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Measured entry

magicui-retro-grid

background-effectskeuomorphismmotion on file

A client-side React backdrop that renders a scrolling perspective grid with WebGL, then falls back to layered CSS when the graphics context is unavailable. It ships as a TypeScript shadcn registry item and relies on React browser APIs, Tailwind utility classes, and the usual cn helper alias.

Specimen
Motion capture of the mounted demo, recorded by the harness. No audio track.
Harness screenshot of magicui-retro-grid at 375 pixels wide
Harness screenshot at 375 pixels wide. No horizontal overflow recorded.
Harness screenshot of magicui-retro-grid at 768 pixels wide
Harness screenshot at 768 pixels wide. No horizontal overflow recorded.
Harness screenshot of magicui-retro-grid at 1440 pixels wide
Harness screenshot at 1440 pixels wide. No horizontal overflow recorded.

Measured

Every value below was written by the harness on the run that produced the frames above. None of it is derived from the prose.

Harness measurements recorded for magicui-retro-grid
BuildOK
MountOK
Console errors0
Uncaught page errors0
Horizontal overflowclean at 375, 768, 1440
Axe critical0
Axe serious0
Axe moderate0
Axe minor0
Gzip marginal30.3 KB (95.7 KB build, 65.4 KB baseline)
Bare modeFAIL
Provider requiredNO
Demo usedwritten from the component source API

What the harness recorded

BARE BUILD

✗ Build failed in 4.12s
error during build:
[vite:load-fallback] Could not load <sandbox>/src/lib/utils (imported by src/cut/retro-grid.tsx): ENOENT: no such file or directory, open '<sandbox>/src/lib/utils'

Verdict

A polished, defensive background effect with a CSS fallback and considerate motion handling. It builds and mounts in the prepared harness, but the bare project fails on the cn alias, so it needs a shadcn-style setup or a small portability edit.

Use it if

  • You need a decorative retro horizon behind a hero or landing-page headline.
  • Your React app already supports client components, Tailwind utilities, and a shadcn-style cn helper.
  • You want motion that pauses offscreen and respects reduced-motion preferences.
  • You need configurable grid angle, cell spacing, opacity, and theme-aware line colors.

Skip it if

  • You need meaningful content or interaction rather than a pointer-free decorative layer.
  • Your rendering target does not provide browser canvas APIs or client-side effects.
  • You want to avoid a continuously animated WebGL canvas in a visually restrained interface.
  • Your project cannot accommodate Tailwind utility classes or the cn import convention.

Install

Installation record for magicui-retro-grid
Declared dependenciesnone declared
Missing on installnone
Bare installfails once the shadcn-style helpers are removed, so it needs that setup
Providerno provider required in the harness

In a non-shadcn project, add a cn class-merging helper, configure the matching import alias, and provide Tailwind utilities including dark-mode variants and gradient classes. The host must use React on the client and give the absolutely positioned grid a sized, positioned parent.

Source and credit

This page is a review, not a copy. The component source lives with its author and this site does not republish it. Read the license before you use anything.

Author repository

github.com/magicuidesign/magicui
License
MIT
Record published
2026-08-13

Alternatives

Other published entries for the background-effect pattern, ordered by what they measured: mounts first, then clean axe scans, then bare-mode passes, then the smaller bundle.