Massless Suns and Dark Suns Recreated
https://youtube.com/shorts/RYotOqlaMWA?feature=share
I chose this specific artwork because it’s the one that I felt the most confused about. I really like how small the room was compared to the other rooms in teamlab. I decided to recreate it but with a twist where the sky is dark instead and the rippling effect is circular. In the interaction itself the rippling effect as I remember it comes from waving but in my sketch it is just generated every 5 minutes. I decided to keep it simple and I really like how it turned out,
A highlight of some code:
let dCenter = dist(s.x, s.y, width / 2, height / 2);
let dWave = abs(dCenter - waveRadius);
if (dWave < 55) {
glowBoost = map(dWave, 0, 55, 2.6, 1);
}
I’m most proud of this part of the code because it controls how the glowing wave interacts with the stars in a natural and visually pleasing way. Instead of simply turning stars on and off, I calculate the distance between each star and the expanding wave, which allows the glow to change smoothly as the wave passes. This creates a soft ripple effect rather than something harsh or mechanical.
Sketch
Milestones and challenges in process:
I started with a very simple star field where all the stars were randomly placed across the canvas. While this worked, it felt messy and unintentional, so I moved to a more structured layout using a grid. After that, I introduced slight randomness in position, size, and glow to make the stars feel more natural instead of perfectly uniform. A key milestone was adding the wave interaction, where every few seconds a ripple passes through the stars and makes them glow. This helped bring the piece to life and added a sense of timing and rhythm. One of the main challenges I faced was making the wave feel smooth and natural instead of harsh or mechanical. I had to experiment with distance calculations and mapping values so that the glow would transition gradually rather than suddenly.
This assignment didnt have many milestones but this is the previous experimentation sketch:
Reflection and ideas for future work or improvements
Overall, the sketch creates a calm and atmospheric experience, especially with the subtle glow and wave effect. I like how the stars feel balanced but still slightly natural rather than perfectly uniform. In the future, I would like to add more variation, such as a few brighter or larger stars, and experiment with different types of waves or subtle color changes to make the piece more dynamic and immersive.