Flow-field.js – A library for generating flow fields

Flow-field.js – A library for generating flow fields(github.com)

82 points by romellogoodman 4 years ago | 15 comments

mkl 4 years ago |

Looks neat! I'm wondering why/how the first two results pictures (under "Values For num_steps") in https://tylerxhobbs.com/essays/2020/flow-fields have flow lines that are crossing each other. The paths follow a direction field, so that shouldn't happen except where the gradient vector vanishes, which doesn't seem to be the case there.

nrjames 4 years ago | |

There are many different ways to move objects through a flow field. Some people use the vectors to accelerate particles, others as instructions for instantaneous rotation, etc. The crossing lines aren't necessarily following the flow field in those images, but likely are just using vectors as an input to another set of instructions.

mkl 4 years ago | | |

Yes, okay, but the algorithm described just before that treats the vectors as tangents to the path. The pseudocode does a complicated-seeming grid lookup instead of just evaluating the function, but apart from that it's just following the vectors as tangents.

psytrx 4 years ago | |

I love flow fields. They are simple, yet elegant and efficient. They are flexible, which Tyler Hobbs shows very nicely in the linked article.

A few months ago I stumbled over that article, and it made me instantly want to try them out. Here's an experiment I made for my website (WIP):

https://preview.fdumont.net/generative/flow-field

joeberon 4 years ago | |

Tyler Hobbs usually keeps a large distance between the exposition of the algorithm and the actual artistic example for the sake of maintaining artistic technique secrecy.

imdsm 4 years ago |

A demo would be great for those with more curiosity than time

romellogoodman 4 years ago | |

Added to the readme but here is a demo https://codesandbox.io/s/flow-field-demo-kkzmg

code_biologist 4 years ago | | |

The GUI library that demo uses is pretty slick: https://github.com/pmndrs/leva

mkl 4 years ago | |

Click the very first link.

darkhorse13 4 years ago |

This is freaking awesome! 2 questions:

- Can I set the result as the background of a <div> element? Or does it have to be on a canvas? Either way, an actual usage example in the README would do wonders.

- Does anyone know of anything similar like this but in Python?

romellogoodman 4 years ago | |

I added an example to the readme but generally speaking this framework is pretty agnostic and you can use the x, y coordinates in each line with any library

darkhorse13 4 years ago | | |

Thank you, this is excellent.

roland35 4 years ago |

I have recently gotten into pen plotters (like the axi-draw) and needed some tools for generative code for art! This looks like an interesting base for a variety of styles

marstall 4 years ago |

very cool! would love to try to play around with this within a web page's design. kind of like how one might use gradients but on a whole new level ...

dave_sullivan 4 years ago |

Nice, I've been looking for something like this, will play around with it.