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API docs

This is a summary page comparing all the APIs. Click on API name to see its documentation.

Go to the Starter Worlds page to see Starter Worlds for all APIs on one page.

These APIs use specific versions of third-party libraries. These APIs will not change in the future, so that all runs will always work. Rather, new APIs will be added.

"Ancient Brain" APIs

The following APIs include third-party libraries and a useful Ancient Brain framework to make writing Worlds easy and short.

These APIs are useful for writing JS Worlds for this site:


API Uses canvas Graphics libraries AB framework Worlds using this API Starter Worlds
Three (AB) (r3) Yes Three.js Yes 1961 Worlds Starter Worlds
Physics (AB) (r2) Yes Three.js, Ammo Yes 7 Worlds Starter Worlds
P5 (AB) (r3) Yes P5 Yes 146 Worlds Starter Worlds
ML5 (AB) (r1) Yes P5, ML5 Yes 52 Worlds Starter Worlds
Canvas (AB) (r2) Yes None Yes 22 Worlds Starter Worlds

"Plain" APIs

The following APIs include third-party libraries and nothing else (no useful Ancient Brain framework). The World author has to write everything themselves.

These APIs are useful for porting JS Worlds to this site unchanged:


API Uses canvas Graphics libraries AB framework Worlds using this API Starter Worlds
Three (r3) Yes Three.js No 41 Worlds Starter Worlds
Three (Module) (r1) Yes Three.js No 143 Worlds None
Physics (r2) Yes Three.js, Ammo No 6 Worlds Starter Worlds
P5 (r3) Yes P5 No 1086 Worlds Starter Worlds
ML5 (r1) Yes P5, ML5 No 10 Worlds Starter Worlds
Canvas (r2) Yes None No 12 Worlds Starter Worlds
Webpage (r2) No None No 1523 Worlds Starter Worlds
Webpage (Module) (r1) No None No 44 Worlds None
Python (r1) No None No 10 Worlds Starter Worlds
Python (pure) (mini) (r1) No None No 14 Worlds Starter Worlds
Python (pure) (full) (r1) No None No 7 Worlds Starter Worlds
TypeScript (r1) No None No 10 Worlds Starter Worlds
TypeScript (pure) (r1) No None No 9 Worlds Starter Worlds

Earlier APIs

One of the principles of this site is that Worlds should run forever. We do this by keeping earlier APIs. Worlds with an earlier API will still run. There is no need to change their API. Indeed that would probably be a bad idea.

The earlier APIs will exist forever, so the Worlds will run forever. You can go on using the earlier API, and writing Worlds for it, forever.

We expect most Worlds to have APIs in this section. And this is not a problem.

Earlier "Ancient Brain" APIs

API Uses canvas Graphics libraries AB framework Worlds using this API Starter Worlds
Three (AB) (r2) Yes Three.js Yes 560 Worlds None
Three (AB) (r1) Yes Three.js Yes 1282 Worlds None
Physics (AB) (r1) Yes Three.js, Physijs Yes 228 Worlds Starter Worlds
P5 (AB) (r2) Yes P5 Yes 9 Worlds None
P5 (AB) (r1) Yes P5 Yes 60 Worlds Starter Worlds
Canvas (AB) (r1) Yes None Yes 76 Worlds Starter Worlds

Earlier "plain" APIs

API Uses canvas Graphics libraries AB framework Worlds using this API Starter Worlds
Three (r2) Yes Three.js No 37 Worlds Starter Worlds
Three (r1) Yes Three.js No 2 Worlds None
Physics (r1) Yes Three.js, Physijs No 9 Worlds Starter Worlds
P5 (r2) Yes P5 No 621 Worlds None
P5 (r1) Yes P5 No 5195 Worlds Starter Worlds
Canvas (r1) Yes None No 9 Worlds None
Webpage (r1) No None No 198 Worlds None