pixijs-migration-v8 — Claude Code skill: migrate to PixiJS v8

---
name: pixijs-migration-v8
description: "Use this skill when upgrading to PixiJS v8 from v7 or diagnosing broken v7 code after an upgrade. Covers async app.init, single pixi.js package (deprecated @pixi/* sub-packages), Graphics shape-then-fill, BaseTexture → TextureSource, shader/uniform rework, ParticleContainer+Particle, constructor options objects, DisplayObject removal, settings/utils removal, Ticker signature, events rewrite. Triggers on: migrate v7, v8 breaking changes, @pixi/ import, DisplayObject, beginFill, endFill, cacheAsBitmap, BaseTexture, deprecated."
license: MIT
---

This skill is a breaking-change checklist for bringing a v7 codebase up to v8. Work top-down through the categories; the list maps each v7 pattern to its v8 replacement.

## Quick Start

Install the single package, then port in this order: imports → Application init → Graphics → Text → events → shaders/filters → cleanup.

```ts
const app = new Application();
await app.init({ width: 800, height: 600 });
document.body.appendChild(app.canvas);

const g = new Graphics()
  .rect(0, 0, 100, 100)
  .fill({ color: 0xff0000 })
  .stroke({ width: 2, color: 0x000000 });
app.stage.addChild(g);
```

**Related skills:** `pixijs-application` (async init), `pixijs-scene-graphics` (new fill/stroke API), `pixijs-custom-rendering` (shader rework), `pixijs-scene-text` (Text constructor changes), `pixijs-performance` (destroy patterns).

## Migration Checklist: v7 to v8

Work through each category. Each item shows the expected v8 pattern and the v7 pattern that must be replaced.

### Initialization

**Async app.init()** -- Expected:

```ts
const app = new Application();
await app.init({ width: 800, height: 600 });
document.body.appendChild(app.canvas);
```

Fail: passing options to `new Application({...})` and using synchronously.

**app.canvas replaces app.view** -- `app.view` emits a deprecation warning.

**Application type parameter** -- Expected: `new Application<Renderer<HTMLCanvasElement>>()`. Fail: `new Application<HTMLCanvasElement>()`.

### Imports

**Single package** -- Expected:

```ts
import { Sprite, Application, Assets, Graphics } from "pixi.js";
```

Fail: importing from any of the deprecated v7 core `@pixi/*` sub-packages (see list below). Supplemental packages like `@pixi/sound` are still valid and should continue to be used.

Deprecated `@pixi/*` packages (never use, any version):
`@pixi/accessibility`, `@pixi/app`, `@pixi/assets`, `@pixi/compressed-textures`, `@pixi/core`, `@pixi/display`, `@pixi/events`, `@pixi/extensions`, `@pixi/extract`, `@pixi/filter-alpha`, `@pixi/filter-blur`, `@pixi/filter-color-matrix`, `@pixi/filter-displacement`, `@pixi/filter-fxaa`, `@pixi/filter-noise`, `@pixi/graphics`, `@pixi/mesh`, `@pixi/mesh-extras`, `@pixi/mixin-cache-as-bitmap`, `@pixi/mixin-get-child-by-name`, `@pixi/mixin-get-global-position`, `@pixi/particle-container`, `@pixi/prepare`, `@pixi/sprite`, `@pixi/sprite-animated`, `@pixi/sprite-tiling`, `@pixi/spritesheet`, `@pixi/text`, `@pixi/text-bitmap`, `@pixi/text-html`.

**Custom builds** -- Set `skipExtensionImports: true` and import only needed extensions:

```ts
import "pixi.js/graphics";
import "pixi.js/text";
import "pixi.js/events";
import { Application } from "pixi.js";
await app.init({ skipExtensionImports: true });
```

Note: `manageImports: false` is still accepted but `@deprecated since 8.1.6`; prefer `skipExtensionImports: true`.

**Extensions not auto-imported** (require explicit import even with default auto-imports enabled):
`pixi.js/advanced-blend-modes`, `pixi.js/unsafe-eval`, `pixi.js/prepare`, `pixi.js/math-extras`, `pixi.js/dds`, `pixi.js/ktx`, `pixi.js/ktx2`, `pixi.js/basis`.

**Community filters** -- Expected: `import { AdjustmentFilter } from 'pixi-filters/adjustment'`. Fail: `@pixi/filter-adjustment`.

