THREE.js can not rotate object - three.js

Question

I am attempting to rotate an object I uploaded along its y axis. The object uploads and the material is applied. I have used the same code to rotate a sphere but it does not seem to work with a custom object. If I un-comment the line at the bottom that is supposed to handle the actual rotation, the image no longer shows up as if there is an error.
Web GL Test
body {
font-family: Monospace;
background-color: #f0f0f0;
margin: 0px;
overflow: hidden;
}
<script src="js/three.min.js"></script>
<script src="js/OBJLoader.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var container, stats;
var camera, scene, renderer;
var targetRotation = 0;
var targetRotationOnMouseDown = 0;
var mouseX = 0;
var mouseXOnMouseDown = 0;
var windowHalfX = window.innerWidth / 2;
var windowHalfY = window.innerHeight / 2;
init();
animate();
function init() {
container = document.createElement( 'div' );
document.body.appendChild( container );
camera = new THREE.PerspectiveCamera( 70, window.innerWidth / window.innerHeight, 1, 1000 );
camera.position.y = 200;
camera.position.z = 150;
scene = new THREE.Scene();
var loader = new THREE.OBJLoader();
loader.addEventListener( 'load', function ( event ) {
var object = event.content;
var geom = new THREE.SphereGeometry( 100, 50, 50 );
object.traverse( function ( child ) {
if ( child instanceof THREE.Mesh ) {
child.material.map = texture;
}
} );
object.position.y = 150;
scene.add( object );
});
loader.load( 'Head.obj' );
var texture = THREE.ImageUtils.loadTexture('face.gif');
texture.needsUpdate = true;
renderer = new THREE.CanvasRenderer();
renderer.setSize( window.innerWidth, window.innerHeight );
container.appendChild( renderer.domElement );
document.addEventListener( 'mousedown', onDocumentMouseDown, false );
document.addEventListener( 'touchstart', onDocumentTouchStart, false );
document.addEventListener( 'touchmove', onDocumentTouchMove, false );
//
window.addEventListener( 'resize', onWindowResize, false );
}
function onWindowResize() {
windowHalfX = window.innerWidth / 2;
windowHalfY = window.innerHeight / 2;
camera.aspect = window.innerWidth / window.innerHeight;
camera.updateProjectionMatrix();
renderer.setSize( window.innerWidth, window.innerHeight );
}
//
function onDocumentMouseDown( event ) {
event.preventDefault();
document.addEventListener( 'mousemove', onDocumentMouseMove, false );
document.addEventListener( 'mouseup', onDocumentMouseUp, false );
document.addEventListener( 'mouseout', onDocumentMouseOut, false );
mouseXOnMouseDown = event.clientX - windowHalfX;
targetRotationOnMouseDown = targetRotation;
}
function onDocumentMouseMove( event ) {
mouseX = event.clientX - windowHalfX;
targetRotation = targetRotationOnMouseDown + ( mouseX - mouseXOnMouseDown ) * 0.02;
}
function onDocumentMouseUp( event ) {
document.removeEventListener( 'mousemove', onDocumentMouseMove, false );
document.removeEventListener( 'mouseup', onDocumentMouseUp, false );
document.removeEventListener( 'mouseout', onDocumentMouseOut, false );
}
function onDocumentMouseOut( event ) {
document.removeEventListener( 'mousemove', onDocumentMouseMove, false );
document.removeEventListener( 'mouseup', onDocumentMouseUp, false );
document.removeEventListener( 'mouseout', onDocumentMouseOut, false );
}
function onDocumentTouchStart( event ) {
if ( event.touches.length === 1 ) {
event.preventDefault();
mouseXOnMouseDown = event.touches[ 0 ].pageX - windowHalfX;
targetRotationOnMouseDown = targetRotation;
}
}
function onDocumentTouchMove( event ) {
if ( event.touches.length === 1 ) {
event.preventDefault();
mouseX = event.touches[ 0 ].pageX - windowHalfX;
targetRotation = targetRotationOnMouseDown + ( mouseX - mouseXOnMouseDown ) * 0.05;
}
}
//
function animate() {
requestAnimationFrame( animate );
render();
}
function render() {
//object.rotation.y += ( targetRotation - object.rotation.y ) * 0.05;
renderer.render( scene, camera );
}
</script>
</body>

Answer 1

The problem is that you use the variable "object" in the animate function before it is initialized. Also the variable "object" has a scope limited to the callback function of the loader.
You might want to read something about javascript variable scope.
http://www.mredkj.com/tutorials/reference_js_intro_ex.html
To solve your problem you might to change a few things.
1) Make the variable "object" global
// Make object a global variable
var camera, scene, renderer, object;
2) Do not call the animate function before the object is initialized
init();
//animate();
3) Do not use "var" inside callback function of the loader
var loader = new THREE.OBJLoader();
loader.addEventListener( 'load', function ( event ) {
//var object = event.content;
object = event.content;
var geom = new THREE.SphereGeometry( 100, 50, 50 );
4) Call "animate" after "object" is initialized
object.position.y = 150;
scene.add( object );
// Call animate after object is loaded and added to the scene
animate();
5) Good luck ;)