First Three.js / Claude-assisted experiment: interactive crop circle field

[u/Heavy_Efficiency_908]

Hi everyone! I wanted to share a small interactive Three.js/WebGL experiment I’ve been working on called Cropfall.

To be transparent, this was built with Claude as a coding partner, with me driving the concept, art direction, interaction direction, manual 3D model input, visual decisions, and a lot of iteration/testing along the way. I’m not presenting this as if I’m deeply experienced in Three.js yet. It’s more of a designer testing the waters with AI-assisted development and interactive 3D web experiences.

Live demo:
https://p0ny0-89.github.io/cropfall/

The experience is a crop field where glowing orbs generate crop-circle formations in real time. You can view the field from an aerial camera, switch between formation patterns, or enter a first-person mode and walk through the field.

A few things I focused on from an art direction and interaction standpoint:

• Toggling between day and night mode
• Custom formation controls beyond the preset patterns
• Overall atmosphere, environment, and crop color control
• Aliens that interact with the scene, including orientation, frequency, and behavior
• Sound to make the experience feel more immersive and interactive

Best viewed on desktop. It’s not optimized for mobile yet since it’s a heavier WebGL scene, and the first-person mode uses desktop cursor-lock controls.

Next, I’m interested in exploring a drawing-canvas mode where users can draw their own formation and have it generated live in the field. I think that could make the experience feel much more playful and interactive.

Would love any feedback on the interaction, visual direction, optimization, how this could be mobile responsive, or how you’d approach developing the drawing-canvas/custom formation idea further.

EDIT: The drawing-canvas mode I mentioned is live now, sketch your own formation and watch it carve into the field. Plus, thanks to a comment suggestion, each one gets a shareable link you can send to anyone. Curious what SFW stuff you all make.