The original HTML is preserved here. Its custom mapping variant is also available as a separate edition.
BEFORE & AFTERTwo editions.
Two editions.
One instrument.
The original established the idea: play a grand piano and open it up. The new edition makes the instrument easier to study, the controls easier to find, and the mechanics easier to follow.
A fresh implementation of the instrument, camera, interface, and sound engine. The anatomy and keyboard mapping now live together.
What changed, and why.
THE SAME CORE OBJECTIVE| The experience | Earlier edition | Piano Atelier |
|---|---|---|
| The instrument | Custom WebGL model, broad geometry, flat lighting. | New curved grand rim, notched white keys, tapered legs, brass casters, grain on the soundboard, and cast shadows. |
| Opening it up | One exploded slider, with strings and frame moving together. | Independent layers for the lid, frame, strings, dampers, action, bridge, and soundboard. Camera framing adjusts as the layers separate. |
| Understanding the parts | Labels appear in the exploded view. | Selectable anatomy rows and matching labels highlight each layer and explain its role. A slow demonstration follows one note through the instrument. |
| Playing | 88 keys, synthesized notes, and mouse glissando. | Preserves the 88 3D keys and glissando; adds a full playable keyboard below, note frequencies, sustain controls, and octave shifts. |
| Your keyboard | Fixed mapping in the original; saved remapping in a separate file. | Saved physical-key mapping is built in. Assign any key to any note from A0 to C8, edit individual assignments, or restore the defaults. |
| Moving around | Orbit, pan, zoom, reset, and a keyboard preset. | Orbit, pan, and zoom remain; adds grand, keys, action, and overhead camera presets with smooth transitions. |
| Smaller screens | The compact layout relies on small labels and a constrained stage. | The anatomy panel stacks below the stage. The full keyboard scrolls horizontally, and starts near the mapped playing range. |
| Sound | Browser synthesis with plucked and oscillator components. | New harmonic synthesis with a hammer transient, register-dependent decay, stereo placement, light room ambience, and bounded polyphony. |
Still an illustration.
Both editions simplify a complex acoustic instrument. Piano Atelier is an educational model, not a mechanically exact piano or a sampled concert recording. Design is subjective; the additions above are concrete differences you can try.
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