Updates

Author: gkjohnson

example/three/googleMapsExample.js

@@ -135,6 +135,9 @@ function init() {
 	// controls
 	controls = new GlobeControls( scene, transition.camera, renderer.domElement, null );
 	controls.enableDamping = true;
+	controls.enableFlight = true;
+	controls.flightSpeed = 0.5;
+	controls.maxAltitude = Math.PI / 2;
 
 	// initialize tiles
 	reinstantiateTiles();

src/three/renderer/API.md

@@ -600,6 +600,36 @@ useFallbackPlane: boolean
 When true, the fallback plane is used when raycasting misses scene geometry. Default is true.
 
 
+### .enableFlight
+
+```js
+enableFlight: boolean
+```
+
+When true, enables keyboard flight: W/A/S/D and arrow keys move forward/back/strafe, Q/E move
+up/down, and Shift multiplies speed by `flightSpeedMultiplier`. Right-click or Shift+left-click
+enters free-look mode, rotating the camera in place without requiring a surface hit. Only
+supported for perspective cameras. Default is false.
+
+
+### .flightSpeed
+
+```js
+flightSpeed: number
+```
+
+Base camera speed in world units per second during keyboard flight. Default is 10.
+
+
+### .flightSpeedMultiplier
+
+```js
+flightSpeedMultiplier: number
+```
+
+Speed multiplier applied when the fast key is held during flight. Default is 4.
+
+
 ### .constructor
 
 ```js

src/three/renderer/controls/EnvironmentControls.js

@@ -192,13 +192,12 @@ export class EnvironmentControls extends EventDispatcher {
 		 */
 		this.useFallbackPlane = true;
 
-		// settings for GlobeControls
-		this.scaleZoomOrientationAtEdges = false;
-		this.autoAdjustCameraRotation = true;
-
 		// flight
 		/**
-		 * When true, WASD/QE keys move the camera freely through space. Default is false.
+		 * When true, enables keyboard flight: W/A/S/D and arrow keys move forward/back/strafe, Q/E move
+		 * up/down, and Shift multiplies speed by `flightSpeedMultiplier`. Right-click or Shift+left-click
+		 * enters free-look mode, rotating the camera in place without requiring a surface hit. Only
+		 * supported for perspective cameras. Default is false.
 		 * @type {boolean}
 		 */
 		this.enableFlight = false;
@@ -215,7 +214,10 @@ export class EnvironmentControls extends EventDispatcher {
 		 */
 		this.flightSpeedMultiplier = 4;
 
-		this._keysDown = new Set();
+
+		// settings for GlobeControls
+		this.scaleZoomOrientationAtEdges = false;
+		this.autoAdjustCameraRotation = true;
 
 		// internal state
 		this.state = NONE;
@@ -252,6 +254,8 @@ export class EnvironmentControls extends EventDispatcher {
 		this.up = new Vector3( 0, 1, 0 );
 		this._lastTime = performance.now();
 
+		this._keysDown = new Set();
+
 		this._detachCallback = null;
 		this._upInitialized = false;
 		this._lastUsedState = NONE;
@@ -370,6 +374,8 @@ export class EnvironmentControls extends EventDispatcher {
 				scene,
 				pivotPoint,
 				enabled,
+				enableFlight,
+				_keysDown,
 			} = this;
 
 			// init the pointer
@@ -411,12 +417,25 @@ export class EnvironmentControls extends EventDispatcher {
 
 			}
 
-			// flight mode with shift held: free-look around the camera origin, skip raycasting
+			// free-look around the camera origin when flight is active with any flight key held, or shift/right-click
+			const anyFlightKey =
+				_keysDown.has( 'w' ) ||
+				_keysDown.has( 's' ) ||
+				_keysDown.has( 'a' ) ||
+				_keysDown.has( 'd' ) ||
+				_keysDown.has( 'q' ) ||
+				_keysDown.has( 'e' ) ||
+				_keysDown.has( 'arrowup' ) ||
+				_keysDown.has( 'arrowdown' ) ||
+				_keysDown.has( 'arrowleft' ) ||
+				_keysDown.has( 'arrowright' ) ||
+				_keysDown.has( 'shift' );
+
 			if (
-				this.enableFlight &&
+				enableFlight && anyFlightKey &&
 				! pointerTracker.isPointerTouch() && (
 					pointerTracker.isRightClicked() ||
-					pointerTracker.isLeftClicked() && e.shiftKey
+					pointerTracker.isLeftClicked()
 				)
 			) {
 
@@ -661,7 +680,28 @@ export class EnvironmentControls extends EventDispatcher {
 
 		const keydownCallback = e => {
 
-			this._keysDown.add( e.key.toLowerCase() );
+			const { _keysDown, state } = this;
+
+			_keysDown.add( e.key.toLowerCase() );
+
+			const anyFlightKey =
+				_keysDown.has( 'w' ) ||
+				_keysDown.has( 's' ) ||
+				_keysDown.has( 'a' ) ||
+				_keysDown.has( 'd' ) ||
+				_keysDown.has( 'q' ) ||