### Graphics API

**Shape-then-fill** -- Expected:

```ts
const g = new Graphics().rect(50, 50, 100, 100).fill(0xff0000);
```

Fail: `beginFill(0xff0000).drawRect(50, 50, 100, 100).endFill()`.

**Renamed shape methods:**

| v7                   | v8            |
| -------------------- | ------------- |
| `drawRect`           | `rect`        |
| `drawCircle`         | `circle`      |
| `drawEllipse`        | `ellipse`     |
| `drawPolygon`        | `poly`        |
| `drawRoundedRect`    | `roundRect`   |
| `drawStar`           | `star`        |
| `drawRegularPolygon` | `regularPoly` |
| `drawRoundedPolygon` | `roundPoly`   |
| `drawRoundedShape`   | `roundShape`  |
| `drawChamferRect`    | `chamferRect` |
| `drawFilletRect`     | `filletRect`  |

**Fill replaces beginFill/beginTextureFill** -- Expected:

```ts
graphics
  .rect(0, 0, 100, 100)
  .fill({ texture: Texture.WHITE, alpha: 0.5, color: 0xff0000 });
```

Fail: `beginFill(color, alpha)` or `beginTextureFill({ texture, alpha, color })`.

**Stroke replaces lineStyle** -- Expected:

```ts
graphics.rect(0, 0, 100, 100).fill("blue").stroke({ width: 2, color: "white" });
```

Fail: `lineStyle(2, 'white')` or `lineTextureStyle({ texture, width, color })`.

**Holes use cut()** -- Expected:

```ts
graphics.rect(0, 0, 100, 100).fill(0x00ff00).circle(50, 50, 20).cut();
```

Fail: `beginHole()` / `endHole()`.

**GraphicsContext replaces GraphicsGeometry** -- Expected:

```ts
const context = new GraphicsContext().rect(0, 0, 100, 100).fill(0xff0000);
const g1 = new Graphics(context);
const g2 = new Graphics(context);
```

Fail: `new Graphics(graphics.geometry)`.

### Text

**Options object constructor** -- Expected:

```ts
const text = new Text({ text: "Hello", style: { fontSize: 24 } });
const bmp = new BitmapText({ text: "Hello", style: { fontFamily: "MyFont" } });
const html = new HTMLText({ text: "<b>Hello</b>", style: { fontSize: 24 } });
```

Fail: `new Text('Hello', { fontSize: 24 })` (positional args).

**Bitmap font loading** -- Must `import 'pixi.js/text-bitmap'` before `Assets.load('font.fnt')`.

### Sprites / Mesh

**Texture.from no longer loads URLs** -- Must call `await Assets.load('image.png')` first, then `Texture.from('image.png')`.

**NineSliceSprite replaces NineSlicePlane** -- Expected:

```ts
const ns = new NineSliceSprite({
  texture,
  leftWidth: 10,
  topHeight: 10,
  rightWidth: 10,
  bottomHeight: 10,
});
```

**Mesh renames:** `SimpleMesh` -> `MeshSimple`, `SimplePlane` -> `MeshPlane`, `SimpleRope` -> `MeshRope`. All use options objects.

**MeshGeometry options** -- Expected:

```ts
const geom = new MeshGeometry({
  positions: vertices,
  uvs,
  indices,
  topology: "triangle-list",
});
```

Fail: `new MeshGeometry(vertices, uvs, indices)`.

**ParticleContainer uses Particle** -- Expected:

```ts
const container = new ParticleContainer({
  boundsArea: new Rectangle(0, 0, 800, 600),
});
const particle = new Particle(texture);
container.addParticle(particle);
```

Fail: `container.addChild(new Sprite(texture))`.

### Events

**eventMode replaces interactive** -- Expected:

```ts
sprite.eventMode = "static";
sprite.cursor = "pointer";
sprite.on("pointertap", () => {
  /* handle */
});
```

Legacy: `sprite.interactive = true;` (still works as an alias for `eventMode = 'static'`, but prefer the explicit form).

Default `eventMode` is `'passive'` (no events). Must set `'static'` or `'dynamic'` explicitly.

**Ticker callback** -- Expected:

```ts
app.ticker.add((ticker) => {
  bunny.rotation += ticker.deltaTime;
});
```

Broken: `app.ticker.add((dt) => { bunny.rotation += dt; })` -- compiles but `dt` is a `Ticker` object, not a number. Coerces to `NaN`, silently corrupting rotation.

