---
name: 3d-page-scroll
description: Full webpage rendered as tilted 3D card that scrolls to reveal specific sections.
metadata:
  tags: 3d, page, scroll, webpage, tilt, product-demo, perspective
---

# 3D Page Scroll

A webpage (or long content) presented as a tilted 3D card. Spring-eased scroll reveals specific sections while the static 3D perspective adds physical depth. (For a camera that actually travels/tilts, see [3d-camera-flight.md](3d-camera-flight.md) — this rule's tilt never moves.)

## How It Works

Two independent transforms combine:

1. **3D tilt** — static `rotateY` + `rotateX` with `perspective` on the card. The angle does **not** change during the scene.
2. **Scroll** — the content inside the card translates vertically (`y` in GSAP) within a clipped container; spring-like deceleration via `power3.out` / `power4.out`.

Optional: **spotlight overlay** — a radial-gradient mask dims everything except a focal region after the scroll lands. It sits above the scrolling content, fixed relative to the card, never inside `.page-content`.

## Recipe

```html
<div class="tilt-card">
  <div class="page-content">
    <!-- Full {Brand} webpage recreation, taller than the card so scrolling
         matters. Each section is REAL DOM, not a screenshot — screenshots
         can't be individually highlighted or scrolled-to with precision. -->
    <section class="page-hero">{heroContents}</section>
    <section class="page-features">{featuresContents}</section>
    <section class="page-target" id="target-section">{targetContents}</section>
    <section class="page-cta">{ctaContents}</section>
  </div>
  <div class="spotlight"></div>
</div>
```

```css
.tilt-card {
  position: absolute;
  left: 50%;
  top: 50%;
  /* tilt + perspective in CSS only if no other transform tween touches this
     element — if GSAP also tweens scale on .tilt-card, set the tilt via
     gsap.set() instead to avoid matrix overwrites */
  transform: translate(-50%, -50%) perspective({perspectivePx}) rotateY({tiltYDeg}) rotateX({tiltXDeg});
  transform-style: preserve-3d;
  width: {cardWidth};
  height: {cardHeight};
  border-radius: 24px;
  background: {cardBackgroundColor};
  overflow: hidden; /* clip the scrolling content at the rounded corners */
  /* shadow X-offset sign must match tiltY sign (negative tiltY ⇒ positive X) */
  box-shadow: 40px 30px 80px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.45);
}
.page-content {
  position: absolute;
  top: 0;
  left: 0;
  width: 100%;
  /* height intrinsic from sections — taller than the card */
}
.spotlight {
  position: absolute;
  inset: 0;
  pointer-events: none;
  opacity: 0;
  background: radial-gradient(ellipse 60% 35% at 50% 50%, transparent 50%, {spotlightDimColor} 100%);
}
```

```js
// SCROLL_DISTANCE is measured at design time from the real page layout
// (top of .page-content origin to vertical center of #target-section,
// accounting for card height) — NOT a free tunable.
tl.to(
  ".page-content",
  { y: -SCROLL_DISTANCE, duration: SCROLL_DUR, ease: "power3.out" },
  SCROLL_AT,
);

// Spotlight fades in on the target after the scroll settles.
tl.to(
  ".spotlight",
  { opacity: 1, duration: SPOTLIGHT_FADE_DUR, ease: "power1.inOut" },
  SPOTLIGHT_AT,
);
```

## Variations

**Multi-step scroll (scroll → pause → scroll)** — multiple `y:` tweens at different positions. Distances are both measured from the `.page-content` origin (NOT delta from the previous step); GSAP composes successive `y:` tweens on the same property, each starting from the value the previous one left:

```js
tl.to(
  ".page-content",
  { y: -SCROLL_DISTANCE_A, duration: SCROLL_DUR, ease: "power3.out" },
  SCROLL_AT_A,
);
tl.to(
  ".page-content",
  { y: -SCROLL_DISTANCE_B, duration: SCROLL_DUR, ease: "power3.out" },
  SCROLL_AT_B,
);
// SCROLL_AT_A + SCROLL_DUR ≤ SCROLL_AT_B — the two scrolls must not fight for y
```

## Values

| token              | range / rule                                                              | notes                                                                                 |
| ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| tiltYDeg           | −12 to −4 (left-leaning) or 4 to 12                                       | bigger = more dramatic 3D; near 0 collapses to a flat panel                           |
| tiltXDeg           | 0–6                                                                       | positive tilts the top edge away                                                      |
| perspectivePx      | 800–2000 px                                                               | smaller = more foreshortening; larger = nearly orthographic                           |
| cardWidth / Height | card height < total content height                                        | otherwise the scroll has nothing to reveal                                            |
| sectionHeight      | Σ heights ≥ cardHeight + SCROLL_DISTANCE                                  | so the target section lands within frame                                              |
| SCROLL_AT          | ≥ end of prior tweens on `.page-content`                                  |                                                                                       |
| SCROLL_DUR         | 0.8–1.8 s                                                                 | shorter feels like a hard cut; longer feels programmatic                              |
| SCROLL_DISTANCE    | measured from the layout                                                  | from actual cumulative section heights — never estimated; don't overshoot content end |
| SPOTLIGHT_AT       | ≥ SCROLL_AT + SCROLL_DUR (or slightly earlier)                            | spotlight reveals the freshly-arrived section                                         |
| SPOTLIGHT_FADE_DUR | 0.4–0.8 s                                                                 |                                                                                       |
| Ease               | `power3.out` default; `power4.out` momentum; `power2.inOut` cinematic pan | pick ONE for all scrolls in the scene — mixing easings reads as jerky                 |

## Critical Constraints

- **Tilt is static** — the card holds its angle the whole scene.
- **Shadow direction matches tilt** — a left-leaning card casts shadow to the right (positive X offset); mismatch breaks the 3D illusion.
- **Page content is real HTML, not a screenshot**; scroll distances come from the real layout geometry.
- **`overflow: hidden` + `transform-style: preserve-3d` on `.tilt-card`** — clip at the rounded corners; preserve-3d for any 3D children / clean perspective composition.
- **Spotlight is an overlay above the scrolling content**, never inside `.page-content`.
- **Same easing across a multi-phase scroll**, and non-overlapping scroll windows.

## See also

[asr-keyword-glow.md](asr-keyword-glow.md) (on-page keyword highlight synced to VO) · [multi-phase-camera.md](multi-phase-camera.md) (camera zoom while the page scrolls) · [cursor-click-ripple.md](cursor-click-ripple.md) (cursor lands in the scrolled-into-view section) · [3d-camera-flight.md](3d-camera-flight.md) (when the camera itself should travel).
