diff --git a/examples/interactivity/index.html b/examples/interactivity/index.html
index 41aa8cc..a10293e 100644
--- a/examples/interactivity/index.html
+++ b/examples/interactivity/index.html
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 </head>
 
 <body>
-  <img src="loading.gif" alt="loading" id="loading">
   <div id="menu">
     <div class="border">
       <div class="border">
@@ -36,6 +35,7 @@
     import { OrbitControls } from 'three/addons/controls/OrbitControls.js';
     import { FOOD_ASSETS, FOOD_URL } from './food.js';
     import { getAssetFileURL } from "/examples/js/get-asset-url.js";
+    import { preloadSplats } from "/examples/js/preloader.js";
 
     // Add food items to the menu
     FOOD_ASSETS.forEach((food, i) => {
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
       el.textContent = food.name;
       el.href = 'javascript:;';
       el.addEventListener('click', async function () {
-        await switchToFood(i);
+        switchToFood(i);
       });
       document.getElementById('menu_list').appendChild(el);
     });
@@ -58,50 +58,6 @@
     const camera = new THREE.PerspectiveCamera(65, window.innerWidth / window.innerHeight, 0.1, 1000);
     camera.position.set(0, 0.9, -1.2);
 
-    // Setup lighting
-    const spotLight = new THREE.SpotLight(0xffcc88);
-    spotLight.position.set(0, 1, 0);
-    spotLight.castShadow = true;
-    spotLight.shadow.mapSize.width = 1024;
-    spotLight.shadow.mapSize.height = 1024;
-    spotLight.shadow.camera.near = 0.1;
-    spotLight.shadow.camera.far = 5;
-    spotLight.angle = 0.9;
-    spotLight.penumbra = 1;
-    spotLight.intensity = 3;
-    scene.add(spotLight);
-
-    const fillLight = new THREE.PointLight(0xffcc88, 0.2);
-    fillLight.position.set(0, 0, -3);
-    scene.add(fillLight);
-
-    // Splats don't project shadows, so we add a cylinder below the spotlight to fake one ;)
-    const geometry = new THREE.CylinderGeometry(0.45, 0.45, 0.04, 40, 1);
-    const material = new THREE.MeshPhongMaterial({ colorWrite: false, depthWrite: false });
-    const shadow = new THREE.Mesh(geometry, material);
-    shadow.visible = false;
-    shadow.castShadow = true;
-    shadow.position.set(0, 0.1, 0);
-    scene.add(shadow);
-
-    // Add table
-    const gltfLoader = new GLTFLoader();
-    const modelURL = await getAssetFileURL("table.glb");
-    const gltfTable = await gltfLoader.loadAsync(modelURL);
-    const table = gltfTable.scene;
-    // Set the table cloth to receive shadows
-    const tableCloth = table.children.find(item => item.name == 'cover');
-    tableCloth.receiveShadow = true;
-    scene.add(table);
-
-    // Add floor
-    const plane = new THREE.PlaneGeometry(10, 10);
-    const floormat = new THREE.MeshPhongMaterial({ color: 0x777777 });
-    const floor = new THREE.Mesh(plane, floormat);
-    floor.rotation.x = -Math.PI / 2;
-    floor.position.set(0, -1.397, 0);
-    scene.add(floor);
-
     // Setup mouse controls to orbit the camera around
     const controls = new OrbitControls(camera, renderer.domElement);
     controls.target.set(0.2, 0, 0);
@@ -110,10 +66,18 @@
     controls.enablePan = false;
     controls.update();
 
+
     // Current and next food splats
     let food, nextFood;
+    // Other items
+    let table, shadow;
+
+    // Add table
+    const gltfLoader = new GLTFLoader();
+    const modelURL = await getAssetFileURL("table.glb");
+    const gltfTable = await gltfLoader.loadAsync(modelURL);
+    table = gltfTable.scene;
 
-    const loadingIcon = document.getElementById('loading');
     // Transition length in frames.
     // Two transitions: one for fading out the old food, another for fading in the next one
     const TRANSITION_LENGTH = 60;
@@ -121,10 +85,64 @@
     let fadeOutTime = null;
     let fadeInTime = null;
 
-    // Load first food by default
-    await switchToFood(0);
+    // Preload all splat files
+    let splats;
+    preloadSplats(FOOD_ASSETS.map(t => t.file)).then(loaded_splats => {
+      splats = loaded_splats;
+      init();
+    });
 
