Coding an Infinite Slider using Texture Recursion

1. What is Texture Recursion?

Texture recursion is a graphics technique used in WebGL and Three.js to continuously map and recycle textures across an infinite plane. In the context of an infinite slider, it allows us to:

✅ Seamlessly loop content without noticeable jumps
✅ Optimize performance by reusing existing textures
✅ Reduce memory usage compared to traditional DOM-based animations

2. Setting Up the Infinite Slider

We’ll start by creating a basic structure for our infinite slider.

A. HTML Structure

We'll need a container for the slider and an inner element that will hold our images or content.

html

CopyEdit

<div class="slider">
 <div class="slider-track">
   <img src="image1.jpg" />
   <img src="image2.jpg" />
   <img src="image3.jpg" />
   <img src="image4.jpg" />
   <img src="image1.jpg" /> <!-- Duplicate for seamless looping -->
 </div>
</div>


B. CSS for Continuous Scrolling

We use CSS animations to create the looping effect, ensuring that the slider moves seamlessly without interruptions.

css

CopyEdit

.slider {
 width: 100%;
 overflow: hidden;
 white-space: nowrap;
 position: relative;
}

.slider-track {
 display: flex;
 animation: scroll 10s linear infinite;
}

.slider-track img {
 width: 100%;
 flex-shrink: 0;
}

@keyframes scroll {
 from {
   transform: translateX(0%);
 }
 to {
   transform: translateX(-100%);
 }
}


3. Adding JavaScript for Dynamic Texture Recursion

While CSS animation works for basic sliders, adding JavaScript allows us to use texture recursion, ensuring perfect seamless scrolling dynamically.

javascript

CopyEdit

const sliderTrack = document.querySelector(".slider-track");
const images = document.querySelectorAll(".slider-track img");

// Duplicate images for infinite effect
function cloneImages() {
 images.forEach((img) => {
   let clone = img.cloneNode(true);
   sliderTrack.appendChild(clone);
 });
}

cloneImages();

// Implement texture recursion
function infiniteScroll() {
 let firstImage = sliderTrack.firstElementChild;

 if (sliderTrack.getBoundingClientRect().left <= -firstImage.clientWidth) {
   sliderTrack.appendChild(firstImage);
   sliderTrack.style.transition = "none";
   sliderTrack.style.transform = "translateX(0)";
 }

 requestAnimationFrame(infiniteScroll);
}

infiniteScroll();


4. Optimizing Performance with WebGL (Optional)

For ultra-smooth GPU-accelerated performance, we can use Three.js to apply textures dynamically. This ensures fluid rendering even with high-resolution images.

javascript

CopyEdit

import * as THREE from "three";

const scene = new THREE.Scene();
const camera = new THREE.PerspectiveCamera(75, window.innerWidth / window.innerHeight, 0.1, 1000);
const renderer = new THREE.WebGLRenderer({ antialias: true });

renderer.setSize(window.innerWidth, window.innerHeight);
document.body.appendChild(renderer.domElement);

const textureLoader = new THREE.TextureLoader();
const texture = textureLoader.load("image1.jpg");

const geometry = new THREE.PlaneGeometry(5, 3);
const material = new THREE.MeshBasicMaterial({ map: texture });
const plane = new THREE.Mesh(geometry, material);
scene.add(plane);

camera.position.z = 5;

function animate() {
 plane.position.x -= 0.01; // Scroll effect
 if (plane.position.x < -2.5) {
   plane.position.x = 2.5; // Recursion effect
 }
 requestAnimationFrame(animate);
 renderer.render(scene, camera);
}

animate();


5. Final Thoughts

Using texture recursion in an infinite slider provides better performance, seamless transitions, and a visually pleasing loop. Whether using CSS, JavaScript, or WebGL, the key takeaways are:

✔ Clone and loop elements for smooth infinite scrolling
✔ Optimize animations to avoid laggy UI updates
✔ Use WebGL for high-performance GPU acceleration

🚀 Try it out and enhance your web projects with infinite scrolling!

‍