Using library extensions with TypeScript + requirejs - three.js

Question

I'm currently messing around with THREE.js and socket.io to make a little game - I'm wanting to use the OrbitControls extension for THREE.js (i've used it before in a non-TS project) for camera controls.
The problem is that the client can't seem to find it (it compiles fine):
Uncaught TypeError: undefined is not a function
at line:
this.cameraControls = new THREE.OrbitControls(this.camera, this.renderer.domElement);
I'm including in my TS file using:
///<reference path="../typings/threejs/three-orbitcontrols.d.ts"/>
import OrbitControls = require("three-orbitcontrols");
At the bottom of my three-orbitcontrols.d.ts file I have my usual export that I seem to need at the bottom of some typing files:
declare module 'three-orbitcontrols' {
export=THREE.OrbitControls;
}
But i'm not sure if this is the right format, I've tried a few things like directing requirejs to the right file in the config (since the filename is a bit different):
paths: {
"three-orbitcontrols": "three.orbitcontrols"
}
Interestingly, after compiling with Gulp (using AMD), three-orbitcontrols does not appear in the require at the top of the resulting .js file.
My question is: how do you properly include an 'extension' library for a library you already have with TS and requirejs? Is there some form of merge I need to do? Do i need to manually merge the d.ts and js files? (I hope not!)
Thanks!

Answer 1

how do you properly include an 'extension' library for a library you already have with TS and requirejs?
Since you are calling THREE. here : new THREE.OrbitControls. You need to put import OrbitControls = require("three-orbitcontrols"); on THREE so:
import OrbitControls = require("three-orbitcontrols");
THREE.OrbitControls = OrbitControls;
Note: There isn't an idiomatic way of doing this since there isn't an idiomatic way that JavaScript libraries do this. The solution here is specific to your use case and this extension.