C++ → WebAssembly → Browser

Run the real VTK in a browser tab.

The same C++ rendering and filtering pipeline that ships in desktop VTK, compiled to WebAssembly and drawn with WebGL/WebGPU. No server-side rendering, no pixel streaming, no rewrite.

Getting started See live demos

GPU servers required

script tag to first render

languages, one runtime

index.html

<script
  src="https://unpkg.com/@kitware/vtk-wasm/vtk-umd.js"
  id="vtk-wasm"
  data-url="https://raw.githack.com/Kitware/vtk-wasm/dist/latest/vtk-wasm32-emscripten.tar.gz"
></script>

<canvas id="vtk-wasm-window" tabindex="-1"></canvas>

<script>
  vtkwasm.ready.then((vtk) => buildScene(vtk, "#vtk-wasm-window"));
</script>

renders an interactive scene, client-side

Three entry points

Pick the language you already write

Each path ends at the same WASM module. Start where your codebase already is.

How it works

01
Reach the loader
A script tag on the page, or an import from your bundler.
npm i @kitware/vtk-wasm
02
Load the runtime
Fetches and instantiates the WASM bundle. Cached per URL.
await loadAsync({ url })
03
Open a session
Standalone renders in the browser; remote mirrors a server scene.
runtime.createStandaloneSession()
04
Build and render
Create VTK objects from session.vtk and bind them to a canvas.
session.registerCanvas(...)

viewer.jsES module

import { loadAsync } from "@kitware/vtk-wasm";

const runtime = await loadAsync({
  url: "https://raw.githack.com/Kitware/vtk-wasm/dist/latest/vtk-wasm32-emscripten.tar.gz",
  rendering: "webgl", // or "webgpu"
});
const session = runtime.createStandaloneSession();
const vtk = session.vtk;

const cone = vtk.vtkConeSource();
const mapper = vtk.vtkPolyDataMapper();
await mapper.SetInputConnection(await cone.GetOutputPort());

const actor = vtk.vtkActor({ mapper });
const renderer = vtk.vtkRenderer();
await renderer.addActor(actor);

const interactor = vtk.vtkRenderWindowInteractor({ canvasSelector });
const canvasSelector = session.registerCanvas("!vtk-canvas", canvas);
const window = vtk.vtkRenderWindow({ interactor, canvasSelector });
await window.addRenderer(renderer);
await window.render();
await interactor.start();