API

PlayCanvas React provides a declarative, component-based API for building 3D applications. The API is organized into core components, engine components and hooks.

Core

• <Application/> - Root component that initializes the PlayCanvas engine and provides a rendering context
• <Entity/> - Fundamental scene graph building block with position, rotation and scale
• <Gltf/> - Load and instantiate GLB/GLTF scenes
• <Modify.*> - Declaratively modify entities and components inside an imported GLB

Components

Components add behavior to entities. Nest them inside an <Entity/> to attach the corresponding PlayCanvas component.

• <Anim/> - State-based animation
• <Align/> - Alignment helper
• <Camera/> - Camera and viewport
• <Collision/> - Physics collision shapes
• <Environment/> - Scene environment and skybox
• <GSplat/> - Gaussian splat rendering
• <Light/> - Directional, point and spot lights
• <Render/> - Mesh rendering (primitives and assets)
• <Rigidbody/> - Physics rigid bodies
• <Script/> - Custom script components

Hooks

React hooks for integrating with the PlayCanvas engine lifecycle. See the Hooks overview for usage patterns and best practices.

• useApp - Access the PlayCanvas Application instance
• useParent - Get the parent Entity from context
• useAsset - Load any type of PlayCanvas asset
• useAppEvent - Subscribe to application events
• useMaterial - Create and manage materials
• usePhysics - Access physics context and state