+				_keysDown.has( 'e' ) ||
+				_keysDown.has( 'arrowup' ) ||
+				_keysDown.has( 'arrowdown' ) ||
+				_keysDown.has( 'arrowleft' ) ||
+				_keysDown.has( 'arrowright' );
+
+			if ( anyFlightKey && state !== FREE_ROTATE ) {
+
+				this.resetState();
+
+			}
+
 
 		};
 
@@ -1129,6 +1169,12 @@ export class EnvironmentControls extends EventDispatcher {
 
 	}
 
+	_getFlightSpeedScale() {
+
+		return 1;
+
+	}
+
 	_updateFlight( deltaTime ) {
 
 		const {
@@ -1139,7 +1185,7 @@ export class EnvironmentControls extends EventDispatcher {
 			_keysDown,
 		} = this;
 
-		if ( ! enableFlight ) {
+		if ( ! enableFlight || camera.isOrthographicCamera ) {
 
 			return false;
 
@@ -1155,7 +1201,7 @@ export class EnvironmentControls extends EventDispatcher {
 
 		// calculate speed
 		const mult = _keysDown.has( 'shift' ) ? flightSpeedMultiplier : 1;
-		const speed = mult * flightSpeed * deltaTime;
+		const speed = mult * flightSpeed * this._getFlightSpeedScale() * deltaTime;
 
 		// calculate direction
 		_flightDir.set(

src/three/renderer/controls/GlobeControls.js

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import {
 	Ray,
 	Group,
 } from 'three';
-import { DRAG, ZOOM, EnvironmentControls, NONE } from './EnvironmentControls.js';
+import { DRAG, ZOOM, FREE_ROTATE, EnvironmentControls, NONE } from './EnvironmentControls.js';
 import { makeRotateAroundPoint, adjustedPointerToCoords, setRaycasterFromCamera } from './utils.js';
 import { Ellipsoid } from '../math/Ellipsoid.js';
 import { WGS84_ELLIPSOID } from '../math/GeoConstants.js';
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ export class GlobeControls extends EnvironmentControls {
 		this.adjustCamera( camera );
 
 		// align the camera up vector if the camera as updated
-		if ( adjustCameraRotation && this._isNearControls() ) {
+		if ( adjustCameraRotation && ( this._isNearControls() || this.state === FREE_ROTATE ) ) {
 
 			this.getCameraUpDirection( _globalUp );
 			this._alignCameraUp( _globalUp, 1 );
@@ -459,6 +459,54 @@ export class GlobeControls extends EnvironmentControls {
 
 	}
 
+	_getFlightSpeedScale() {
+
+		// Scale speed proportionally to altitude so movement feels consistent at any distance.
+		// The 1000 m floor prevents movement becoming imperceptibly slow near the surface.
+		const altitude = this.getDistanceToCenter() - this._getMaxWorldRadius();
+		return 2 * Math.max( altitude, 1000 );
+
+	}
+
+	_updateFlight( deltaTime ) {
+
+		const { camera } = this;
+
+		const didFly = super._updateFlight( deltaTime );
+		if ( didFly ) {
+
+			// prevent flying past the point where the globe would be too small, just like mouse zoom.
+			const maxDistance = this._getMaxPerspectiveDistance();
+			const distToCenter = this.getDistanceToCenter();
+			if ( distToCenter > maxDistance ) {
+
+				this.getVectorToCenter( _vec ).normalize();
+				camera.position.addScaledVector( _vec, distToCenter - maxDistance );
+				camera.updateMatrixWorld();
+
+			}
+
+			// Outside the near-controls zone (high altitude / space view), gently nudge the
+			// camera to keep the globe centered and the horizon level — matching the behavior
+			// of scroll-zoom at the same distance. Alpha scales from 0 at the transition
+			// threshold to full strength at maxDistance.
+			if ( ! this._isNearControls() ) {
+
+				const distanceAlpha = MathUtils.clamp(
+					MathUtils.mapLinear( this.getDistanceToCenter(), this._getPerspectiveTransitionDistance(), maxDistance, 0, 1 ),
+					0, 1,
+				);
+				this._tiltTowardsCenter( 0.02 * distanceAlpha );
+				this._alignCameraUpToNorth( 0.01 * distanceAlpha );
+
+			}
+
+		}
+
+		return didFly;
+
+	}
+
 	_updatePosition( deltaTime ) {
 
 		if ( this.state === DRAG ) {
@@ -540,6 +588,14 @@ export class GlobeControls extends EnvironmentControls {
 	// disable rotation once we're outside the control transition
 	_updateRotation( ...args ) {
 
+		// FREE_ROTATE is always allowed regardless of globe proximity
+		if ( this.state === FREE_ROTATE ) {
+
+			super._updateRotation( ...args );
+			return;
+
+		}
+
 		if ( this._rotationMode === 1 || this._isNearControls() ) {
 
 			this._rotationMode = 1;
@@ -552,7 +608,6 @@ export class GlobeControls extends EnvironmentControls {
 
 		}
 
-
 	}
 
 	_updateZoom() {