D3.js vs three.js

Overview

D3.js

Stacks2.0K

Followers1.7K

Votes653

GitHub Stars111.7K

Forks22.9K

three.js

Stacks824

Followers530

Votes0

GitHub Stars109.2K

Forks36.1K

D3.js vs three.js: What are the differences?

D3.js and three.js are both JavaScript libraries that are commonly used to create data visualizations and interactive 3D graphics on the web. Let's discuss the key differences between them.

Language Focus: D3.js (Data-Driven Documents) is primarily focused on manipulating documents based on data. It provides a powerful set of tools for data visualization and offers a wide range of options for creating custom charts, graphs, and maps. On the other hand, three.js is a library that focuses on creating interactive 3D graphics. It provides a simplified way to work with 3D objects, scenes, lights, and materials.
Data-driven vs Object-driven: One of the fundamental differences between D3.js and three.js is their approach to data and objects. D3.js is built around the concept of data binding, where data is mapped to HTML or SVG elements, enabling dynamic updates and transitions. In contrast, three.js is object-oriented, allowing developers to create and manipulate 3D objects directly.
Rendering Techniques: D3.js primarily uses SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) for rendering, which provides a powerful and flexible way to create vector-based graphics. This makes it well-suited for creating interactive and responsive visualizations. On the other hand, three.js uses WebGL, a JavaScript API for rendering interactive 3D graphics without relying on plugins. WebGL provides efficient access to the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), allowing for the creation of complex 3D scenes with high-performance rendering capabilities.
Level of Abstraction: D3.js provides a lower level of abstraction compared to three.js. It allows developers to have fine-grained control over the creation and manipulation of individual elements, giving them the flexibility to create highly customized visualizations. In contrast, three.js abstracts away many of the low-level details of 3D programming, providing a higher level of abstraction that makes it easier to create 3D scenes without needing extensive knowledge of the underlying graphics programming concepts.
Community and Ecosystem: D3.js has a larger and more mature community compared to three.js. It has been around for a longer time and has a larger user base, which means there are more resources, tutorials, and examples available. On the other hand, three.js has a strong and active community that is focused on 3D graphics and game development. It has a vibrant ecosystem with a wide range of plugins, extensions, and community-contributed resources.
Use Cases: D3.js is widely used for creating a variety of data visualizations, including interactive charts, graphs, and maps. It is commonly used in data analysis, data journalism, and business intelligence applications. In contrast, three.js is primarily used for creating interactive 3D graphics, such as 3D games, virtual reality (VR) experiences, and architectural visualizations. It is commonly used in the gaming, entertainment, and immersive technology industries.

In summary, while D3.js is primarily focused on data visualization and uses SVG for rendering, three.js is focused on 3D graphics and uses WebGL for rendering. D3.js provides a lower level of abstraction and has a larger and more mature community, while three.js provides a higher level of abstraction and has a strong community focused on 3D graphics and game development.

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Advice on D3.js, three.js

Ayaskant

SSE-II at Akamai

Oct 25, 2019

Needs advice

I want to get suggestions on these 2 open source js libraries (D3.js & echarts) that help in creating charts or graphs on the UI. Which one will be better for bar graphs. Which is easy to learn and start with? Which provides better features and community support?

My requirements are 1 - Plot data in X-Y axis graph where x-axis will present time till seconds level and Y-Axis will present the data corresponding to that time.

2 - Zoom-in and zoom out feature.

56k views56k

Comments

Detailed Comparison

D3.js	three.js
It is a JavaScript library for manipulating documents based on data. Emphasises on web standards gives you the full capabilities of modern browsers without tying yourself to a proprietary framework.	It is a cross-browser JavaScript library and Application Programming Interface used to create and display animated 3D computer graphics in a web browser.
Declarative Approach for Individual Nodes Manipulation; Functions Factory; Web Standards; Built-in ELement Inspector to Debug; Uses SVG, Canvas, and HTML; Data-driven approach to DOM Manipulation; Voronoi Diagrams; Maps and topo.	-
Statistics
GitHub Stars 111.7K	GitHub Stars 109.2K
GitHub Forks 22.9K	GitHub Forks 36.1K
Stacks 2.0K	Stacks 824
Followers 1.7K	Followers 530
Votes 653	Votes 0
Pros & Cons
Pros 195 Beautiful visualizations 103 Svg 92 Data-driven 81 Large set of examples 61 Data-driven documents Cons 11 Beginners cant understand at all 6 Complex syntax	No community feedback yet
Integrations
JavaScript React Native AngularJS React Bootstrap	No integrations available

What are some alternatives to D3.js, three.js?

