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Browser Support Matrix

BrowserSupport LevelInstall PWAOffline Support
Chrome / Edge✅ Full✅ Yes✅ Yes
Firefox⚠️ Partial❌ No install prompt✅ Yes
Safari (macOS)⚠️ Partial⚠️ Manual (Add to Dock)✅ Yes
Safari (iOS)⚠️ Partial⚠️ Add to Home Screen✅ Yes

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Core Requirements

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WebAssembly (WASM)

Gridfinity Builder requires WebAssembly support for the Manifold 3D CSG engine. Minimum browser versions with WASM:
  • Chrome 57+ (March 2017)
  • Firefox 52+ (March 2017)
  • Safari 11+ (September 2017)
  • Edge 16+ (October 2017)
Why WASM?
  • Near-native performance for CSG operations
  • Efficient binary format (smaller than JS)
  • Safe execution in sandbox
  • Required by Manifold 3D library

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ES2020+ JavaScript

The TypeScript compiler targets ES2020, requiring modern JavaScript features: Required features:
  • Optional chaining (?.)
  • Nullish coalescing (??)
  • BigInt support
  • Promise.allSettled()
  • String.matchAll()
  • Dynamic import()
Minimum browser versions:
  • Chrome 80+ (February 2020)
  • Firefox 74+ (March 2020)
  • Safari 13.1+ (March 2020)
  • Edge 80+ (February 2020)

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Web Workers

Heavy geometry generation runs in a background thread. Browser support:
  • All modern browsers support Web Workers
  • Required for non-blocking CSG operations
  • Fallback to main thread not implemented (Workers are mandatory)

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Progressive Web App (PWA) Support

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Installation Experience

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Chrome / Edge (Chromium)

✅ Full PWA support
  • Automatic install prompt when criteria met
  • “Install” button in address bar
  • Works on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android
  • Creates desktop/dock shortcut
  • Standalone window (no browser UI)

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Firefox

⚠️ Partial support
  • Service Worker caching works (offline mode)
  • No automatic install prompt
  • No “Add to Home Screen” UI on desktop
  • On Android: Manual “Install” option in menu
Workaround: Users can manually add to desktop:
  • Right-click tab → “Pin Tab”
  • Bookmark the page

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Safari (macOS)

⚠️ Manual installation
  • No install prompt
  • Service Worker support since Safari 11.1
  • User must manually: File → Add to Dock
  • Creates web app in dock
  • Limited PWA manifest support

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Safari (iOS)

⚠️ “Add to Home Screen” flow
  • No install prompt
  • User must tap Share → “Add to Home Screen”
  • Creates icon on home screen
  • Runs in standalone mode
  • Service Worker caching works (offline)

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Offline Caching

All browsers with Service Worker support can use Gridfinity Builder offline after the first load. Cached assets:
  • JavaScript bundles
  • CSS stylesheets
  • HTML entry point
  • WASM modules (Manifold 3D, ~5MB)
  • Web fonts (Google Fonts)
Cache configuration (from vite.config.ts): 
globPatterns: ['**/*.{js,css,html,wasm,woff2}']
maximumFileSizeToCacheInBytes: 10 * 1024 * 1024  // 10 MB
Cache strategy:
  • Static assets: Cache-first
  • Google Fonts: Cache-first with 1-year expiration
  • Runtime caching for external resources

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Performance Considerations

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WASM Performance

BrowserRelative WASM Performance
Chrome100% (baseline)
Edge100% (same engine)
Firefox95-100%
Safari85-95% (slower WASM JIT)
Note: Safari’s WASM performance is slightly slower, but still acceptable for Gridfinity Builder’s use case.

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WebGL Performance

Three.js requires WebGL for 3D rendering. WebGL versions:
  • WebGL 1.0: Supported by all modern browsers
  • WebGL 2.0: Preferred for better performance
Minimum GPU requirements:
  • Intel HD Graphics 4000+ (2012)
  • Any dedicated GPU from the last 10 years
  • Mobile: Most smartphones from 2016+

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Known Limitations

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Firefox

  • No install button or prompt
  • PWA manifest limited to Android only
  • Otherwise fully functional

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Safari (macOS)

  • No install prompt
  • Service Worker debugging is limited
  • Slightly slower WASM execution
  • PWA manifest support incomplete

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Safari (iOS)

  • No install prompt (manual Add to Home Screen)
  • 50MB Service Worker cache limit (Gridfinity Builder fits comfortably)
  • No push notifications (not used by Gridfinity Builder)
  • Standalone mode hides browser chrome

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Mobile Browsers

  • Touch interactions work but desktop is recommended
  • Smaller screen makes detailed CAD work difficult
  • 3D performance depends on mobile GPU
  • Gestures may conflict with orbit controls

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Testing Recommendations

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Desktop

Primary: Chrome/Edge (best PWA experience) Secondary: Firefox (for WASM compatibility testing) Tertiary: Safari (for cross-platform validation)

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Mobile

Primary: Chrome Android (full PWA support) Secondary: Safari iOS (for iOS users)
BrowserMinimumRecommended
Chrome80Latest
Edge80Latest
Firefox74Latest
Safari13.115+

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Debugging Support

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DevTools Compatibility

FeatureChromeFirefoxSafari
React DevTools✅✅✅
Service Worker inspection✅✅⚠️ Limited
WASM debugging✅✅❌
Web Worker debugging✅✅⚠️ Limited

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Best Debugging Experience

Chrome DevTools offers the best debugging experience:
  • Full Service Worker inspection
  • WASM breakpoints and stepping
  • Web Worker console and profiling
  • React component tree inspection
  • Performance profiling for CSG operations

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Feature Detection

Gridfinity Builder does not implement fallbacks. It requires:
  • ✅ WebAssembly
  • ✅ Web Workers
  • ✅ ES2020+
  • ✅ WebGL
  • ✅ Service Workers (for offline)
No graceful degradation: If these features are missing, the app will not function. Future consideration: Add a compatibility check on load and show a friendly error message if requirements are not met.

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