I Tried to Prompt a 3D DEV Library Into Existence. Then I Had to Build My Own Level Editor.

Developer Mikachu shares their journey of building 'Oniria,' a 3D, walkable library that visualizes live content from the DEV platform. Initially conceived as a dream journal, the project evolved into a spatial exploration of articles, authors, and topics using Three.js and Sanity. The developer highlights the challenges of 'vibe coding' with AI, noting that while LLMs were excellent for rapid prototyping and refactoring, they often failed to grasp visual intent or precise spatial requirements. This led the developer to build a custom in-world level editor, allowing them to place markers and define the library's architecture directly within the 3D environment. By using Sanity as a 'world backend' to manage spatial data and living shelf states, the project demonstrates how structured data can provide geography to information, turning a standard content feed into an immersive, evolving digital space.