Up to date
This page is up to date for Godot 4.0.
If you still find outdated information, please open an issue.
Introduction to 3D¶
Creating a 3D game can be challenging. That extra Z coordinate makes many of the common techniques that helped to make 2D games simpler no longer work. To aid in this transition, it is worth mentioning that Godot uses similar APIs for 2D and 3D. Most nodes are the same and are present in both 2D and 3D versions. In fact, it is worth checking the 3D platformer tutorial, or the 3D kinematic character tutorials, which are almost identical to their 2D counterparts.
In 3D, math is a little more complex than in 2D, so also checking the Vector math entry in the wiki (which was especially created for game developers, not mathematicians or engineers) will help pave the way for you to develop 3D games efficiently.
Node3D node¶
Node2D is the base node for 2D. Control is the base node for everything GUI. Following this reasoning, the 3D engine uses the Node3D node for everything 3D.
Note
Be aware that "Spatial" Nodes are now called "Node3D" starting with Godot 4. Any Godot 3.x references to "Spatial" Nodes refer to "Node3D" in Godot 4.
Node3Ds have a local transform, which is relative to the parent node (as long as the parent node is also of or inherits from the type Node3D). This transform can be accessed as a 4×3 Transform3D, or as 3 Vector3 members representing location, Euler rotation (X, Y and Z angles) and scale.
3D content¶
Unlike 2D, where loading image content and drawing is straightforward, 3D is a little more difficult. The content needs to be created with special 3D tools (also called Digital Content Creation tools, or DCCs) and exported to an exchange file format to be imported in Godot. This is required since 3D formats are not as standardized as images.
Generated geometry¶
It is possible to create custom geometry by using the ArrayMesh resource directly. Simply create your arrays and use the ArrayMesh.add_surface_from_arrays() function. A helper class is also available, SurfaceTool, which provides a more straightforward API and helpers for indexing, generating normals, tangents, etc.
In any case, this method is meant for generating static geometry (models that will not be updated often), as creating vertex arrays and submitting them to the 3D API has a significant performance cost.
Immediate geometry¶
If, instead, you need to generate simple geometry that will be updated often, Godot provides a special node, ImmediateMesh, which provides an OpenGL 1.x style immediate-mode API to create points, lines, triangles, etc.
2D in 3D¶
While Godot packs a powerful 2D engine, many types of games use 2D in a 3D environment. By using a fixed camera (either orthogonal or perspective) that does not rotate, nodes such as Sprite3D and AnimatedSprite3D can be used to create 2D games that take advantage of mixing with 3D backgrounds, more realistic parallax, lighting/shadow effects, etc.
The disadvantage is, of course, that added complexity and reduced performance in comparison to plain 2D, as well as the lack of reference of working in pixels.
Environment¶
Besides editing a scene, it is often common to edit the environment. Go