Created an impressive visual demonstration on CodePen featuring a 3D rotating cube with glassmorphism effects, animated gradient backgrounds, and emoji icons on each face.
Live Demo: https://codepen.io/John-Lindquist/pen/ByjpoBK
- 3D Rotating Cube with 6 faces, each displaying a different emoji ()
-
- Glassmorphism Effect with frosted glass appearance, blur effects, and transparent backgrounds
-
- Animated Gradient Background that smoothly transitions between three color schemes:
-
- Purple/Blue gradient (#667eea to #764ba2)
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- Pink/Red gradient (#f093fb to #f5576c) -
- Cyan/Blue gradient (#4facfe to #00f2fe) -
- **Pulsing Text** with "CodePen Demo" that scales smoothly -
- **Continuous 3D Rotation** on both X and Y axes
<div class="scene">
<div class="cube">
<div class="face front"></div>
<div class="face back"></div>
<div class="face right"></div>
<div class="face left"></div>
<div class="face top"></div>
<div class="face bottom"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="text">CodePen Demo</div>1. 3D Transforms & Perspective
- Used
perspective: 1000pxon the scene container -
- Applied
transform-style: preserve-3dto maintain 3D space
- Applied
-
- Positioned each face with
translateZ()and rotation transforms
- Positioned each face with
2. Glassmorphism
.face {
background: rgba(255,255,255,0.1);
backdrop-filter: blur(10px);
border: 3px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.3);
box-shadow: 0 8px 32px rgba(0,0,0,0.2);
}
```
**3. Cube Face Positioning**
Each face is absolutely positioned and transformed to create the cube:
```css
.front { transform: rotateY(0deg) translateZ(150px); }
.back { transform: rotateY(180deg) translateZ(150px); }
.right { transform: rotateY(90deg) translateZ(150px); }
.left { transform: rotateY(-90deg) translateZ(150px); }
.top { transform: rotateX(90deg) translateZ(150px); }
.bottom { transform: rotateX(-90deg) translateZ(150px); }
```
**4. Animations**
- **Cube Rotation:** 20-second infinite linear rotation on both axes
- **Background Shift:** 10-second color gradient transition
- **Text Pulse:** 2-second scale animation
## Development Process
### Initial Approach
1. Started with a canvas-based particle system approach
2. Encountered JavaScript syntax errors and rendering issues
3. Canvas particles weren't displaying properly in the preview
### Pivot to CSS-Only Solution
1. Decided to create a pure CSS demonstration for reliability
2. Chose 3D cube with glassmorphism as it showcases modern CSS capabilities
3. No JavaScript required - everything is CSS animations
### Why This Approach Worked
- **CSS-only animations** are more reliable and don't require debugging JS
- **3D transforms** are well-supported in modern browsers
- **Glassmorphism** is a trending design aesthetic
- **Emojis** add visual interest without requiring image assets
- **Pure CSS** means no runtime errors or loading issues
## CSS Features Demonstrated
1. **3D Transforms**
- `rotateX()`, `rotateY()`, `translateZ()`
- `perspective` and `transform-style: preserve-3d`
2. **Modern Effects**
- `backdrop-filter: blur()` for glassmorphism
- `linear-gradient()` with animation
- `rgba()` for transparency
3. **Animations**
- `@keyframes` for custom animations
- `animation` shorthand properties
- Multiple simultaneous animations
4. **Layout Techniques**
- Flexbox for centering
- Absolute positioning for 3D space
- Fixed positioning for overlay text
## Lessons Learned
1. **Pure CSS is often more reliable** than canvas for simple visual demos
2. **Glassmorphism requires backdrop-filter** which may need vendor prefixes
3. **3D transforms require proper nesting** (scene cube faces)
4. **Emojis are great visual elements** that work across platforms
5. **Animated gradients on body** create dynamic backgrounds efficiently
## Browser Compatibility
Works best in modern browsers with support for:
- CSS 3D Transforms
- `backdrop-filter` (may need -webkit- prefix)
- CSS animations
- Emoji rendering
## Potential Enhancements
- Add mouse interaction to control rotation speed
- Include more complex gradient patterns
- Add particle effects with CSS
- Create multiple cubes with different animations
- Add responsive sizing for mobile devices
---
**Created:** October 2025
**Tools:** CodePen, HTML, CSS
**No JavaScript Required**