Atelier UI®

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Docs 0.7.0

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Components (19)

  • Dither Flow
    pro
  • Glowing Fog
    pro
  • Halftone Glow
    pro
  • Fluid Distortion
    new
  • Image Trail
    new
  • Liquid Image
    new
  • Magnetic Dot Grid
    new
  • Pixel Trail
    new
  • Pixelated Text
    new
  • Simple Scramble
    new
  • Text Bounce
    new
  • Text Fluid
    pro
  • Text Roll
    new
  • Curve Image
    new
  • Elastic Stick
    pro
  • Infinite Gallery
    new
  • Infinite Parallax
    new
  • Infinite Zoom
    new
  • Scattered Scroll
    new
Atelier UI 0.7.0 ©2026
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  5. Liquid Image

Liquid Image

An SEO-friendly WebGL image with a cursor-driven liquid ripple effect

React Three Fiber
Drei
https://atelier-ui.com/liquid-image

Settings

intensity
0.14
radius
3
expand-rate
7
decay-rate
3
max-ripples
50
webgl-enabled
See the documentation below for more options.

CLI Install

npx atelier-ui add liquid-image

Manual Install

npm install three @react-three/fiber @react-three/drei
liquid-image.tsx
import { useFBO, useTexture } from "@react-three/drei"
import { createPortal, useFrame, useThree } from "@react-three/fiber"
import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useRef } from "react"
import type { Group, Mesh, ShaderMaterial, Texture } from "three"
import {
    AdditiveBlending,
    HalfFloatType,
    LinearFilter,
    MathUtils,
    MeshBasicMaterial,
    OrthographicCamera,
    Scene,
} from "three"
import ripple from "../../assets/ripple.png"
import { type Pointer, WebglImage } from "../webgl-image/webgl-image"

const ROTATION_SPEED = 0.1 as const
const INITIAL_OPACITY = 0.22 as const
const DISPLACEMENT_DAMPING = 6.3 as const
const VELOCITY_DAMPING = 6.3 as const
const MIN_VELOCITY = 0 as const

const vertexShader = /* glsl */ `
varying vec2 vUv;
varying vec2 vScreenUv;

void main() {
    vUv = uv;
    vec4 pos = projectionMatrix * modelViewMatrix * vec4(position, 1.0);
    vScreenUv = pos.xy / pos.w * 0.5 + 0.5;
    gl_Position = pos;
}`

const fragmentShader = /* glsl */ `
precision highp float;
uniform sampler2D uTexture;
uniform sampler2D uDisplacement;
uniform float uDisplacementIntensity;
varying vec2 vUv;
varying vec2 vScreenUv;

#define PI 3.14159265

void main() {
    vec4 displacement = texture2D(uDisplacement, vScreenUv);
    float theta = displacement.r * 2.0 * PI;
    vec2 direction = vec2(sin(theta), cos(theta));
    vec2 displacedUv = vUv + direction * displacement.r * uDisplacementIntensity;
    vec4 color = texture2D(uTexture, displacedUv);
    gl_FragColor = color;
}`

type LiquidImageMaterialProps = {
    map: Texture
    pointer: Pointer
    rippleMap?: Texture
    intensity?: number
    radius?: number
    expandRate?: number
    decayRate?: number
    maxRipples?: number
}

type Uniforms = {
    uTexture: { value: Texture | null }
    uDisplacement: { value: Texture | null }
    uDisplacementIntensity: { value: number }
}

export type LiquidImageProps = {
    src: string
    alt: string
    rippleMap?: Texture
    intensity?: number
    radius?: number
    expandRate?: number
    decayRate?: number
    maxRipples?: number
    segments?: number
    webglEnabled?: boolean
} & Omit<React.ComponentPropsWithoutRef<"img">, "src" | "alt">

function LiquidImageMaterial({
    map,
    pointer,
    rippleMap,
    intensity = 0.14,
    radius = 3,
    expandRate = 7,
    decayRate = 3,
    maxRipples = 50,
}: LiquidImageMaterialProps) {
    const { viewport, size, gl } = useThree()

