Step into the third dimension with these pure CSS 3D Examples. The foundational concept is establishing a 3D space by applying the perspective property to a parent container, which creates the illusion of depth. This container must also have transform-style: preserve-3d to ensure its children are positioned within this shared 3D scene, rather than being flattened onto their parent’s plane. Individual elements are then manipulated within this space using transform functions like rotateX(), rotateY(), and translateZ(), which are perfect for creating classic flipping cards, rotating cubes, and layered parallax effects with hardware-accelerated performance.
130 CSS 3D Examples
SlowMo Mullen Card Trick
An interactive 3D simulation of skateboarding tricks (Kickflip, Impossible, etc.) performed by a rotating card via CSS transforms and JavaScript.
See the Pen SlowMo Mullen Card Trick.
Blocky Digital Clock
A voxel-style 3D clock where digits morph physically via CSS transforms driven by sibling selectors, creating a floating, mechanical restructuring effect.
See the Pen Blocky Digital Clock.
3D Glowing Button with CSS
A futuristic 3D button constructed from CSS-transformed planes to form a cube. JavaScript tracks mouse movement to apply dynamic rotateX/Y transforms for a tilt effect, while CSS keyframes animate a neon gradient glow and blur that activates on hover.
See the Pen 3D Glowing Button with CSS.
Amateur Radio Badge 3D
A highly sophisticated holographic badge simulation utilizing CSS 3D transforms and layered mix-blend-mode effects. JavaScript tracks mouse movement to dynamically update CSS variables, driving complex parallax shifts, lighting gradients, and SVG-masked glares for a realistic, tactile depth experience.
See the Pen Amateur Radio Badge 3D.
Floating Headers
Impressive, weighty 3D typography that reacts to scrolling with a natural shift in perspective, reminiscent of volumetric signage or cinematic titles.
See the Pen Floating Headers.
Grow Up, They Said...
An interactive 3D todo list utilizing CSS perspective and rotateY transforms to create tangible, flipping card effects. JavaScript orchestrates a staggered entrance animation via setTimeout loops, while Sass mixins manage complex transition delays for the cascading sub-menu reveal.
See the Pen Grow Up, They Said....
Volumetric 3D CSS Toggle Switch
A volumetric 3D toggle switch orchestrated via the CSS Checkbox Hack and sibling combinators, requiring minimal JavaScript. The segmented background creates a cascading flip effect using rotateX and inline transition-delay, while keyframes drive two spheres in a complex orbital path through depth using translateZ and perspective to swap positions.
See the Pen Volumetric 3D CSS Toggle Switch.
Container Query Bookstore
Integration of Drag and Drop functionality using Dragula.js and Web Components. The Dragula script handles the drop event, dynamically changing the background color of the stage container via a CSS variable taken from the dragged element.
See the Pen Container Query Bookstore.
3D Text Spiral Animation with CSS
An elegant 3D scene where rotating text forms a spiral. The effect utilizes the perspective property for depth and HSL functions for procedurally generating the multi-layered color scheme.
See the Pen 3D Text Spiral Animation with CSS.
CSS-Only Image Tilt Towards Cursor
A 3D image tilt effect that mimics cursor movement, achieved purely with CSS by combining multiple invisible overlay zones, the general sibling combinator, and the transform: rotate3d() function with perspective on the parent container.
See the Pen CSS-Only Image Tilt Towards Cursor.
Pure CSS 3D Animated Cat Model
Complex yet high-performance 3D rendering in the browser: the model is built on CSS Box Model Hacking principles, where each polygon is positioned in space using translate and rotate for continuous 360-degree animation.
See the Pen Pure CSS 3D Animated Cat Model.
Pro-Mode Toggle Switch w/ Guard
Dual input[type="checkbox"] system for two-step activation, showcasing mastery in creating logic without JavaScript and detailed UI using a repeating-linear-gradient background and complex pseudo-elements."
See the Pen Pro-Mode Toggle Switch w/ Guard.
Pro-Mode Toggle Switch with Guard (Softer)
A technically complex stylized toggle switch utilizing advanced CSS capabilities: box-shadow for realistic depth, perspective for a 3D casing effect, and a dynamic glowing effect via the hue-rotate filter.
See the Pen Pro-Mode Toggle Switch with Guard (Softer).
Vertical Rocker Switch
A tactilely realistic vertical toggle, created using advanced CSS variable techniques and multiple box-shadow layers to mimic three-dimensional depth, combined with smooth cubic-bezier animations.
See the Pen Vertical Rocker Switch.
Vertical 3D Team Carousel
A slick vertical 3D carousel for a team section, implemented purely with CSS transform-style: preserve-3d for depth and controlled by JavaScript to dynamically apply class-based offsets for a smooth, cubic navigation experience, fully supporting keyboard and touch controls.
See the Pen Vertical 3D Team Carousel.
