agusman-Project07-Curves

sketch

//Anna Gusman
//agusman@andrew.cmu.edu
//Section E
//Project 07

var edges = 25;

function setup() {
  createCanvas(400, 400);
}

function draw() {
  background(10, 10); //use opacity to create lag illustion
  translate(width/2,height/2); //move "0,0" to center
  strokeWeight(0.2);
  noFill();
  drawHypotrochoid();
}

function drawHypotrochoid() {

    var x; //initialize x
    var y; //initialize y

    //set variables for hypotrochoid
    var a = 0;
    var h = map(mouseX, 0, width, 0, 480);
    var b = a/map(mouseY, 0, height, 0, 480);

    for (var i = 0; i < 20; i++){
        var x;
        var y;
        var a = map(mouseX,0,width,-200,200); //alpha
        var b = edges; //beta
        var h = map(mouseY,0,height,0,10*i);

        //changes the color gradient based on mouse position
        var red = map(i,0,50,0,255);
        var green = map(mouseX,0,width,0,255);
        var blue = map(mouseY,0,height,0,255);
        stroke(color(red,green,blue));
  }

    //draw hypotrochoid
    beginShape();
        for (var i = 0; i < 200; i++) {

            var angle = map(i, 0, 200, 0, TWO_PI);

            var x = (a - b) * cos(angle) + h * cos (((a - b)/b)*angle);
            var y = (a - b) * sin(angle) - h * sin (((a - b)/b)*angle);

            vertex(x, y);

        }

    endShape();
}

This project was culmination of happy accidents- I found that the best way to approach manipulating graphical elements of my algorithm was to experiment and play with combinations of values when mapping my mouse interactions. It was surprisingly helpful to use the mouse as a tool to explore the different geometric permutations and their relationships to one another. The experience weakened my fear of using strange and foreign numbers and letters (back from calc in high school) as a very liberating creative tool. I found that adding even the simplest and subtlest of effects (like redrawing the background with a lower opacity) resulted in really great visual manipulations. For my curve, I used a hypotrochoid because it’s roulette drawing sequence reminded me of the clock mechanism from my project 06.

Here are some screenshots of some permutations