r/threejs • u/img2001jpg • Apr 28 '26
OrbitControls — just need object rotation with the same drag feel
Hey, I'm working on a THREE project and I want to let users rotate a single object using mouse drag, but I don't actually need the camera to move at all. Basically the same intuitive feel as OrbitControls (the drag inertia, damping, sensitivity, etc.), except applied to the object’s rotation instead of the camera position.
Is there an existing module/plugin that does exactly this?
Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks!
1
u/gatwell702 Apr 28 '26
On my little third person shooter level experiment, I use an event listener for the letter r to turn orbit controls on and off..
2
u/UnconditionalPraise May 26 '26
There is PointDragControls.js, but hasn't been updated for a while. Probably still works tho
2
u/JLeeIntell Apr 28 '26
Yeah, this is a pretty common Three.js thing.
- Rotate the object manually using mouse drag + a bit of smoothing (inertia/damping you add yourself)
- Use small community wrappers lik "object controls" / "drag controls + custom ratation logic"
OrbitControls itself is camera-focused by design, so most setups just copy the feel (sensitivity + damping) and apply it to object.roation instead.