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@mhekel
Last active April 5, 2026 12:37
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3D Book Browsing

3D Book Browsing

A CSS-only demo that simulates picking books off a shelf and previewing a page (on hover) in first-person. It all works using labels and offscreen radio inputs for each book, and a reset input as a Return button allows you to put everything back to its original position. I made up almost all the titles which parody random novels, developer attitudes, and some dark Internet things.

Notes

  • No 3D support in IE
  • Strange state animation behavior in Safari I have no idea how to fix

Update 12/13/23: Restored after being broken by Sass upgrade

A Pen by Marie Hekel on CodePen.

License.

<form class="container">
<input type="radio" name="title" id="book1"/>
<input type="radio" name="title" id="book2"/>
<input type="radio" name="title" id="book3"/>
<input type="radio" name="title" id="book4"/>
<input type="radio" name="title" id="book5"/>
<input type="radio" name="title" id="book6"/>
<input type="radio" name="title" id="book7"/>
<input type="radio" name="title" id="book8"/>
<input type="radio" name="title" id="book9"/>
<input type="radio" name="title" id="book10"/>
<input type="radio" name="title" id="book11"/>
<div class="surface">
<div class="block b1">
<div class="block-inner">
<div class="back"></div>
<div class="bottom"></div>
<div class="front"></div>
<div class="left"></div>
<div class="right"></div>
<div class="top"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="block b2">
<div class="block-inner">
<div class="back"></div>
<div class="bottom"></div>
<div class="front"></div>
<div class="left"></div>
<div class="right"></div>
<div class="top"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="block b3">
<div class="block-inner">
<div class="back"></div>
<div class="bottom"></div>
<div class="front"></div>
<div class="left"></div>
<div class="right"></div>
<div class="top"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="block b4">
<div class="block-inner">
<div class="back"></div>
<div class="bottom"></div>
<div class="front"></div>
<div class="left"></div>
<div class="right"></div>
<div class="top"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="block b5">
<div class="block-inner">
<div class="back"></div>
<div class="bottom"></div>
<div class="front"></div>
<div class="left"></div>
<div class="right"></div>
<div class="top"></div>
</div>
</div>
<label class="block b6" for="book1">
<div class="block-inner">
<div class="back"></div>
<div class="bottom"></div>
<div class="front">
<div class="spine">The Color Chuck Norris</div>
</div>
<div class="left"></div>
<div class="right" data-title="The Color Chuck Norris">
<div class="cover"></div>
<div class="contents">
<h1>Chapter 1</h1>
<p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="top"></div>
</div>
</label>
<label class="block b7" for="book2">
<div class="block-inner">
<div class="back"></div>
<div class="bottom"></div>
<div class="front">
<div class="spine">The Phisherman and His Wife</div>
</div>
<div class="left"></div>
<div class="right" data-title="The Phisherman and His Wife">
<div class="cover"></div>
<div class="contents">
<h1>Chapter 1</h1>
<p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="top"></div>
</div>
</label>
<label class="block b8" for="book3">
<div class="block-inner">
<div class="back"></div>
<div class="bottom"></div>
<div class="front">
<div class="spine">The Little Browser Engine That Couldn’t</div>
</div>
<div class="left"></div>
<div class="right" data-title="The Little Browser Engine That Couldn’t">
<div class="cover"></div>
<div class="contents">
<h1>Chapter 1</h1>
<p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="top"></div>
</div>
</label>
<label class="block b9" for="book4">
<div class="block-inner">
<div class="back"></div>
<div class="bottom"></div>
<div class="front">
<div class="spine">The DOM-Tree</div>
</div>
<div class="left"></div>
<div class="right" data-title="The DOM-Tree">
<div class="cover"></div>
<div class="contents">
<h1>Chapter 1</h1>