Highcharts

Highcharts currently supports line, spline, area, areaspline, column, bar, pie, scatter, angular gauges, arearange, areasplinerange, columnrange, bubble, box plot, error bars, funnel, waterfall and polar chart types.

Unity

Unity is the ultimate game development platform. Use Unity to build high-quality 3D and 2D games, deploy them across mobile, desktop, VR/AR, consoles or the Web, and connect with loyal and enthusiastic players and customers.

Plotly.js

It is a standalone Javascript data visualization library, and it also powers the Python and R modules named plotly in those respective ecosystems (referred to as Plotly.py and Plotly.R). It can be used to produce dozens of chart types and visualizations, including statistical charts, 3D graphs, scientific charts, SVG and tile maps, financial charts and more.

Godot

It is an advanced, feature-packed, multi-platform 2D and 3D open source game engine. It is developed by hundreds of contributors from all around the world.

Chart.js

Visualize your data in 6 different ways. Each of them animated, with a load of customisation options and interactivity extensions.

Recharts

Quickly build your charts with decoupled, reusable React components. Built on top of SVG elements with a lightweight dependency on D3 submodules.

Unreal Engine

It is a game engine that helps you make games. It is made up of several components that work together to drive the game. Its massive system of tools and editors allows you to organize your assets and manipulate them to create the gameplay for your game.

ECharts

It is an open source visualization library implemented in JavaScript, runs smoothly on PCs and mobile devices, and is compatible with most current browsers.

ZingChart

The most feature-rich, fully customizable JavaScript charting library available used by start-ups and the Fortune 100 alike.

amCharts

amCharts is an advanced charting library that will suit any data visualization need. Our charting solution include Column, Bar, Line, Area, Step, Step without risers, Smoothed line, Candlestick, OHLC, Pie/Donut, Radar/ Polar, XY/Scatter/Bubble, Bullet, Funnel/Pyramid charts as well as Gauges.

Related Comparisons

D3.js vs three.js: What are the differences?

D3.js and three.js are both JavaScript libraries that are commonly used to create data visualizations and interactive 3D graphics on the web. Let's discuss the key differences between them.

Language Focus: D3.js (Data-Driven Documents) is primarily focused on manipulating documents based on data. It provides a powerful set of tools for data visualization and offers a wide range of options for creating custom charts, graphs, and maps. On the other hand, three.js is a library that focuses on creating interactive 3D graphics. It provides a simplified way to work with 3D objects, scenes, lights, and materials.
Data-driven vs Object-driven: One of the fundamental differences between D3.js and three.js is their approach to data and objects. D3.js is built around the concept of data binding, where data is mapped to HTML or SVG elements, enabling dynamic updates and transitions. In contrast, three.js is object-oriented, allowing developers to create and manipulate 3D objects directly.
Rendering Techniques: D3.js primarily uses SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) for rendering, which provides a powerful and flexible way to create vector-based graphics. This makes it well-suited for creating interactive and responsive visualizations. On the other hand, three.js uses WebGL, a JavaScript API for rendering interactive 3D graphics without relying on plugins. WebGL provides efficient access to the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), allowing for the creation of complex 3D scenes with high-performance rendering capabilities.
Level of Abstraction: D3.js provides a lower level of abstraction compared to three.js. It allows developers to have fine-grained control over the creation and manipulation of individual elements, giving them the flexibility to create highly customized visualizations. In contrast, three.js abstracts away many of the low-level details of 3D programming, providing a higher level of abstraction that makes it easier to create 3D scenes without needing extensive knowledge of the underlying graphics programming concepts.
Community and Ecosystem: D3.js has a larger and more mature community compared to three.js. It has been around for a longer time and has a larger user base, which means there are more resources, tutorials, and examples available. On the other hand, three.js has a strong and active community that is focused on 3D graphics and game development. It has a vibrant ecosystem with a wide range of plugins, extensions, and community-contributed resources.
Use Cases: D3.js is widely used for creating a variety of data visualizations, including interactive charts, graphs, and maps. It is commonly used in data analysis, data journalism, and business intelligence applications. In contrast, three.js is primarily used for creating interactive 3D graphics, such as 3D games, virtual reality (VR) experiences, and architectural visualizations. It is commonly used in the gaming, entertainment, and immersive technology industries.

D3.js vs three.js

Overview