Navigation Mesh (NavMesh)

Generate navigation meshes from scene geometry for accurate AI pathfinding and navigation.

Overview#

Web Engine uses Recast/Detour for navigation mesh generation. NavMesh provides:

Automatic mesh generation from scene geometry
Configurable agent parameters (height, radius, max climb, slope)
Worker-based generation for non-blocking performance
A* pathfinding queries with path smoothing
Dynamic obstacle support
Debug visualization

NavMesh Components#

NavMeshSurface#

Tag component that marks geometry as walkable for NavMesh generation:

navmesh-surface.ts

typescript

import { NavMeshSurface } from '@web-engine-dev/core/engine/ecs/components';
import { addComponent } from 'bitecs';

// Mark a mesh as walkable for NavMesh
addComponent(world, NavMeshSurface, groundEid);

NavMesh Generation#

Configuration#

NavMesh generation is controlled by these parameters:

Parameter	Description	Default
cellSize	Voxel grid cell size (smaller = more detail)	0.3
cellHeight	Voxel grid cell height	0.2
agentHeight	Height of the agent	2.0
agentRadius	Radius of the agent	0.5
agentMaxClimb	Maximum step height	0.5
agentMaxSlope	Maximum slope angle (degrees)	45

Generate NavMesh#

generate-navmesh.ts

typescript

import { NavMeshGenerator, NavMeshConfig } from '@web-engine-dev/core/engine/ai';

// Initialize the generator (only once)
await NavMeshGenerator.init();

// Configure NavMesh generation
const config: NavMeshConfig = {
  cellSize: 0.3,
  cellHeight: 0.2,
  agentHeight: 2.0,
  agentRadius: 0.5,
  agentMaxClimb: 0.5,
  agentMaxSlope: 45,
};

// Generate NavMesh from scene
const navMesh = NavMeshGenerator.generate(scene, world, config);

if (!navMesh) {
  console.error('NavMesh generation failed');
}

Worker-Based Generation#

For large scenes, use the NavMesh worker bridge for non-blocking generation:

worker-generation.ts

typescript

import { navMeshBridge } from '@web-engine-dev/core/engine/ai';

// Generate NavMesh in a worker
const result = await navMeshBridge.generate(positions, indices, config);

if (result.success && result.navMesh) {
  console.log('NavMesh generated successfully');

  // Optionally get debug mesh for visualization
  if (result.debugMesh) {
    const { positions, indices } = result.debugMesh;
    // Create THREE.Mesh for debug rendering
  }
} else {
  console.error('NavMesh generation failed:', result.error);
}

Path Queries#

Find Path#

find-path.ts

typescript

import { navMeshBridge } from '@web-engine-dev/core/engine/ai';
import * as THREE from 'three';

// Find a path between two points
const start = new THREE.Vector3(0, 0, 0);
const end = new THREE.Vector3(10, 0, 10);

const pathResult = await navMeshBridge.findPath(start, end);

if (pathResult.success && pathResult.path) {
  // Path is array of {x, y, z} points
  const waypoints = pathResult.path.map(p =>
    new THREE.Vector3(p.x, p.y, p.z)
  );

  console.log(`Found path with ${waypoints.length} waypoints`);
} else {
  console.error('Pathfinding failed:', pathResult.error);
}

Nearest Point Query#

nearest-point.ts

typescript

// Find nearest point on NavMesh
const nearestPoint = navMesh.getClosestPoint(position);

// Check if position is on NavMesh
const isOnNavMesh = navMesh.isPointOnNavMesh(position, maxDistance);

NavMesh Baking#

Manual Baking#

For runtime NavMesh updates, you can manually trigger baking:

manual-baking.ts

typescript

// Extract geometry from scene
const geometry = NavMeshGenerator.extractGeometry(scene, world);

if (geometry) {
  const { positions, indices } = geometry;

  // Generate NavMesh
  const navMesh = NavMeshGenerator.generate(scene, world, config);

  if (navMesh) {
    console.log('NavMesh baked successfully');
  }
}

Incremental Updates#

For dynamic environments, consider re-baking affected regions:

incremental-updates.ts

typescript

// Mark geometry as dirty when it changes
function onGeometryChanged(eid: number) {
  // Queue for NavMesh rebuild
  rebuildQueue.add(eid);
}

// Rebuild NavMesh periodically or on demand
function rebuildNavMesh() {
  if (rebuildQueue.size > 0) {
    // Re-extract and regenerate
    const navMesh = NavMeshGenerator.generate(scene, world, config);
    rebuildQueue.clear();
  }
}

Dynamic Obstacles#

NavMesh Obstacle Component#

obstacles.ts

typescript

// Add dynamic obstacle (future API)
// Note: Dynamic obstacles require NavMesh tilecache
// Currently in development

import { NavMeshObstacle } from '@web-engine-dev/core/engine/ecs/components';

addComponent(world, NavMeshObstacle, obstacleEid);
NavMeshObstacle.radius[obstacleEid] = 1.0;
NavMeshObstacle.height[obstacleEid] = 2.0;