<p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="top"></div>
</div>
</label>
<label class="block b10" for="book5">
<div class="block-inner">
<div class="back"></div>
<div class="bottom"></div>
<div class="front">
<div class="spine">Sliding Into Auto-DMs</div>
</div>
<div class="left"></div>
<div class="right" data-title="Sliding Into Auto-DMs">
<div class="cover"></div>
<div class="contents">
<h1>Chapter 1</h1>
<p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="top"></div>
</div>
</label>
<label class="block b11" for="book6">
<div class="block-inner">
<div class="back"></div>
<div class="bottom"></div>
<div class="front">
<div class="spine">Copying and Pasting from Stack Overflow</div>
</div>
<div class="left"></div>
<div class="right" data-title="Copying and Pasting from Stack Overflow">
<div class="cover"></div>
<div class="contents">
<h1>Chapter 1</h1>
<p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="top"></div>
</div>
</label>
<label class="block b12" for="book7">
<div class="block-inner">
<div class="back"></div>
<div class="bottom"></div>
<div class="front">
<div class="spine">WordPress Updates Breaking Stuff</div>
</div>
<div class="left"></div>
<div class="right" data-title="WordPress Updates Breaking Stuff">
<div class="cover"></div>
<div class="contents">
<h1>Chapter 1</h1>
<p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="top"></div>
</div>
</label>
<label class="block b13" for="book8">
<div class="block-inner">
<div class="back"></div>
<div class="bottom"></div>
<div class="front">
<div class="spine">Waiting for Internet Explorer to Die</div>
</div>
<div class="left"></div>
<div class="right" data-title="Waiting for Internet Explorer to Die">
<div class="cover"></div>
<div class="contents">
<h1>Chapter 1</h1>
<p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="top"></div>
</div>
</label>
<label class="block b14" for="book9">
<div class="block-inner">
<div class="back"></div>
<div class="bottom"></div>
<div class="front">
<div class="spine">Copypaste Customer Support</div>
</div>
<div class="left"></div>
<div class="right" data-title="Copypaste Customer Support">
<div class="cover"></div>
<div class="contents">
<h1>Chapter 1</h1>
<p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="top"></div>
</div>
</label>
<label class="block b15" for="book10">
<div class="block-inner">
<div class="back"></div>
<div class="bottom"></div>
<div class="front">
<div class="spine">Catchy Clickbait Titles and Buzzwords</div>
</div>
<div class="left"></div>
<div class="right" data-title="Catchy Clickbait Titles and Buzzwords">
<div class="cover"></div>
<div class="contents">
<h1>Chapter 1</h1>
<p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="top"></div>
</div>
</label>
<label class="block b16" for="book11">
<div class="block-inner">
<div class="back"></div>
<div class="bottom"></div>
<div class="front">
<div class="spine">Spamming with Scrapebox</div>
</div>
<div class="left"></div>
<div class="right" data-title="Spamming with Scrapebox">
<div class="cover"></div>
<div class="contents">
<h1>Chapter 1</h1>
<p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="top"></div>
</div>
</label>
</div>
<input type="reset" value="Return"/>
</form>
- var blocks = 16;
- var title = ["The Color Chuck Norris", "The Phisherman and His Wife", "The Little Browser Engine That Couldn’t", "The DOM-Tree", "Sliding Into Auto-DMs", "Copying and Pasting from Stack Overflow","WordPress Updates Breaking Stuff","Waiting for Internet Explorer to Die","Copypaste Customer Support","Catchy Clickbait Titles and Buzzwords","Spamming with Scrapebox"];
- var bookStart = 6;
- var dummyText = "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.";
mixin bookTitle(t)
- if (t >= bookStart && t < bookStart + title.length) {
.spine=title[t - bookStart]
- }
mixin divBlock(d)
div(class="block b" + d)
.block-inner
.back
.bottom
.front
.left
.right
.top
mixin labelBlock(l)
- var bookId = l - bookStart;
label(for="book" + (bookId + 1),class="block b" + l)
.block-inner
.back
.bottom
.front
+bookTitle(l)
.left
.right(data-title=title[bookId])
.cover
.contents
h1="Chapter 1"
p=dummyText
