Midterm Project Overview
This project expands on my assignment 3 project, where particles navigated a maze using goal attraction, wall repulsion, and turbulence. The midterm version adds multiple modes to explore different particle behaviors: refined maze navigation, free-flow turbulence, oscillating attractors, and dual attractors. The aim is to create diverse visual outputs and experiment with particle interactions, motion patterns, and color dynamics.
Implementation Details
The system now has a mode-based structure, allowing easy switching between behaviors using key presses (1–4). Each mode has its own settings for particle count, trail transparency, force strengths, and colors. Particles have variable sizes and colors, with trails rendered dynamically. Goals can be static, oscillating, or dual, depending on the mode.
Currently, walls are only implemented in Mode 1, the refined maze navigation mode. This is intentional for the progress version because Modes 2–4 are focused on exploring other behaviors, such as turbulence fields and moving attractors, without the influence of walls. Walls will be added to all modes in the final version to enhance particle interactions and visual complexity.
The reason for keeping the previous code is that the core particle and force mechanics are solid, so the current version builds on that foundation while adding more modes, dynamic goals, color variations, and adjustable parameters.
Key code highlights:
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Mode system for switching between particle behaviors.
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Particle class with forces: goal attraction, wall repulsion, and turbulence.
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Dynamic goal movement in oscillating and dual-attractor modes.
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Adjustable parameters for particle appearance, motion, and trail transparency.
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Walls implemented in Mode 1, with plans to expand to all modes in the final version.
Progress
Base Code(Assignment 3):
Current state:
Mode changes with number: 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Reflection
The system is modular and flexible, making it easy to tweak parameters and add new behaviors. Next steps include creating more visually distinct modes, experimenting with more complex attractors or obstacles, and improving color and trail effects to produce final high-resolution outputs suitable for A3 prints.
References
- Assignment 3 code as baseline
- p5.js library documentation: https://p5js.org/reference/
- Tutorials on generative particle systems and noise: https://natureofcode.com/