    const defaultBrush = useTexture(typeof ripple === "string" ? ripple : ripple.src)
    const brush = rippleMap ?? defaultBrush
    const anchorRef = useRef<Group>(null)
    const prevMouse = useRef({ x: 0, y: 0, velocity: 0 })
    const splatIndex = useRef(0)
    const spriteRefs = useRef<Mesh[]>([])
    const displacementSmoothed = useRef(0)
    const spriteScene = useMemo(() => new Scene(), [])
    const spriteCamera = useMemo(() => new OrthographicCamera(-1, 1, 1, -1, 0, 1), [])
    const materialRef = useRef<ShaderMaterial>(null)

    const uniforms = useMemo<Uniforms>(
        () => ({
            uTexture: { value: map },
            uDisplacement: { value: null },
            uDisplacementIntensity: { value: 0 },
        }),
        [map],
    )

    const FBO = useFBO(size.width, size.height, {
        minFilter: LinearFilter,
        magFilter: LinearFilter,
        type: HalfFloatType,
    })

    useEffect(() => {
        uniforms.uTexture.value = map
    }, [map, uniforms])

    useEffect(() => {
        spriteCamera.left = -viewport.width / 2
        spriteCamera.right = viewport.width / 2
        spriteCamera.top = viewport.height / 2
        spriteCamera.bottom = -viewport.height / 2
        spriteCamera.updateProjectionMatrix()
    }, [viewport, spriteCamera])

    useFrame((_, delta) => {
        const parent = anchorRef.current?.parent as Mesh | null
        const mat = materialRef.current
        if (!parent || !mat) return

        const sprites = spriteRefs.current
        const pointerX = parent.position.x + (pointer.uv.x - 0.5) * parent.scale.x
        const pointerY = parent.position.y + (pointer.uv.y - 0.5) * parent.scale.y
        const dx = pointerX - prevMouse.current.x
        const dy = pointerY - prevMouse.current.y
        const dist = Math.sqrt(dx * dx + dy * dy)

        prevMouse.current.x = pointerX
        prevMouse.current.y = pointerY

        const hovering = pointer.hover > 0.5

        if (hovering) {
            prevMouse.current.velocity = Math.max(
                MIN_VELOCITY,
                MathUtils.damp(prevMouse.current.velocity, dist, VELOCITY_DAMPING, delta),
            )
        }

        if (hovering && dist > 0.001) {
            const idx = splatIndex.current % maxRipples
            const sprite = sprites[idx]

            if (sprite.material instanceof MeshBasicMaterial) {
                const scale = (radius * Math.min(viewport.width, viewport.height)) / 100
                sprite.visible = true
                sprite.position.set(pointerX, pointerY, 0)
                sprite.scale.set(scale, scale, 1)
                sprite.material.opacity = INITIAL_OPACITY
            }
            splatIndex.current = (splatIndex.current + 1) % maxRipples
        }

        for (const sprite of sprites) {
            if (sprite.material instanceof MeshBasicMaterial) {
                sprite.rotation.z += 2 * delta * ROTATION_SPEED
                sprite.material.opacity = MathUtils.damp(
                    sprite.material.opacity,
                    0,
                    decayRate,
                    delta,
                )
                sprite.scale.x += delta * expandRate
                sprite.scale.y = sprite.scale.x
            }
        }

        gl.setRenderTarget(FBO)
        gl.render(spriteScene, spriteCamera)
        gl.setRenderTarget(null)

        mat.uniforms.uDisplacement.value = FBO.texture

        displacementSmoothed.current = MathUtils.damp(
            displacementSmoothed.current,
            intensity * prevMouse.current.velocity * 5,
            DISPLACEMENT_DAMPING,
            delta,
        )
        mat.uniforms.uDisplacementIntensity.value = displacementSmoothed.current
    })

    const setSprite = useCallback((el: Mesh | null, i: number) => {
        if (!el) return
        spriteRefs.current[i] = el
    }, [])