.top
form.container
- for (var r = 1; r <= title.length; ++r) {
input(type="radio",name="title",id="book" + r)
- }
.surface
- for (var b = 1;b <= blocks;++b) {
- if (b >= bookStart && b < bookStart + title.length) {
+labelBlock(b)
- }
- else {
+divBlock(b)
- }
- }
input(type="reset",value="Return")
$sqSize: 16px;
$contW: 100%;
$contH: 100%;
$xSpaces: 24;
$ySpaces: 14;
$zSpaces: 19;
$xAngle: 80deg;
$zAngle: 0deg;
$books: 11;
$bookStart: 6;
$trans: 0.25s;
// font sizing
$fFontSize: $sqSize*0.75;
$rFontSize: $sqSize*1.5;
$cntntFontSize: $sqSize*0.7;
// non-book colors
$btnColor: #c22;
$shelfColor: #441e12;
/* Block placement */
// parameters: x-pos,y-pos,z-pos, width,depth,height, color, is-book
$blocks:
// shelf
(2,1,1, 22,14,1, $shelfColor, false),
(1,14,1, 24,1,18, $shelfColor, false),
(1,1,1, 1,13,18, $shelfColor, false),
(24,1,1, 1,13,18, $shelfColor, false),
(1,1,19, 24,14,1, $shelfColor, false),
// books
(2,3,2, 2,11,14, #c00000, true),
(4,3,2, 2,11,15, #891a21, true),
(6,3,2, 2,10,16, #bf3e22, true),
(8,3,2, 2,10,14, #0e4326, true),
(10,3,2, 2,11,15, #0066cc, true),
(12,3,2, 2,11,16, #0f7b7e, true),
(14,3,2, 2,10,15, #084e6f, true),
(16,3,2, 2,11,16, #0b0823, true),
(18,3,2, 2,10,14, #38103d, true),
(20,3,2, 2,10,15, #443344, true),
(22,3,2, 2,10,16, #666777, true);
@mixin grid($c, $s) {
$fontS: $s/3;
$xC: #c00;
$yC: #080;
background-image:
repeating-linear-gradient(
180deg,
$c,
$c 1px,
transparent 1px,
transparent $s
),
repeating-linear-gradient(
-90deg,
$c,
$c 1px,
transparent 1px,
transparent $s
);
border-bottom: 1px solid $xC;
border-left: 1px solid $yC;
&::before, &::after {
display: block;
font-size: $fontS;
position: absolute;
text-align: center;
width: $fontS;
height: $fontS;
}
&::before {
color: $yC;
content: "y";
top: 0;
left: -$fontS;
}
&::after {
color: $xC;
content: "x";
right: 0;
bottom: -$fontS;
}
}
@mixin placeBlock($x, $y, $z, $w, $d, $h, $c, $isBook) {
display: block;
transform: translate3d(
$sqSize*($x - 1),
$sqSize*(-$y - ($d - 1)),
($sqSize*$z) + ($sqSize*($h - 1))
);
.block-inner > div {
background-color: $c;
&.top, &.bottom {
width: $sqSize * $w;
height: $sqSize * $d;
}
&.top {
transform: rotateX(-90deg) translateY(-$sqSize*($d - 1));
}
&.bottom {
transform: rotateX(-90deg) translateY(-$sqSize*($d - 1)) translateZ($sqSize*$h);
}
&.front, &.back, &.left, &.right {
&::before {
background-color: #000;
content: "";
width: 100%;
height: 100%;
}
}
&.front, &.back {
width: $sqSize * $w;
height: $sqSize * $h;
&::before {
opacity: 0.2;
}
}
&.front {
transform: translateZ($sqSize * ($d - 1));
}
&.left, &.right {
width: $sqSize * $d;
height: $sqSize * $h;
@if ($isBook == true) {
&::before {
opacity: 0;
}
}
@else {
&::before {
opacity: 0.4;
}
}
}
&.right {
transform: rotateY(-270deg) translate3d($sqSize, 0, $sqSize*($w - $d));
transform-style: preserve-3d;
@if ($isBook == true) {
background-color: #fff;
&::after {
background-color: $c;
content: attr(data-title);
}
}
}
@if ($isBook == true) {
$pgC: #aaa;
&.top, &.back, &.bottom, {
background: {
color: #fff;
image: repeating-linear-gradient(90deg,transparent, transparent 21%, $pgC 21%, $pgC 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 46%, $pgC 46%, $pgC 50%, transparent 50%);
size: $sqSize $sqSize;
};
}
}
}
}
:root {
font-size: 20px;
}
*, *::before, *::after {
box-sizing: border-box;
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
}
body, input {
font-family: "Hind", sans-serif;
font-size: 1em;
}
body {
background-color: #ccc;
height: 100vh;
margin: 0;
}
input {
position: absolute;
}
input[type=radio] {
top: -20px;
left: -20px;
&:checked ~ input[type=reset] {
visibility: visible;
}
}
input[type=reset] {
background-color: $btnColor;
border: 0;
border-radius: 0;
color: #fff;
padding: 0.5em 0.75em;
bottom: 5%;
left: 50%;
visibility: hidden;
transform: translateX(-50%);
transition: background-color 0.2s;
-webkit-appearance: none;
appearance: none;
&:hover, &:focus {
background-color: lighten($btnColor,0.2);
}
&:active {
background-color: darken($btnColor,0.2);
}
}
.container {
animation: fadeIn $trans $trans linear forwards;
display: flex;
margin: auto;
opacity: 0;
overflow: hidden;
