BabylonJS/Babylon.js · error

Unsupported Shape Type.

Error message

Unsupported Shape Type.

What it means

HavokPlugin._createShape switches over PhysicsShapeType to build the matching Havok collider. The default branch throws for any shape type the plugin does not implement. Reaching it means the caller supplied a shape type outside the set Havok supports (or a garbage/undefined value).

Source

Thrown at packages/dev/core/src/Physics/v2/Plugins/havokPlugin.ts:1881

                        }

                        const scaleX = options.heightFieldSizeX / (options.numHeightFieldSamplesX - 1);
                        const scaleZ = options.heightFieldSizeZ / (options.numHeightFieldSamplesZ - 1);
                        shape._pluginData = this._hknp.HP_Shape_CreateHeightField(
                            options.numHeightFieldSamplesX,
                            options.numHeightFieldSamplesZ,
                            [scaleX, 1, scaleZ],
                            bufferBegin
                        )[1];

                        this._hknp._free(bufferBegin);
                    } else {
                        throw new Error("Missing required heightfield parameters");
                    }
                }
                break;
            default:
                throw new Error("Unsupported Shape Type.");
                break;
        }

        this._shapes.set(shape._pluginData[0], shape);
    }

    /**
     * Sets the shape filter membership mask of a body
     * @param shape - The physics body to set the shape filter membership mask for.
     * @param membershipMask - The shape filter membership mask to set.
     */
    public setShapeFilterMembershipMask(shape: PhysicsShape, membershipMask: number): void {
        const collideWith = this._hknp.HP_Shape_GetFilterInfo(shape._pluginData)[1][1];
        this._hknp.HP_Shape_SetFilterInfo(shape._pluginData, [membershipMask, collideWith]);
    }

    /**
     * Gets the shape filter membership mask of a body

View on GitHub (pinned to 0592b347b8)

Solutions

1. Only use PhysicsShapeType members Havok supports: SPHERE, BOX, CAPSULE, CYLINDER, CONVEX_HULL, MESH, HEIGHTFIELD, CONTAINER.
2. Ensure the value is the imported enum member, not a raw number or string; log it if unsure.
3. Reinstall matching @babylonjs/core and @babylonjs/havok versions so enum values line up.

Example fix

// before
const shape = new PhysicsShape({ type: 99 as PhysicsShapeType }, scene);
// after
const shape = new PhysicsShape({ type: PhysicsShapeType.BOX, extents: new Vector3(1, 1, 1) }, scene);

const SUPPORTED = [PhysicsShapeType.SPHERE, PhysicsShapeType.BOX, PhysicsShapeType.CAPSULE, PhysicsShapeType.CYLINDER, PhysicsShapeType.CONVEX_HULL, PhysicsShapeType.MESH, PhysicsShapeType.HEIGHTFIELD, PhysicsShapeType.CONTAINER];
if (!SUPPORTED.includes(shapeType)) {
  throw new Error(`unsupported shape type for Havok: ${shapeType}`);
}

function isSupportedShapeType(t: unknown): t is PhysicsShapeType {
  return [PhysicsShapeType.SPHERE, PhysicsShapeType.BOX, PhysicsShapeType.CAPSULE, PhysicsShapeType.CYLINDER, PhysicsShapeType.CONVEX_HULL, PhysicsShapeType.MESH, PhysicsShapeType.HEIGHTFIELD, PhysicsShapeType.CONTAINER].includes(t as PhysicsShapeType);
}

When it happens

Trigger: Passing an invalid numeric PhysicsShapeType (e.g. a hand-cast number), a type from a mismatched Babylon version, or a legitimately unsupported type into PhysicsShape/PhysicsShapeMesh-style constructors, so _createShape hits default at havokPlugin.ts:1881.

Common situations: Serializing/deserializing scene physics data that loses or corrupts the shape type; typing the shape type as plain number and passing an out-of-range value; using a plugin-specific type constant with the Havok plugin.

Related errors

• Unknown motion type: ${type}
• No mesh provided to create physics shape.
• Missing required heightfield parameters
• Unsupported Constraint Type.
• Unsupported type: ${outputType}

AI-assisted analysis of BabylonJS/Babylon.js@0592b347b8 (2026-08-30). Data as JSON: /api/errors/5b659fe5edf0d63d. Report an issue: GitHub.