    const portal = useMemo(
        () =>
            createPortal(
                <group>
                    {Array.from({ length: maxRipples }, (_, i) => (
                        <mesh
                            key={i}
                            ref={(el) => setSprite(el, i)}
                            visible={false}
                            rotation-z={Math.random() * Math.PI * 2}
                        >
                            <planeGeometry args={[1, 1]} />
                            <meshBasicMaterial
                                map={brush}
                                transparent
                                blending={AdditiveBlending}
                                depthTest={false}
                                depthWrite={false}
                            />
                        </mesh>
                    ))}
                </group>,
                spriteScene,
            ),
        [maxRipples, brush, spriteScene, setSprite],
    )

    return (
        <>
            <group ref={anchorRef} />

            <shaderMaterial
                ref={materialRef}
                attach="material"
                vertexShader={vertexShader}
                fragmentShader={fragmentShader}
                uniforms={uniforms}
            />

            {portal}
        </>
    )
}

export function LiquidImage({
    src,
    alt,
    rippleMap,
    intensity,
    radius,
    expandRate,
    decayRate,
    maxRipples,
    segments,
    webglEnabled,
    ...rest
}: LiquidImageProps) {
    return (
        <WebglImage
            src={src}
            alt={alt}
            segments={segments}
            webglEnabled={webglEnabled}
            material={(map, pointer) => (
                <LiquidImageMaterial
                    map={map}
                    pointer={pointer}
                    rippleMap={rippleMap}
                    intensity={intensity}
                    radius={radius}
                    expandRate={expandRate}
                    decayRate={decayRate}
                    maxRipples={maxRipples}
                />
            )}
            {...rest}
        />
    )
}
webgl-image.tsx
import { useTexture } from "@react-three/drei"
import { useFrame, useThree } from "@react-three/fiber"
import {
    type ComponentRef,
    type RefObject,
    useEffect,
    useLayoutEffect,
    useMemo,
    useRef,
} from "react"
import { type Mesh, type Texture, Vector2 } from "three"
import { webglTeleport } from "../webgl-portal/webgl-portal"

export type Pointer = {
    uv: Vector2
    hover: number
}

type WebglImageProps = {
    src: string
    alt: string
    segments?: number
    material?: (map: Texture, pointer: Pointer) => React.ReactNode
    webglEnabled?: boolean
} & Omit<React.ComponentPropsWithoutRef<"img">, "children" | "src" | "alt">

type PlaneProps = {
    el: RefObject<HTMLImageElement | null>
    src: string
    segments: number
    material?: (map: Texture, pointer: Pointer) => React.ReactNode
    pointer: Pointer
}

function Plane({ el, src, segments, material, pointer }: PlaneProps) {
    const mesh = useRef<Mesh>(null)
    const texture = useTexture(src)
    const size = useThree((s) => s.size)
    const viewport = useThree((s) => s.viewport)
    const fitScale = useRef({ x: 1, y: 1 })
    const bounds = useRef({ x: 0, y: 0, width: 0, height: 0 })

    useLayoutEffect(() => {
        const target = el.current
        if (!target) return

        const measure = () => {
            const m = mesh.current
            if (!m) return

            // Rect in document coords (top/left offset by current scroll at measure time),
            // so we can later derive viewport position with just `window.scrollX/Y`,
            // instead of recalculating bounds on every render
            const rect = target.getBoundingClientRect()
            bounds.current.x = rect.left + window.scrollX
            bounds.current.y = rect.top + window.scrollY
            bounds.current.width = rect.width
            bounds.current.height = rect.height

            // Replicate CSS object-fit: cover crops via UV repeat/offset; contain shrinks the mesh scale
            // because UVs alone can't letterbox: the plane would still fill the element.
            const image = texture.image as HTMLImageElement
            const objectFit = getComputedStyle(target).objectFit
            const planeAspect = rect.width / rect.height
            const imageAspect = image.width / image.height

            let repeatU = 1
            let repeatV = 1

            fitScale.current.x = 1
            fitScale.current.y = 1

            if (objectFit === "cover") {
                if (planeAspect > imageAspect) {
                    repeatV = imageAspect / planeAspect
                } else {
                    repeatU = planeAspect / imageAspect
                }
            } else if (objectFit === "contain") {
                if (planeAspect > imageAspect) {
                    fitScale.current.x = imageAspect / planeAspect
                } else {
                    fitScale.current.y = planeAspect / imageAspect
                }
            }