**updateTransform removed** -- Use `this.onRender = this._onRender.bind(this)` in constructor instead.

### Shaders

**Shader.from uses options** -- Expected:

```ts
const shader = Shader.from({
  gl: { vertex: vertexSrc, fragment: fragmentSrc },
  resources: {
    myUniforms: new UniformGroup({ uTime: { value: 0, type: "f32" } }),
  },
});
```

Fail: `Shader.from(vertex, fragment, uniforms)`.

**Filter constructor** -- Expected:

```ts
const filter = new Filter({
  glProgram: GlProgram.from({ fragment, vertex }),
  resources: { filterUniforms: { uTime: { value: 0, type: "f32" } } },
});
```

Fail: `new Filter(vertex, fragment, { uTime: 0 })`.

**Uniforms require type** -- `new UniformGroup({ uTime: { value: 1, type: 'f32' } })`. Fail: `new UniformGroup({ uTime: 1 })`.

**Textures are resources, not uniforms** -- Pass as top-level resource entries (`texture.source`, `texture.style`), not inside UniformGroup.

### Textures

**Sprite no longer auto-detects texture UV changes** -- If you modify a texture's frame after creation, call `texture.update()` to recalculate UVs, then call `sprite.onViewUpdate()` to refresh the sprite. Both calls are required in this order. Updating source data (e.g. video textures) is still automatic.

```ts
texture.frame.width = texture.frame.width / 2;
texture.update(); // recalculate texture UVs first
sprite.onViewUpdate(); // then refresh the sprite's display
```

**Mipmaps** -- `BaseTexture.mipmap` renamed to `autoGenerateMipmaps`. For RenderTextures, you must manually update mipmaps:

```ts
const rt = RenderTexture.create({
  width: 100,
  height: 100,
  autoGenerateMipmaps: true,
});
renderer.render({ target: rt, container: scene });
rt.source.updateMipmaps();
```

### Adapters

**DOMAdapter replaces settings.ADAPTER** -- Expected:

```ts
import { DOMAdapter, WebWorkerAdapter } from "pixi.js";
DOMAdapter.set(WebWorkerAdapter);
DOMAdapter.get().createCanvas();
```

Fail: `settings.ADAPTER = WebWorkerAdapter; settings.ADAPTER.createCanvas();`.

Built-in adapters: `BrowserAdapter` (default), `WebWorkerAdapter` (for web workers).

### Other

**DisplayObject removed** -- `Container` is the base class. `class MyObj extends DisplayObject` fails.

**Leaf nodes cannot have children** -- `Sprite`, `Graphics`, `Mesh`, `Text` are leaf nodes. Wrap in `Container`.

**Renamed properties** (old names still exist as deprecated aliases with warnings):

- `container.name` -> `container.label`
- `container.cacheAsBitmap = true` -> `container.cacheAsTexture(true)`

**getBounds() return type changed:** `getBounds()` now returns a `Bounds` object, not a `Rectangle`. `Bounds` has `.x`, `.y`, `.width`, `.height` getters, so basic usage works. Use `.rectangle` when you need a `Rectangle` instance (e.g., for `.contains()`).

**settings object removed** -- Use `AbstractRenderer.defaultOptions.resolution = 1` and `DOMAdapter.set(BrowserAdapter)`.

**utils namespace removed** -- `import { isMobile } from 'pixi.js'` instead of `utils.isMobile`.

**Text parser renames:**

- `TextFormat` -> `bitmapFontTextParser`
- `XMLStringFormat` -> `bitmapFontXMLStringParser`
- `XMLFormat` -> `bitmapFontXMLParser`

**Assets.add** -- `Assets.add({ alias: 'bunny', src: 'bunny.png' })`. Fail: `Assets.add('bunny', 'bunny.png')`.

**Enum constants replaced with strings:**

| v7                           | v8                 |
| ---------------------------- | ------------------ |
| `SCALE_MODES.NEAREST`        | `'nearest'`        |
| `SCALE_MODES.LINEAR`         | `'linear'`         |
| `WRAP_MODES.CLAMP`           | `'clamp-to-edge'`  |
| `WRAP_MODES.REPEAT`          | `'repeat'`         |
| `WRAP_MODES.MIRRORED_REPEAT` | `'mirror-repeat'`  |
| `DRAW_MODES.TRIANGLES`       | `'triangle-list'`  |
| `DRAW_MODES.TRIANGLE_STRIP`  | `'triangle-strip'` |
| `DRAW_MODES.LINES`           | `'line-list'`      |
| `DRAW_MODES.LINE_STRIP`      | `'line-strip'`     |
| `DRAW_MODES.POINTS`          | `'point-list'`     |

