What SolarTournament Was
SolarTournament was a browser-based, WebGL, 3D online space shooter with multiplayer support. Built in 2012 when WebGL was only supported in Firefox and Chrome (no mobile), it demonstrated what was possible with real-time 3D rendering in the browser.
Original Tech Stack
| Component | Technology |
|---|---|
| Language | ES5 JavaScript |
| Server | Node.js + Express |
| Templates | Jade (now Pug) |
| Styling | Stylus CSS |
| Real-time | Socket.IO |
| 3D Rendering | CopperLicht 3D |
| License | zlib (code only) |
Why This Page Exists
- Keep historical links working and reduce the chance of this domain being reused for spam
- Provide a technical summary for developers and curious visitors
- Document how projects like this can be modernized today
High-Level Technical Notes
This is a practical overview, not a claim of authorship.
- Rendering loop:
requestAnimationFrame, real-time scene updates, camera controls - GPU pipeline: Shaders, textures, buffers, batching draw calls for performance
- Assets: Models, textures, sprites, plus browser-friendly loading and caching patterns
- Input: Keyboard, mouse, game-style controls, plus collision/hit logic
- Performance: Texture compression, LOD strategies, and mobile constraints
Modern Rebuild Path
Rebuild with Three.js or Babylon.js — ship faster, better tooling, wider device support.
Business Applications
Interactive product demos, configurators, training sims, data viz, trade show experiences.