            const offsetU = (1 - repeatU) / 2
            const offsetV = (1 - repeatV) / 2

            const uvAttribute = m.geometry.attributes.uv

            for (let iy = 0; iy <= segments; iy++) {
                for (let ix = 0; ix <= segments; ix++) {
                    const idx = iy * (segments + 1) + ix
                    const u = ix / segments
                    const v = 1 - iy / segments
                    uvAttribute.setXY(idx, u * repeatU + offsetU, v * repeatV + offsetV)
                }
            }

            uvAttribute.needsUpdate = true
        }

        measure()

        const ro = new ResizeObserver(measure)
        ro.observe(target)
        ro.observe(document.body)
        return () => ro.disconnect()
    }, [el, texture, segments])

    useFrame(() => {
        const m = mesh.current
        if (!m) return
        const { x, y, width, height } = bounds.current
        const pxToWorld = viewport.height / size.height

        m.position.x = (x + width / 2 - window.scrollX - size.width / 2) * pxToWorld
        m.position.y = -(y + height / 2 - window.scrollY - size.height / 2) * pxToWorld
        m.scale.x = width * pxToWorld * fitScale.current.x
        m.scale.y = height * pxToWorld * fitScale.current.y
    })

    return (
        <mesh ref={mesh}>
            <planeGeometry args={[1, 1, segments, segments]} />
            {material ? (
                material(texture, pointer)
            ) : (
                <meshBasicMaterial map={texture} transparent />
            )}
        </mesh>
    )
}

export function WebglImage({
    src,
    alt,
    className,
    style,
    material,
    webglEnabled = true,
    segments = 1,
    ...rest
}: WebglImageProps) {
    const el = useRef<ComponentRef<"img">>(null)
    const pointer = useMemo<Pointer>(() => {
        return {
            uv: new Vector2(0.5, 0.5),
            hover: 0,
        }
    }, [])

    useEffect(() => {
        if (!webglEnabled) return
        const target = el.current
        if (!target) return

        // Track the pointer on the dom element directly and passed to the material
        const onMove = (e: PointerEvent) => {
            const { width, left, top, height } = target.getBoundingClientRect()
            const x = (e.clientX - left) / width
            const y = 1 - (e.clientY - top) / height
            pointer.uv.set(x, y)
        }

        const onEnter = () => (pointer.hover = 1)
        const onLeave = () => (pointer.hover = 0)

        target.addEventListener("pointermove", onMove)
        target.addEventListener("pointerenter", onEnter)
        target.addEventListener("pointerleave", onLeave)
        return () => {
            target.removeEventListener("pointermove", onMove)
            target.removeEventListener("pointerenter", onEnter)
            target.removeEventListener("pointerleave", onLeave)
        }
    }, [webglEnabled, pointer])

    return (
        <>
            <img
                ref={el}
                src={src}
                alt={alt}
                className={className}
                style={webglEnabled ? { ...style, opacity: 0 } : style}
                {...rest}
            />

            {webglEnabled && (
                <webglTeleport.In>
                    <Plane
                        el={el}
                        src={src}
                        segments={segments}
                        material={material}
                        pointer={pointer}
                    />
                </webglTeleport.In>
            )}
        </>
    )
}

API

NameTypeDefaultDescription
srcstring—Image source.
altstring—Image alt text.
rippleMapTextureripple.pngCustom ripple texture.
intensitynumber0.14Displacement strength.
radiusnumber3Initial ripple size.
expandRatenumber7How fast ripples grow.
decayRatenumber3How fast ripples fade out.
maxRipplesnumber50Max simultaneous ripples.
segmentsnumber1Plane geometry subdivisions.
webglEnabledbooleantrueToggle WebGL effect on/off.

Credits

14islands
Re-creation of the ripple effect from their website.

homunculus Inc.
Original ripple effect from their portfolio website.

Yuri Artiukh
Deconstructed the effect on his stream.

React Three Fiber
React renderer for Three.js.

Drei
React Three Fiber utilities.

  • CLI Install
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  • Credits
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