**Culling is manual** -- Set `cullable = true`, then call `Culler.shared.cull(container, viewRect)` before render. Or add `CullerPlugin` via `extensions.add(CullerPlugin)`.

## Pre-Migration Summary

- [ ] No deprecated v7 core `@pixi/*` packages in dependencies (supplemental packages like `@pixi/sound` are fine)
- [ ] All core `@pixi/*` imports converted to `pixi.js`
- [ ] All `new Application({...})` converted to `await app.init({...})`
- [ ] All Graphics code uses shape-then-fill pattern
- [ ] All constructors use options objects (Text, Mesh, NineSliceSprite, etc.)
- [ ] Shader/Filter code uses `{gl, resources}` pattern with typed uniforms
- [ ] ParticleContainer code uses `Particle`, not `Sprite`
- [ ] Ticker callbacks access `ticker.deltaTime`, not first param as delta
- [ ] Event handling uses `eventMode` instead of `interactive`
- [ ] `settings` and `utils` references removed
- [ ] `DisplayObject` references replaced with `Container`
- [ ] Texture UV modifications call `sprite.onViewUpdate()` where needed
- [ ] RenderTexture mipmap code calls `source.updateMipmaps()` manually
- [ ] `settings.ADAPTER` replaced with `DOMAdapter.set()`

## Common Mistakes

### [CRITICAL] Importing from deprecated v7 core @pixi/\* sub-packages

Wrong:

```ts
import { Sprite } from "@pixi/sprite";
import { Application } from "@pixi/app";
```

Correct:

```ts
import { Sprite, Application } from "pixi.js";
```

v8 uses a single `pixi.js` package. The v7 core `@pixi/*` sub-packages are deprecated and must not be used (see the full list under Imports above). Supplemental packages like `@pixi/sound` are still valid.


### [CRITICAL] Using DisplayObject as base class

Wrong: `class MyObject extends DisplayObject { ... }`
Correct: `class MyObject extends Container { ... }`

`DisplayObject` was removed in v8. `Container` is the base class for all display objects.


### [HIGH] Using old SCALE_MODES/WRAP_MODES/DRAW_MODES enums

Wrong: `texture.source.scaleMode = SCALE_MODES.NEAREST;`
Correct: `texture.source.scaleMode = 'nearest';`

v8 uses string values. Old enums may work as deprecated aliases but should be replaced.


### [HIGH] Using `interactive = true` instead of `eventMode`

Legacy: `sprite.interactive = true;` (still works as an alias for `eventMode = 'static'`)
Preferred: `sprite.eventMode = 'static';`

Default `eventMode` is `'passive'` (no events). Must set `'static'` (hit-testable, no tick checks) or `'dynamic'` (hit-testable with tick checks) explicitly. `interactive = true` still works without a deprecation warning, but `eventMode` is the canonical v8 API.


### [HIGH] Using utils namespace

Wrong: `import { utils } from 'pixi.js'; utils.isMobile.any();`
Correct: `import { isMobile } from 'pixi.js'; isMobile.any();`

The `utils` namespace was removed. All utility functions are direct imports.


### [HIGH] Expecting texture UV changes to auto-update sprites

Wrong: modifying `texture.frame` and assuming the sprite updates automatically.
Correct: call `sprite.onViewUpdate()` after modifying texture UVs.

Sprites no longer subscribe to texture UV change events for performance. Source data updates (e.g. video) still auto-reflect.


## API Reference

- [v8 Migration Guide](https://pixijs.download/release/docs/migrations.html.md)
- [v7 Migration Guide](https://pixijs.download/release/docs/migrations-1.html.md)
- [Application](https://pixijs.download/release/docs/app.Application.html.md)
- [Graphics](https://pixijs.download/release/docs/scene.Graphics.html.md)
- [Container](https://pixijs.download/release/docs/scene.Container.html.md)