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Phyllotaxy

This program takes the idea used to make the animated background in the last movie, and extends it by using more sprites and a more interesting coloring method.

The sprites are arranged in a logarithmic spiral involving the golden ratio - similar to plant phyllotaxy - e.g. the way seeds are arranged on a sunflower. This gives us an optimal distribution for the sprites, and makes for interesting patterns.

The color of each sprite is determined by a cyclic function involving time and the sprite's polar coordinates [d,a]. (its Distance from the center, and its Angle around the circle).

Sine waves are used to affect the:

  • number of 'spokes' in the pattern (it's radial frequency)
  • degree of twist
  • color palette used

 

  sourcecode icon  Download the flash project Next: Yin Yang Kaleidoscope  

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