3D models.
Interactivity: Smooth scroll-triggered camera paths and floating micro-interactions (Drones & Spheres).
Visuals: Depth-of-field glassmorphism, soft ambient lighting, and kinetic "pathway" motion design.
Built to show that web design doesn't have to be flat. 🛠️
Live Link: https://omma.build/j3zqgl1q7tn
The design is crazy!
Made this interactive fruit slicing experience in Omma
I focused on making every slice feel smooth and Satisfying. Just slice and enjoy the feel of it.
Check it out
https://omma.build/p/fruit-slicing-physics-game-vw15b9
Not a very new idea, but fun to try!
What if you could a create a whole 3D interactive product just by prompting?
I built this yarn knitting simulator with Omma, you pick your colors, click to knit rows, and watch your pattern grow stitch by stitch.
Omma lets you create interactive experiences with motion, input, and logic. Where 3D design meets vibe coding, since it's powered by Spline.
I usually vibecode flat interfaces, so building something tactile and hands-on like this was a fun challenge!
You can try the knitting tool here
Watch my process details in the comments 👇
Join the Omma Buildathon challenge
excellent job
Trending
FLORA
Reusable workflows are replacing one-off prompts in creative AI. Share what you're building in FLORA.
Contra University
Learn from expert creatives how to earn more using next-gen AI tools.
portfolioreview
The best portfolios tell a story, not just show a grid. Share yours for feedback.
freelancerlife
Freelancer life is wins, pivots, and everything in between. What’s yours right now?
aivideo
AI video tools are moving at warp speed. Which ones are you experimenting with?