Assignment Week #3 – MAGNETS

Concept:

My idea was to simulate a magnetic field by making attractors and movers. Attractors pull objects towards them and repel if they are too close and they also attract other attractors, while movers navigate this field of forces. The movers when in motion look like a visual representation of what a magnetic field would look like

Implementation:

1. Attractors: These are objects that exert attractive forces on nearby movers. They are represented as red points on the canvas and move randomly. Attractors demonstrate the concept of attraction within the simulation.
2. Movers: These are objects that are affected by the forces exerted by attractors and other movers. Each mover experiences both attraction and repulsion forces. These forces influence the motion and behavior of the movers.
3. Turbulence: To add an extra layer of complexity and randomness, turbulence forces are applied to the movers. This turbulence causes the movers to exhibit unpredictable behavior.

Sketch:

https://editor.p5js.org/mi1171/full/TP9sdc9VE

Code:

function applyRepulsionFromAttractors(mover) {
  for (let attractor of attractors) {
    let force = attractor.copy().sub(mover.pos);
    let distance = force.mag();
    
    if (distance < repelDistance) {
      let strength = -repelStrength / (distance * distance);
      force.setMag(strength);
      mover.applyForce(force);
    } else if (distance < attractionDistance) {
      let strength = 5000 / (distance * distance);
      force.setMag(strength);
      mover.applyForce(force);
    }
  }
}

function applyRepulsionFromMouse(mover) {
  if (attractToMouse && mouseIsPressed) {
    let mouseForce = createVector(mouseX, mouseY).sub(mover.pos);
    let mouseDistance = mouseForce.mag();
    
    if (mouseDistance < repelDistance) {
      let mouseStrength = -repelStrength / (mouseDistance * mouseDistance);
      mouseForce.setMag(mouseStrength);
      mover.applyForce(mouseForce);
    }
  }
}

function applyRepulsionBetweenMovers(mover) {
  for (let j = 0; j < movers.length; j++) {
    if (mover !== movers[j]) {
      let otherMover = movers[j];
      let force = otherMover.pos.copy().sub(mover.pos);
      let distance = force.mag();
      
      if (distance < moverRepelDistance) {
        let strength = -moverRepelStrength / (distance * distance);
        force.setMag(strength);
        mover.applyForce(force);
      }
    }
  }
}

function applyAttractionToMouse(mover) {
  if (attractToMouse && mouseIsPressed) {
    let mouseAttraction = createVector(mouseX, mouseY).sub(mover.pos);
    let mouseAttractionDistance = mouseAttraction.mag();
    let mouseAttractionStrength = 500 / (mouseAttractionDistance * mouseAttractionDistance);
    mouseAttraction.setMag(mouseAttractionStrength);
    mover.applyForce(mouseAttraction);
  }
}

function applyTurbulence(mover) {
  let turbulence = createVector(random(-1, 1), random(-1, 1));
  turbulence.mult(0.1);
  mover.applyForce(turbulence);
}

function applyAttractionBetweenAttractors() {
  for (let i = 0; i < attractors.length; i++) {
    for (let j = i + 1; j < attractors.length; j++) {
      let force = attractors[j].copy().sub(attractors[i]);
      let distance = force.mag();
      if (distance < attractionDistance) {
        let strength = attractionStrength / (distance * distance);
        force.setMag(strength);
        attractors[i].add(force);
        attractors[j].sub(force);
      }
    }
  }
}

These are the functions behind the forces that are in play in the simulation:

• applyRepulsionFromAttractors(mover): Computes forces that repel a “mover” from nearby “attractors.”
• applyRepulsionFromMouse(mover): Calculates repulsion forces on a “mover” from the mouse cursor when a certain condition is met, simulating user interaction.
• applyRepulsionBetweenMovers(mover): Computes repulsion forces between different “mover” objects, preventing them from getting too close.
• applyAttractionToMouse(mover): Applies an attraction force from the mouse cursor to a “mover” when another condition is satisfied, allowing users to pull objects toward the cursor.
• applyTurbulence(mover): Adds random turbulence forces to create unpredictable, jittery motion in the “mover” objects.
• applyAttractionBetweenAttractors(): Calculates attraction forces between pairs of “attractor” objects, simulating magnetic attraction.

Challenges:

– Force Calculation: Calculating and applying the correct forces to achieve realistic attraction and repulsion between objects.

Future Improvements:

Some potential future improvements include:

– Additional Forces: Experiment with different types of forces, such as gravitational forces or custom-defined force fields, to create diverse and intriguing simulations.

– User Controls: Implement sliders or input fields to allow users to adjust parameters like attraction and repulsion strengths, turbulence intensity, or the number of objects in the simulation.

– Visual Effects: Incorporate visual effects like trails, color variations, or particle-like representations to add depth and visual appeal to the simulation.