Hey guys! Today, we’re tackling something that’s tripped up way too many web designers—getting your Spline 3D assets to load at warp speed. If you’ve ever exported a beautiful 3D object, dropped it into Webflow or Framer, and suddenly felt like you were watching paint dry as it loaded, this guide is for you! 🎨🚀

‍

Step 1: Do You Even Need a 3D Embed? 🤔

Before you go full throttle on optimizing, ask yourself: Do I actually need to embed this?

Sometimes, a GIF or MP4 does the job just as well with way less load time. For example, in The Humble Strawberry project, I swapped out multiple 3D embeds for GIFs and saw a massive reduction in load times—while keeping the design just as interactive!

👉 Pro tip: Record a GIF or MP4 in Spline, compress it, and upload it to GitHub for easy embedding. Your users (and your site speed) will thank you.

‍

Step 2: Reduce Polygons and Subdivisions 🔪

If you do need a 3D embed, let’s trim the fat!

✅ Reduce polygons – Fewer polygons = lighter file. If your model is small on the screen, no need for ultra-detail.✅ Lower subdivision levels – If you're using a subdivision modifier, keep it at 1 instead of 2 to see instant performance gains.

A little awareness while building = a huge performance boost later.

‍

Step 3: Use Matcap Materials Instead of Heavy Lighting 💡

Want a glossy or metallic effect? Instead of adding a gazillion light sources, use Matcap materials—they fake reflections without killing performance.

🎨 How to do it in Spline:

• Apply a Matcap material.
• Adjust settings for the effect you want.
• (Optional) Upload custom Matcaps for even more control.

This trick gives you pro-level visuals without the lag.

‍

Step 4: Add a Fresnel Layer Instead of Extra Lights 🌟

Want that nice glowy edge effect? Instead of piling on more lights, add a Fresnel layer to simulate light interactions with the edges.

✨ Why use Fresnel?

• Creates a natural glow effect.
• Doesn’t impact performance as much as extra lights.
• Works great for shiny objects!

Just don’t overdo it—too many layers still add data. Balance is key!

‍

Step 5: Merge Objects to Reduce Scene Complexity 🎭

If your project has a ton of separate objects, merge them.

🔹 Why?

• Multiple objects increase load time.
• A single combined object = faster performance.

💡 How to merge in Spline:

• Select multiple objects.
• Click Merge Geometries.
• Watch your scene get way more efficient.

‍

Step 6: Reuse Materials Instead of Creating New Ones 🎨

Every extra material adds more data to load. Instead of making slightly different materials for each object, duplicate and reuse them.

🛠 How to do it:

1. Select an object with an existing material.
2. Click the four dots next to it.
3. Apply the same material to another object.

Tiny change, huge impact!

‍

Step 7: Consider 2D Alternatives for Performance ⚡

Sometimes, you don’t really need 3D. If all you want is interactivity, 2D solutions like Rive can do the job way better.

🔹 Why Rive?

• Smooth animations.
• Tiny file sizes.
• Fully interactive.

If you do need 3D, PeachWeb is another amazing option. It specializes in fully optimized 3D web experiences, built for performance from the ground up.

‍

Step 8: Use a Placeholder Before Spline Loads 🖼️

No one likes staring at a blank screen waiting for assets to load. Instead, use a placeholder image before your Spline scene fully loads.

See code here

Step 9: Adding a GIF to Your Webflow Project 📽️

Want a simple animated effect? GIFs are a great alternative to heavy 3D embeds.

How to embed a GIF in Webflow using GitHub & jsDelivr:

1. Upload your GIF to a public GitHub repository.
2. Grab the raw file URL.
3. Convert it into a jsDelivr CDN URL
4. Embed it using this code:

See code here

‍

Final Thoughts 💭

Optimizing 3D assets might feel like a puzzle, but these tricks should help you cut load times while keeping things interactive and engaging.

🎯 Remember:✅ You don’t always need an embed.

✅ Keep things light—fewer polygons, fewer subdivisions.

✅ Use material tricks like Matcaps & Fresnel instead of extra lighting.

✅ Merge objects and reuse materials wherever possible.

✅ Consider 2D alternatives like Rive when it makes sense.

Hope this helps! Got any other tricks? Drop ‘em in the comments. 🚀 Cheers!