# Inside THE CAVE: a 3D experience that still needs to work as a website

<https://www.thecave.pt/insights/inside-the-cave-webgpu>

THE CAVE website opens inside an industrial spacecraft. There are doors, light, a green nebula and a symbol forming within it. The experience introduces our work in software and creative direction. It also needs to support simple tasks: getting to know the studio, viewing projects and sending an enquiry.

## The room and the content have different roles

Architecture, lighting and the nebula belong to the 3D scene. Headings, project descriptions and form fields use HTML. This keeps text selectable, links conventional and fields usable with a keyboard, without drawing the entire interface into an image.

The current rooms use Three.js with WebGPU. Project detail pages have their own editorial structure: they do not need the Work gallery and room controller to display their content.

## Load what the current interaction needs

An interactive scene has to prepare resources, materials and GPU work. Changing the rendering engine does not remove those tasks. A page can already display text while the scene is still being prepared.

Optional features on our site can load after a genuine intention to use them. The project console is one example: the gallery remains available while the optional view becomes ready. Gallery images use renditions suited to their displayed size, while originals remain available for contexts that need them.

Stopping unnecessary work matters too. When the hero leaves the viewport, its ambient animation can be suspended while the room resources stay available. When a visitor leaves a page, the resources it owns need to be released correctly.

## Mobile changes the composition

An effect designed for a mouse does not automatically translate to touch. The white architectural reveal is a pointer interaction; mobile navigation must remain clear without relying on it.

For reading, we review paragraph width, heading scale, control spacing and the relationship between content and scene. In the form, the virtual keyboard and field positions are part of the experience too. The composition needs to respect the space available at each moment.

## What measuring an improvement means

File size, time until content appears and time until a scene responds are different measurements. Sending fewer bytes is useful, but does not prove that a complete scene is ready in 200 milliseconds.

Checks need to distinguish a first visit from one with cached resources and account for the device and connection. The direction remains consistent: preserve the visual identity and make content easier to reach. That balance guides the next versions.

## Related services

[Websites](https://www.thecave.pt/services/websites)

[UX/UI design](https://www.thecave.pt/services/ux-ui-design)

[Custom software](https://www.thecave.pt/services/custom-software)