Textures

Textures allow you to render React components (including React Native Skia components) as images that can be used in animations and effects. This enables powerful composition patterns and performance optimizations.

useTexture

Render a React element as a texture:

import { useTexture, Canvas, Image, Circle, Fill } from "@shopify/react-native-skia";
import { useSharedValue, useDerivedValue } from "react-native-reanimated";

const TextureDemo = () => {
  const rotation = useSharedValue(0);

  // Render a React element as a texture
  const texture = useTexture(
    <Circle cx={64} cy={64} r={40} color="blue">
      <Fill color="red" />
    </Circle>,
    { width: 128, height: 128 }
  );

  const transform = useDerivedValue(() => [
    { rotate: rotation.value }
  ]);

  if (!texture.value) return null;

  return (
    <Canvas style={{ width: 256, height: 256 }}>
      <Image 
        image={texture} 
        x={64} 
        y={64} 
        width={128} 
        height={128}
        transform={transform}
      />
    </Canvas>
  );
};

Parameters

Name	Type	Description
element	`ReactElement`	React element to render
size	`SkSize`	Texture size `{ width, height }`
deps	`DependencyList`	Dependencies for re-rendering

Use Cases

Complex Graphics as Textures

Render complex graphics once and reuse as textures:

import { useTexture, Canvas, Image } from "@shopify/react-native-skia";

const ComplexGraphicTexture = () => {
  const complexGraphic = (
    <Group>
      <Circle cx={64} cy={64} r={40} color="#FF6B6B" />
      <Circle cx={80} cy={50} r={30} color="#4ECDC4" opacity={0.7} />
      <Circle cx={50} cy={80} r={30} color="#45B7D1" opacity={0.7} />
      <Text text="Hello" x={32} y={70} font={font} color="white" />
    </Group>
  );

  const texture = useTexture(complexGraphic, { width: 128, height: 128 });

  if (!texture.value) return null;

  return (
    <Canvas style={{ flex: 1 }}>
      {/* Render the texture multiple times efficiently */}
      <Image image={texture} x={0} y={0} width={128} height={128} />
      <Image image={texture} x={128} y={0} width={128} height={128} />
      <Image image={texture} x={0} y={128} width={128} height={128} />
      <Image image={texture} x={128} y={128} width={128} height={128} />
    </Canvas>
  );
};

Animated Textures

Animate textures with transforms:

import { useTexture, Canvas, Image } from "@shopify/react-native-skia";
import { useSharedValue, withRepeat, withTiming, useDerivedValue } from "react-native-reanimated";
import { useEffect } from "react";

const AnimatedTextureDemo = () => {
  const rotation = useSharedValue(0);
  const scale = useSharedValue(1);

  useEffect(() => {
    rotation.value = withRepeat(
      withTiming(Math.PI * 2, { duration: 3000 }),
      -1,
      false
    );
    scale.value = withRepeat(
      withSequence(
        withTiming(1.2, { duration: 1000 }),
        withTiming(0.8, { duration: 1000 })
      ),
      -1,
      true
    );
  }, []);

  const graphic = (
    <RoundedRect x={0} y={0} width={100} height={100} r={20} color="purple" />
  );

  const texture = useTexture(graphic, { width: 100, height: 100 });

  const transform = useDerivedValue(() => [
    { rotate: rotation.value },
    { scale: scale.value }
  ]);

  if (!texture.value) return null;

  return (
    <Canvas style={{ width: 256, height: 256 }}>
      <Image 
        image={texture} 
        x={78} 
        y={78} 
        width={100} 
        height={100}
        transform={transform}
        origin={{ x: 128, y: 128 }}
      />
    </Canvas>
  );
};

Texture with Dependencies

Re-render texture when dependencies change:

import { useTexture } from "@shopify/react-native-skia";
import { useState } from "react";

const DynamicTextureDemo = () => {
  const [color, setColor] = useState("red");
  const [text, setText] = useState("Hello");

