WebGL & WebGPU
The Renderer row on the Viewport card chooses how the browser draws the 3D view. WebGL and WebGPU are the two graphics paths. One is active at a time.
Your file, filters, Python, and time stay on the server either way. Switching the renderer redraws the picture. It does not reload the simulation.
What each mode is for
| Choice | What it is |
|---|---|
| WebGL | The default on every visit, and the path that works in the widest set of browsers. It draws the mesh, edges, points, grid, lighting, anti-aliasing, and the selection outline. |
| WebGPU | The same scene on a newer graphics path. Use it when the WebGPU logo is available and you want to compare lighting and image quality. Materials, image-based lighting, edges, and points can look a little different from WebGL. |
The logos sit under Renderer with no text beside them. The WebGL logo is the wide mark. The WebGPU logo is the square mark. Selecting one clears the other.
What stays the same
These do not change with the renderer:
- The scene tree, filters, probes, and time controls
- Camera position, orbit, pan, and zoom
- Theme, background, grid, bounds, and the axis widget
- Scalar field, colormap, opacity, and display style
- The lighting preset, exposure, shadows, and debug material — you set them in the same places
A new visit starts on WebGL. The choice lasts for this visit. Close the viewer and the next one starts on WebGL again.
What can look different
The controls are the same. The drawing under them is rebuilt for the path you picked, so a few things can differ.
| What you are looking at | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Surface and Studio IBL | Lighting is rebuilt for that graphics path. Studio IBL in particular can look slightly different, because the surrounding light is generated again. |
| Edges and wireframe | Lines are redrawn so width and opacity still apply. |
| Points | Point size still follows the control you set. WebGPU draws those points as small sprites. Its built-in points are a single pixel, which would be too small to read. |
| Anti-aliasing and selection outline | Off, FXAA, and SMAA, and the selection outline, work on both paths when the extra drawing pass is available. |
| Grid | The grid is rebuilt for the mode you picked. |
Color, opacity, and display style update in the browser on either path. They do not send the simulation back to the server.
How to switch
- Open the Viewport card.
- Under Renderer, select the WebGL or WebGPU logo.
- Wait for the view to rebuild.
During the switch:
- Playback pauses. Press Play again if you want time running.
- The camera comes back to where it was.
- Display settings come back: anti-aliasing, selection outline, exposure, shadows, colors, and the lighting preset.
- Edges, points, and the grid are redrawn for the new path.
If WebGPU does not start
| What you see | What it means |
|---|---|
| The WebGPU logo is dimmed, and the card says WebGPU is not available in this browser. | This browser has no WebGPU device. A current Chrome or Edge usually does. The view stays on WebGL. |
| A message: WebGPU is not available; staying on WebGL. | The switch was tried and did not start. You remain on WebGL. |
| WebGPU post-processing is unavailable; mesh and edges still render. | The mesh is drawing with WebGPU, but the extra pass for smoothing and the selection outline did not start. Edges and the surface are still there. |
Which to keep
Stay on WebGL when you want the default picture, or when the WebGPU logo is dimmed.
Try WebGPU when the logo is available and you want the newer graphics path — useful when you are comparing lighting, edges, or anti-aliasing. Switch back at any time. The loaded file stays loaded.
Related
- Viewport controls — camera, lighting, anti-aliasing, and the rest of the Viewport card