Interactive software · Work in progress
SpaceDev
A space-themed 3D portfolio that turns project discovery into a controllable flight experience built for the browser.
- Timeline
- November 2025 — Present
- Status
- In active development
- Context
- Independent interactive portfolio
- Role
- Solo developer
- Discipline
- Interactive web development · Gameplay systems
01 / Contribution
What I delivered
- Built a custom spaceship controller with forward and reverse movement, steering, boost, braking, and a backflip action.
- Created a speed-aware follow camera with pullback, smoothing, and recovery when the ship outruns the view.
- Structured the experience around a modular game loop, input layer, events, and reusable world systems.
- Added engine feedback and a responsive starfield while iterating toward stations, project destinations, and a modeled ship.
02 / Toolkit
Built with
- React
- Three.js
- WebGL
- JavaScript
- Vite
03 / Development log
Built in milestones.
Concise progress notes mirror the longer README devlogs while keeping this case study easy to scan.
The source remains private during active development. This public build log documents the implemented systems, technical decisions, and current direction.
-
Foundation and first flight
Established the browser-based 3D foundation and moved from a rotating starter cube to the first controllable spaceship blockout.
Implementation notes
- Set up Vite, React, Three.js, the renderer, and the main update loop.
- Separated input, world, and game-state responsibilities so later systems could grow without crowding one file.
- Used the blockout ship to validate movement and rotation before investing in the final model.
-
Flight feel, camera, and effects
Turned basic movement into a more expressive flight loop with camera response, special actions, engine feedback, and space atmosphere.
Implementation notes
- Implemented W/S/A/D flight, Shift boost, B brake, and E backflip controls.
- Built a follow camera with speed-based pullback, zoom limits, smoothing, and distance recovery.
- Debugged a stubborn lateral and reverse-input regression, then added engine effects and the starfield.
-
From blockout to spaceship
Replacing the cuboid prototype with a recognizable spaceship and refining materials, bloom, and presentation without losing the flight feel already established.
Implementation notes
- Evaluating a beginner-friendly Blender workflow and model-sourcing options.
- Planning the ship around readable silhouettes, engine placement, and the existing controller proportions.
- Preparing the visual pass before stations, asteroids, planets, and project-navigation destinations are added.