position: absolute;
top: 0;
right: 0;
bottom: 0;
left: 0;
width: $contW;
height: $contH;
perspective: 800px;
transform-style: preserve-3d;
}
.surface {
//@include grid(#888, $sqSize);
display: block;
width: $sqSize * $xSpaces;
height: $sqSize * $ySpaces;
margin: auto;
transform-style: preserve-3d;
transform: translateY($sqSize * $zSpaces/2) rotateX($xAngle) rotateZ($zAngle);
transition: transform $trans;
will-change: transform;
}
.block {
display: none;
transform-style: preserve-3d;
position: absolute;
bottom: 0;
}
.block-inner div {
display: flex;
flex-wrap: wrap;
align-content: flex-start;
position: absolute;
width: $sqSize;
height: $sqSize;
}
.block-inner {
position: relative;
width: $sqSize;
transition: transform $trans linear;
transform-style: preserve-3d;
transform: rotateX(-90deg) translateZ($sqSize);
}
.back {
transform: translateZ(-$sqSize) rotateY(180deg);
}
.left {
transform-origin: center left;
transform: rotateY(270deg) translateX(-$sqSize);
}
.right {
transform-origin: top right;
&::after, div {
top: 0;
left: 0;
transform-origin: 0 50%;
transition: transform $trans $trans linear;
}
&::after {
backface-visibility: hidden;
-webkit-backface-visibility: hidden;
color: #fff;
font-size: $rFontSize;
line-height: $rFontSize;
text-align: center;
padding: 20% 5%;
position: absolute;
width: 100%;
height: 100%;
z-index: 2;
}
div {
width: 100%;
height: 100%;
}
}
.top, .bottom {
transform-origin: top center;
}
.spine, .right::after, .contents h1 {
font: {
family: "Lora", serif;
weight: bold;
};
-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;
}
.spine {
background: transparent;
color: #ccc;
font-size: $fFontSize;
line-height: $fFontSize;
top: 0;
left: 0;
transform: rotate(90deg) translate($sqSize*0.75,-50%);
white-space: nowrap;
width: 0;
height: $sqSize;
}
.cover {
background-color: #fff;
z-index: 1;
}
.contents {
font-size: $cntntFontSize;
padding: $sqSize;
h1 {
font-size: 2em;
}
p {
font-family: "Source Sans Pro", serif;
}
}
// * Render blocks *
// one block only
@if length(nth($blocks,1)) == 1 {
.b1 {
@include placeBlock(
nth($blocks, 1),
nth($blocks, 2),
nth($blocks, 3),
nth($blocks, 4),
nth($blocks, 5),
nth($blocks, 6),
nth($blocks, 7),
nth($blocks, 8)
);
}
}
// more than one block
@else {
@for $b from 1 through length($blocks) {
.b#{$b} {
@include placeBlock(
nth(nth($blocks, $b), 1),
nth(nth($blocks, $b), 2),
nth(nth($blocks, $b), 3),
nth(nth($blocks, $b), 4),
nth(nth($blocks, $b), 5),
nth(nth($blocks, $b), 6),
nth(nth($blocks, $b), 7),
nth(nth($blocks, $b), 8)
);
}
}
}
/* Book Viewing */
label:nth-child(n+#{$bookStart}):nth-child(-n+#{$bookStart + $books}):hover .block-inner {
transform: rotateX(-90deg) translateZ($sqSize*4);
}
@for $i from 1 through $books {
input[type=radio]:nth-child(#{$i}) ~ .surface {
label:nth-child(#{$i + $bookStart - 1}) .block-inner {
animation: returnBook $trans linear;
}
}
input[type=radio]:nth-child(#{$i}):checked ~ .surface {
transform: translate(50% - (0% + ((2/$xSpaces) * 100) * $i),$sqSize * $zSpaces/2) rotateX($xAngle) rotateZ($zAngle);
label:nth-child(#{$i + $bookStart - 1}) .block-inner {
animation: viewBook $trans $trans linear forwards;
&:hover {
.right::after, .cover {
transform: rotateY(-135deg);
}
}
}
}
}
@keyframes fadeIn {
from {opacity: 0;}
to {opacity: 1;}
}
@keyframes viewBook {
from {transform: rotateX(-90deg) translateZ($sqSize*4) rotateY(0);}
50% {transform: rotateX(-90deg) translateZ($sqSize*15) rotateY(0);}
to {transform: rotateX(-90deg) translateZ($sqSize*15) rotateY(-90deg) rotateZ(-90deg + $xAngle) translateZ($sqSize*-5);}
}
@keyframes returnBook {
from {transform: rotateX(-90deg) translateZ($sqSize*15) rotateY(-90deg) rotateZ(-90deg + $xAngle) translateZ($sqSize*-5);}
50% {transform: rotateX(-90deg) translateZ($sqSize*15) rotateY(0);}
to {transform: rotateX(-90deg) translateZ($sqSize) rotateY(0);}
}
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Hind" rel="stylesheet" />
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Lora" rel="stylesheet" />
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Source+Sans+Pro" rel="stylesheet" />
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