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Use 3d-games to design an efficient rendering, lighting, collision, and LOD approach for [3D game feature] on [target platform].
Required inputs
[3D game feature]
[target platform]
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SKILL.md
name: 3d-gamesdescription: 3D game development principles. Rendering, shaders, physics, cameras.metadata: aas-risk: none aas-source: community aas-date-added: '2026-02-27'
3D Game Development
Principles for 3D game systems.
1. Rendering Pipeline
Stages
1. Vertex Processing → Transform geometry
2. Rasterization → Convert to pixels
3. Fragment Processing → Color pixels
4. Output → To screen
Optimization Principles
Technique
Purpose
Frustum culling
Don't render off-screen
Occlusion culling
Don't render hidden
LOD
Less detail at distance
Batching
Combine draw calls
2. Shader Principles
Shader Types
Type
Purpose
Vertex
Position, normals
Fragment/Pixel
Color, lighting
Compute
General computation
When to Write Custom Shaders
Special effects (water, fire, portals)
Stylized rendering (toon, sketch)
Performance optimization
Unique visual identity
3. 3D Physics
Collision Shapes
Shape
Use Case
Box
Buildings, crates
Sphere
Balls, quick checks
Capsule
Characters
Mesh
Terrain (expensive)
Principles
Simple colliders, complex visuals
Layer-based filtering
Raycasting for line-of-sight
4. Camera Systems
Camera Types
Type
Use
Third-person
Action, adventure
First-person
Immersive, FPS
Isometric
Strategy, RPG
Orbital
Inspection, editors
Camera Feel
Frame-rate-independent smoothing; test camera collision and teleports
Collision avoidance
Look-ahead for movement
FOV changes for speed
5. Lighting
Light Types
Type
Use
Directional
Sun, moon
Point
Lamps, torches
Spot
Flashlight, stage
Ambient
Base illumination
Performance Consideration
Real-time shadows are expensive
Bake when possible
Shadow cascades for large worlds
6. Level of Detail (LOD)
LOD Strategy
Distance
Model
Near
Full detail
Medium
Reduced detail based on measured visual error
Far
Low-detail mesh or billboard when visually appropriate
7. Anti-Patterns
❌ Don't
✅ Do
Mesh colliders everywhere
Simple shapes
Real-time shadows on mobile
Baked or blob shadows
One LOD for all distances
Distance-based LOD
Unoptimized shaders
Profile and simplify
Remember: 3D is about illusion. Create the impression of detail, not the detail itself.
When to Use
Use when implementing or profiling a 3D rendering pipeline, shaders, colliders, cameras, lighting or level-of-detail transitions.
Limitations
Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.
Verification
Treat tables as design starting points, not guarantees. Prototype the selected mechanic, test accessibility and recovery paths, and measure frame timing, memory and behavior on target hardware before claiming completion. Store submission and licensing requirements must be checked against current official platform documentation.