  // Texture re-renders when color or text changes
  const texture = useTexture(
    <Group>
      <Circle cx={64} cy={64} r={50} color={color} />
      <Text text={text} x={32} y={70} font={font} color="white" />
    </Group>,
    { width: 128, height: 128 },
    [color, text] // Dependencies
  );

  if (!texture.value) return null;

  return (
    <View>
      <Canvas style={{ width: 128, height: 128 }}>
        <Image image={texture} x={0} y={0} width={128} height={128} />
      </Canvas>
      <Button title="Red" onPress={() => setColor("red")} />
      <Button title="Blue" onPress={() => setColor("blue")} />
    </View>
  );
};

usePictureAsTexture

Convert a SkPicture to a texture:

import { usePictureAsTexture, Skia } from "@shopify/react-native-skia";
import { useEffect, useState } from "react";

const PictureTextureDemo = () => {
  const [picture, setPicture] = useState<SkPicture | null>(null);

  useEffect(() => {
    const pic = Skia.Picture.MakePicture((canvas) => {
      const paint = Skia.Paint();
      paint.setColor(Skia.Color("blue"));
      canvas.drawCircle(64, 64, 50, paint);
    }, { x: 0, y: 0, width: 128, height: 128 });
    setPicture(pic);
  }, []);

  const texture = usePictureAsTexture(picture, { width: 128, height: 128 });

  if (!texture.value) return null;

  return (
    <Canvas style={{ width: 256, height: 256 }}>
      <Image image={texture} x={64} y={64} width={128} height={128} />
    </Canvas>
  );
};

useImageAsTexture

Use an image as a texture with automatic conversion:

import { useImageAsTexture, Canvas, Image } from "@shopify/react-native-skia";

const ImageTextureDemo = () => {
  const texture = useImageAsTexture(require("./photo.jpg"));

  if (!texture.value) return null;

  return (
    <Canvas style={{ flex: 1 }}>
      <Image 
        image={texture} 
        x={0} 
        y={0} 
        width={256} 
        height={256} 
        fit="cover"
      />
    </Canvas>
  );
};

Performance Benefits

Rendering Complex Graphics Once

Textures are rendered once and cached:

// Bad: Re-renders complex graphic every frame
const BadExample = () => {
  const rotation = useSharedValue(0);

  return (
    <Canvas style={{ flex: 1 }}>
      <Group transform={[{ rotate: rotation }]}>
        {/* Complex graphic re-rendered every frame */}
        <Circle cx={64} cy={64} r={40} color="red" />
        <Circle cx={80} cy={50} r={30} color="blue" />
        <Circle cx={50} cy={80} r={30} color="green" />
        {/* ... many more shapes ... */}
      </Group>
    </Canvas>
  );
};

// Good: Renders once, animates as texture
const GoodExample = () => {
  const rotation = useSharedValue(0);

  const graphic = (
    <Group>
      <Circle cx={64} cy={64} r={40} color="red" />
      <Circle cx={80} cy={50} r={30} color="blue" />
      <Circle cx={50} cy={80} r={30} color="green" />
      {/* ... many more shapes ... */}
    </Group>
  );

  const texture = useTexture(graphic, { width: 128, height: 128 });

  if (!texture.value) return null;

  return (
    <Canvas style={{ flex: 1 }}>
      <Image 
        image={texture} 
        x={0} 
        y={0} 
        width={128} 
        height={128}
        transform={[{ rotate: rotation }]}
      />
    </Canvas>
  );
};

Reusing Graphics

Textures can be reused multiple times efficiently:

const ParticleSystem = () => {
  const particleTexture = useTexture(
    <Circle cx={8} cy={8} r={8} color="white">
      <BlurMask blur={4} style="solid" />
    </Circle>,
    { width: 16, height: 16 }
  );

  if (!particleTexture.value) return null;

  return (
    <Canvas style={{ flex: 1 }}>
      {/* Render 100 particles using the same texture */}
      {Array.from({ length: 100 }).map((_, i) => (
        <Image
          key={i}
          image={particleTexture}
          x={Math.random() * 256}
          y={Math.random() * 256}
          width={16}
          height={16}
          opacity={Math.random()}
        />
      ))}
    </Canvas>
  );
};

Texture Filters

Apply filters to textures:

import { useTexture, Canvas, Image, Blur } from "@shopify/react-native-skia";

const FilteredTextureDemo = () => {
  const graphic = (
    <Circle cx={64} cy={64} r={50} color="cyan" />
  );

  const texture = useTexture(graphic, { width: 128, height: 128 });

  if (!texture.value) return null;

  return (
    <Canvas style={{ width: 256, height: 256 }}>
      <Image image={texture} x={0} y={0} width={128} height={128}>
        <Blur blur={10} />
      </Image>
    </Canvas>
  );
};