Debug Visualization#

Render NavMesh#

debug-render.ts

typescript

import * as THREE from 'three';

// Get debug mesh from NavMesh
const debugMeshData = navMesh.getDebugNavMesh?.();

if (debugMeshData) {
  const { positions, indices } = debugMeshData;

  // Create geometry
  const geometry = new THREE.BufferGeometry();
  geometry.setAttribute(
    'position',
    new THREE.BufferAttribute(positions, 3)
  );
  geometry.setIndex(
    new THREE.BufferAttribute(indices, 1)
  );

  // Create mesh
  const material = new THREE.MeshBasicMaterial({
    color: 0x00ff00,
    wireframe: true,
    transparent: true,
    opacity: 0.5,
  });

  const debugMesh = new THREE.Mesh(geometry, material);
  scene.add(debugMesh);
}

Visualize Path#

visualize-path.ts

typescript

function visualizePath(waypoints: THREE.Vector3[]) {
  const points = waypoints.map(p => new THREE.Vector3(p.x, p.y, p.z));
  const geometry = new THREE.BufferGeometry().setFromPoints(points);

  const material = new THREE.LineBasicMaterial({
    color: 0xff0000,
    linewidth: 2,
  });

  const line = new THREE.Line(geometry, material);
  scene.add(line);

  return line;
}

Performance Considerations#

Cell Size#

Smaller cell sizes produce more accurate NavMesh but increase generation time and memory:

0.1-0.2 — Very high detail, slow generation, large memory
0.3-0.5 — Good balance for most games (recommended)
0.6-1.0 — Fast generation, lower detail, small memory

Agent Radius#

Agent radius erodes the NavMesh to ensure agents stay away from walls. Set it to match your agent's collision radius for accurate pathfinding.

Async Generation#

Always use worker-based generation for large scenes to avoid blocking the main thread:

async-generation.ts

typescript

// Use worker for non-blocking generation
const result = await navMeshBridge.generate(positions, indices, config);

// Show loading indicator during generation
setIsGenerating(true);
const result = await navMeshBridge.generate(positions, indices, config);
setIsGenerating(false);

Best Practices#

Geometry Preparation#

Only include walkable surfaces (floors, ramps, stairs)
Use NavMeshSurface component to mark geometry explicitly
Ensure geometry is indexed (Recast requires indexed geometry)
Apply world transforms before extraction

NavMesh Quality#

Use cellSize about 1/3 to 1/6 of agent radius
Set agentMaxClimb to match stairs/step height
Adjust agentMaxSlope based on terrain steepness
Test paths with different agent sizes

Memory Management#

cleanup.ts

typescript

import { disposeNavMeshBridge, resetNavMeshBridge } from '@web-engine-dev/core/engine/ai';

// Clean up when done
disposeNavMeshBridge();

// Reset for scene change
resetNavMeshBridge();

Common Issues#

NavMesh Generation Fails#

Check that geometry has NavMeshSurface component
Ensure geometry is indexed (has geometry.index)
Verify NavMeshGenerator.init() was called
Check browser console for Recast errors

Path Not Found#

Verify start and end positions are on NavMesh
Use getClosestPoint() to snap positions to NavMesh
Check if areas are connected (not separated by obstacles)
Increase search distance for edge cases

Performance Issues#

Increase cellSize to reduce detail
Use worker-based generation
Limit geometry to essential walkable surfaces
Cache NavMesh instead of regenerating frequently

Example: Complete NavMesh Setup#

complete-setup.ts

typescript

import {
  NavMeshGenerator,
  navMeshBridge,
  NavMeshConfig,
} from '@web-engine-dev/core/engine/ai';
import { NavMeshSurface } from '@web-engine-dev/core/engine/ecs/components';

// 1. Initialize
await NavMeshGenerator.init();

// 2. Mark walkable geometry
addComponent(world, NavMeshSurface, groundEid);
addComponent(world, NavMeshSurface, rampEid);

// 3. Configure and generate
const config: NavMeshConfig = {
  cellSize: 0.3,
  cellHeight: 0.2,
  agentHeight: 2.0,
  agentRadius: 0.5,
  agentMaxClimb: 0.5,
  agentMaxSlope: 45,
};

const geometry = NavMeshGenerator.extractGeometry(scene, world);
if (!geometry) {
  throw new Error('No walkable geometry found');
}

const result = await navMeshBridge.generate(
  geometry.positions,
  geometry.indices,
  config
);

if (!result.success) {
  throw new Error(`NavMesh generation failed: ${result.error}`);
}

// 4. Find paths
const pathResult = await navMeshBridge.findPath(start, end);
if (pathResult.success && pathResult.path) {
  const waypoints = pathResult.path.map(p =>
    new THREE.Vector3(p.x, p.y, p.z)
  );

  // Use waypoints for AI navigation
  setBlackboardValue(blackboardId, 'path', waypoints);
}

// 5. Cleanup on scene unload
disposeNavMeshBridge();

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Last updated: 1/15/2026

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