Cube Clock with CSS 3D
A demonstration of a styled digital clock rendered as an interactive 3D cube created purely using CSS transformations (transform-style: preserve-3d), which smoothly shifts its perspective on hover.
See the Pen Cube Clock with CSS 3D.
3D Sphere with Dynamic Shadow
This demo shows how to create a realistic 3D sphere effect using pure CSS, without SVG or 3D transformations. The effect is achieved through gradients (radial-gradient), shadows (box-shadow), pseudo-elements (::before, ::after) for highlights and shadows, and dynamic variables (@property) for animation.
See the Pen 3D Sphere with Dynamic Shadow.
Card with Illumination Effect
An example of how to achieve an impressive pseudo-3D interface using pseudo-elements (::before) and CSS transforms. The effect is built by layering elements (.light-layer, .darken) with different box-shadow and gradients to simulate the play of light and shadow on the surface.
See the Pen Card with Illumination Effect.
Shimmer 3D Dodecahedron
This demo illustrates how intricate 3D models can be built and animated in the browser using only CSS. Key features include using sin() and cos() functions for geometric calculations, and controlling animation and color effects (hue-rotate) through CSS variables and @keyframes.
See the Pen Shimmer 3D Dodecahedron.
Stellar 3D Slide Navigator
A visually rich interactive carousel that uses a combination of CSS 3D transforms for a smooth parallax effect and the Web Audio API for custom soundscapes. The code is structured into dedicated classes for clean, scalable management.
See the Pen Stellar 3D Slide Navigator.
Orbital Photo Gallery
A stunning JavaScript and CSS 3D gallery with images placed on a sphere. Fluid transitions and inertia create a realistic tactile feel, while click-to-zoom provides an impressive focus on the selected content.
See the Pen Orbital Photo Gallery.
Pure CSS Linear Circular Motion
Witness the power of pure CSS with this mesmerizing 3D mechanical animation, built using advanced 3D transforms and intricately choreographed keyframes — no JavaScript required.
See the Pen Pure CSS Linear Circular Motion.
3D Cube Resume with CSS Transforms
A complex 3D navigation for a resume is achieved using pure CSS/JS, where each cube face is a section; this is a powerful display of UX/UI creativity and animation skills.
See the Pen 3D Cube Resume with CSS Transforms.
The Simplest Dots (CSS)
A pure CSS demo that generates a complex 3D animation with perspective and transform-style: preserve-3d. It leverages CSS variables (--i, --d) to parameterize and control animation timing and positioning, making it flexible and scalable.
See the Pen The Simplest Dots (CSS).
3D Glowing Bottle
This demo showcases advanced CSS techniques like synchronized transform: rotate() animations and the filter: drop-shadow() property to achieve a visually striking glowing liquid effect within a transparent container.
CSS 3D Sphere Animation
A 3D sphere where an SCSS @for loop calculates the transform for each ring, and the entire animation and structure, built on perspective and transform-style: preserve-3d, are fully configurable via variables.
SVG Starry Cube
A complex SVG animation - the cube’s morphing is achieved by animating the d attribute of a <path> tag with a custom keySplines function. The efficient structure with <use> and <pattern> creates a “scene-in-a-scene” effect due to the nested animation of elements within the fill.
The Backrooms: CSS Edition
A fully playable first-person 3D horror game inspired by “The Backrooms”, built almost entirely with CSS.
See the Pen The Backrooms: CSS Edition.
Pure CSS Animated FF Conf Logo
A futuristic 3D data block where scrolling digital “circuits” are simulated purely in CSS by animating the background-position of linear-gradient patterns.
Flying Through Hexagons
A large-scale 3D scene where Sass procedurally generates both the trajectory of 72 rings using trigonometry, and the @keyframes for its “fly-through” mode via a Sass map. Animation is switched without JS using the “checkbox hack”, and the entire composition is built upon perspective and transform-style: preserve-3d.
See the Pen Flying Through Hexagons.
CSS Bookmark
A state-driven animation, controlled via the “checkbox hack,” showcases the power of CSS @property (Houdini) for smoothly animating gradients and mask properties. A complex multi-layered bookmark shape is created with an SVG mask, while the entire activation effect choreography is built on synchronized @keyframes.
RGB Keyboard with Dark Mode
A detailed, volumetric, and animated keyboard model that smoothly changes its backlighting and reacts to user actions, demonstrating the power of CSS for creating 3D objects.
See the Pen RGB Keyboard with Dark Mode.
Cube Login Form
This demo showcases a pseudo-3D cube effect for form elements, architected in pure CSS using nested divs and transform: skew() to create a lightweight isometric perspective. The key micro-interaction is a satisfying “wipe” animation - triggered on :focus via the general sibling combinator - which transitions the top property of an inner element to reveal a vibrant gradient fill.
See the Pen Cube Login Form.
3D Flip Clock Counter in Pure CSS
A realistic mechanical counter animation where the top half of the digit flips down to reveal the next one, maintaining the rhythm (units change faster than tens).