Platform Considerations

Web Platform

On web, textures are automatically converted to non-texture images for compatibility:

// Handled automatically by React Native Skia
if (Platform.OS === "web") {
  texture.value = texture.value.makeNonTextureImage();
}

Memory Management

Textures consume GPU memory. Clean up when no longer needed:

import { useEffect } from "react";

const TextureCleanupDemo = () => {
  const texture = useTexture(myElement, { width: 256, height: 256 });

  useEffect(() => {
    return () => {
      // Texture is automatically cleaned up
    };
  }, []);

  // ...
};

Common Patterns

Texture Atlas

Combine multiple graphics into a single texture:

const AtlasDemo = () => {
  const atlas = useTexture(
    <Group>
      <Circle cx={32} cy={32} r={20} color="red" />
      <Circle cx={96} cy={32} r={20} color="green" />
      <Circle cx={32} cy={96} r={20} color="blue" />
      <Circle cx={96} cy={96} r={20} color="yellow" />
    </Group>,
    { width: 128, height: 128 }
  );

  if (!atlas.value) return null;

  return (
    <Canvas style={{ flex: 1 }}>
      {/* Use different parts of the atlas */}
      <Image 
        image={atlas} 
        x={0} 
        y={0} 
        width={64} 
        height={64}
        rect={{ x: 0, y: 0, width: 64, height: 64 }}
      />
    </Canvas>
  );
};

Cached Rendering

Cache expensive rendering operations:

const CachedChartDemo = () => {
  const [data, setData] = useState([...]);

  const chartTexture = useTexture(
    <LineChart data={data} />,
    { width: 300, height: 200 },
    [data] // Only re-render when data changes
  );

  if (!chartTexture.value) return null;

  return (
    <Canvas style={{ width: 300, height: 200 }}>
      <Image image={chartTexture} x={0} y={0} width={300} height={200} />
    </Canvas>
  );
};

Limitations

Textures are rendered at a fixed size
Re-rendering requires re-creating the texture
GPU memory usage increases with texture count
Not suitable for frequently changing content

Best Practices

Use textures for complex, static graphics
Reuse textures when rendering the same graphic multiple times
Specify dependencies to control when textures update
Keep texture sizes reasonable to manage memory
Prefer direct rendering for simple shapes
Clean up textures when components unmount

Animations Overview - Animation fundamentals
Reanimated Integration - Shared values and worklets
Images - Working with images
Offscreen Rendering - Render to offscreen surfaces

Getting Started

Canvas

Shapes

Paint & Styling

Shaders

Images & Media

Text

Effects

Animations

Advanced

useTexture

Parameters

Use Cases

Complex Graphics as Textures

Animated Textures

Texture with Dependencies

usePictureAsTexture

useImageAsTexture

Performance Benefits

Rendering Complex Graphics Once

Reusing Graphics

Texture Filters

Platform Considerations

Web Platform

Memory Management

Common Patterns

Texture Atlas

Cached Rendering

Limitations

Best Practices

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Getting Started

Canvas

Shapes

Paint & Styling

Shaders

Images & Media

Text

Effects

Animations

Advanced

​useTexture

​Parameters

​Use Cases

​Complex Graphics as Textures

​Animated Textures

​Texture with Dependencies

​usePictureAsTexture

​useImageAsTexture

​Performance Benefits

​Rendering Complex Graphics Once

​Reusing Graphics

​Texture Filters

​Platform Considerations

​Web Platform

​Memory Management

​Common Patterns

​Texture Atlas

​Cached Rendering

​Limitations

​Best Practices

​Related

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

useTexture

Parameters

Use Cases

Complex Graphics as Textures

Animated Textures

Texture with Dependencies

usePictureAsTexture

useImageAsTexture

Performance Benefits

Rendering Complex Graphics Once

Reusing Graphics

Texture Filters

Platform Considerations

Web Platform

Memory Management

Common Patterns

Texture Atlas

Cached Rendering

Limitations

Best Practices

Related