-    renderer.setAnimationLoop(function animate(time) {
+    async function init() {
+      // show menu
+      document.getElementById('menu').style.display = 'block';
+
+      // Setup lighting
+      const spotLight = new THREE.SpotLight(0xffcc88);
+      spotLight.position.set(0, 1, 0);
+      spotLight.castShadow = true;
+      spotLight.shadow.mapSize.width = 1024;
+      spotLight.shadow.mapSize.height = 1024;
+      spotLight.shadow.camera.near = 0.1;
+      spotLight.shadow.camera.far = 5;
+      spotLight.angle = 0.9;
+      spotLight.penumbra = 1;
+      spotLight.intensity = 3;
+      scene.add(spotLight);
+
+      const fillLight = new THREE.PointLight(0xffcc88, 0.2);
+      fillLight.position.set(0, 0, -3);
+      scene.add(fillLight);
+
+      // Splats don't project shadows, so we add a cylinder below the spotlight to fake one ;)
+      const geometry = new THREE.CylinderGeometry(0.45, 0.45, 0.04, 40, 1);
+      const material = new THREE.MeshPhongMaterial({ colorWrite: false, depthWrite: false });
+      shadow = new THREE.Mesh(geometry, material);
+      shadow.visible = false;
+      shadow.castShadow = true;
+      shadow.position.set(0, 0.1, 0);
+      scene.add(shadow);
+
+      // Set the table cloth to receive shadows
+      const tableCloth = table.children.find(item => item.name == 'cover');
+      tableCloth.receiveShadow = true;
+      scene.add(table);
+
+      // Add floor
+      const plane = new THREE.PlaneGeometry(10, 10);
+      const floormat = new THREE.MeshPhongMaterial({ color: 0x777777 });
+      const floor = new THREE.Mesh(plane, floormat);
+      floor.rotation.x = -Math.PI / 2;
+      floor.position.set(0, -1.397, 0);
+      scene.add(floor);
+
+      // Load first food by default
+      switchToFood(0);
+
+      // Start render loop
+      renderer.setAnimationLoop(animate);
+    }
+
+    function animate(time) {
       controls.update();
       renderer.render(scene, camera);
       const rotation = time / 10000;
@@ -161,20 +179,17 @@
           fadeInTime = null;
         }
       }
-
-
-    });
+    };
 
     // Change food from menu link
-    async function switchToFood(foodIndex) {
+    function switchToFood(foodIndex) {
 
       // already transitioning
       if (fadeOutTime !== null || fadeInTime !== null) return;
 
       const foodItem = FOOD_ASSETS[foodIndex];
 
-      const splatURL = await getAssetFileURL(foodItem.file);
-      nextFood = new SplatMesh({ url: splatURL });
+      nextFood = splats[foodItem.file];
       nextFood.quaternion.set(1, 0, 0, 0);
 
       // Customize splat depending on the settings set for this food
@@ -188,7 +203,6 @@
       // Setup shadow to the required size, and make it visible only when the splat is initialized
       nextFood.initialized.then(() => {
         shadow.visible = false;
-        loadingIcon.style.display = 'none';
         fadeOutTime = 0; // Fade in next food
       });
 
@@ -197,10 +211,6 @@
       // toggle menu item
       const menu_items = document.getElementById('menu_list').children;
       for (let i = 0; i < menu_items.length; i++) {
-        if (foodIndex == i) {
-          loadingIcon.style.display = 'inline';
-          menu_items[i].appendChild(loadingIcon);
-        }
         menu_items[i].classList.toggle('active', foodIndex == i);
       }
     }
diff --git a/examples/interactivity/style.css b/examples/interactivity/style.css
index 2e7c349..acde7a5 100644
--- a/examples/interactivity/style.css
+++ b/examples/interactivity/style.css
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 body {
   margin: 0;
+  background-color: black;
 }
 
 h1 {
@@ -24,7 +25,7 @@ h3 {
 #menu {
   position: absolute;
   left: -12rem;
-  display: inline-block;
+  display: none;
   background-color: rgba(223, 203, 171, 0.8);
   padding: 2rem 2rem;
   margin-top: 4rem;
diff --git a/examples/js/forge_loading_black.gif b/examples/js/forge_loading_black.gif
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f421731
Binary files /dev/null and b/examples/js/forge_loading_black.gif differ
diff --git a/examples/js/forge_loading_white.gif b/examples/js/forge_loading_white.gif
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cf5a92d
Binary files /dev/null and b/examples/js/forge_loading_white.gif differ
diff --git a/examples/js/preloader.js b/examples/js/preloader.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d79e880
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/js/preloader.js
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+import { SplatMesh } from "@forge-gfx/forge";
+import { getAssetFileURL } from "/examples/js/get-asset-url.js";
+
+// Add loading icon in the center of the screen
+function addLoader(loading_icon_color) {
+  const loaderIcon = new Image();
+  loaderIcon.src = `/examples/js/forge_loading_${loading_icon_color}.gif`;
+  loaderIcon.id = "_forge_loader";
+  loaderIcon.style.position = "absolute";
+  loaderIcon.style.zIndex = 99999;
+  loaderIcon.style.left = "50%";
+  loaderIcon.style.top = "50%";
+  loaderIcon.style.transform = "translate(-50%, -50%)";
+  loaderIcon.style.pointerEvents = "none";
+  document.body.appendChild(loaderIcon);
+}
+
+function removeLoader() {
+  const el = document.getElementById("_forge_loader");
+  el.parentNode.removeChild(el);
+}
+
+// preload splats, returning a map [filename -> SplatMesh]
+export async function preloadSplats(assets, loading_icon_color = "black") {
+  addLoader(loading_icon_color);
+  const map = {};
+  await Promise.all(
+    assets.map(async (asset) => {
+      const splatURL = await getAssetFileURL(asset);
+      return new Promise((resolve) => {
+        map[asset] = new SplatMesh({
+          url: splatURL,
+          onLoad: () => resolve(),
+        });
+      });
+    }),
+  );
+
+  removeLoader();
+  return map;
+}