---
lang: en-US
title: Getting Started & Installation
description: Install Needle Engine and create your first interactive 3D web experience with Unity, Blender, or JavaScript in minutes.
next: ../project-structure.md
---

<discountbanner />

# Getting Started with Needle Engine

**Build fully interactive 3D websites using your favorite tools.** Needle Engine works with professional 3D editors and modern web frameworks, giving you the power to create rich web experiences that deploy anywhere.

## What You'll Get

With Needle Engine, you get:
- 🎨 **Visual authoring** in Unity or Blender — or pure code, no editor required
- 🎯 **Built-in Rapier physics** — rigidbodies, colliders, raycasting, character controllers
- 🤝 **Multiplayer & voice chat** — add networking with a single component, zero server setup
- 🚀 **Automatic optimization** with state-of-the-art compression (up to 100x smaller files)
- 📱 **Cross-platform** support (desktop, mobile, VR, AR)
- ⚡ **Hot reload** for instant feedback during development
- 🌐 **Deploy anywhere** on the web with a single command

<testimonial
  name="Steven"
  role="CTO, Virtually Sports"
  src="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naPlw5aDJHs&t=3s"
>
We have something like 12 products used globally, made with Needle — it's been a fantastic tool for us over the past 2-3 years. It just makes the workflow so easy, even people that aren't developers only have to click one button.
</testimonial>

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## Choose Your Workflow

Pick the tool that matches your skills and project needs:

<tool-tiles></tool-tiles>

---

## Install a Code Editor

**Visual Studio Code is recommended** for creating and editing JavaScript, TypeScript, HTML, and CSS files. It's a free, open-source editor that works on all platforms and integrates seamlessly with Needle Engine.

<ClientOnly>

<os-link windows_url="https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/download?build=stable&os=win32-x64-user" osx_url="https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/download?build=stable&os=darwin-universal">Download Visual Studio Code</os-link>

</ClientOnly>

**Why VS Code?**
- Built-in TypeScript support
- Excellent debugging tools
- Rich extension ecosystem
- Live Server support for local development
- Git integration

---

## Required Tools

:::tip Automatic Installation with Unity or Blender
When using the Unity or Blender integration, we'll guide you through installing these tools automatically. You don't need to install them manually.
:::

The following tools are used by Needle Engine to create, preview, and build your web app:

<ClientOnly>

### Node.js (Required)

<os-link windows_url="https://fwd.needle.tools/needle-engine/nodejs/win" osx_url="https://fwd.needle.tools/needle-engine/nodejs/osx">Download Node.js 22 LTS or 24 LTS</os-link>

**What it does:**
- Manages your web project dependencies
- Runs a local development server with hot reload
- Builds and optimizes your project for production
- Handles deployment to hosting platforms

### KTX Software (Recommended)

<os-link windows_url="https://fwd.needle.tools/needle-engine/toktx/win" osx_url="https://fwd.needle.tools/needle-engine/toktx/osx" osx_silicon_url="https://fwd.needle.tools/needle-engine/toktx/osx-silicon">Download toktx texture tools</os-link>

**What it does:**
- Compresses textures for optimal web performance
- Reduces file sizes dramatically without quality loss
- Creates GPU-compressed formats (KTX2)
- Required for production builds

[Learn more about production builds](../deployment#production-builds)

</ClientOnly>

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:::tip Need Help?
If you run into issues during setup, check out our [FAQ](../reference/faq) or join our [Discord community](https://discord.needle.tools) where we're happy to help!
:::