User:Shoebby/Webby Sprouts

Download here: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/webby-sprouts/

blogpost: https://www.lexie.land/dist/blogpost-penplot.html

(Where am I in) The Process

My dive into fractals brought me into contact with a lot of different mediums for drawing them, here is the process shown by way of images in (rough) chronological order.

Pen Plotting

import math
import numpy as np

file = open("fractal.hgl", "w")

def rotate(vec, angle): 
   rads = math.radians(angle)
   a = math.cos(rads)
   b = math.sin(rads)
   R = np.array([[a,-b], [b,a]])
   return np.dot(R, vec)

def tree(x1, y1, x2, y2, angleLeft, angleRight, ratio, depth):

   if depth == 0: return

   file.write(f'PU {round(x1)},{round(y1)};\n')
   file.write(f'PD {round(x2)},{round(y2)};\n')

   base = np.array([x2 - x1, y2 - y1])
   new_base = base * ratio
   right = rotate(new_base, angleRight)
   left = rotate(new_base, -angleLeft)
   
   end = np.array([x2, y2])
   right_end = np.add(end, right)
   left_end = np.add(end, left)

   tree(x2, y2, right_end[0], right_end[1], angleLeft, angleRight, ratio, depth - 1)
   tree(x2, y2, left_end[0], left_end[1], angleLeft, angleRight, ratio, depth - 1)

print("What's the stem's starting x position? (whole numbers)")
start_x = int(input())
print("What's the stem's starting y position? (whole numbers)")
start_y = int(input())
print("What's the stem's end x position? (whole numbers)")
end_x = int(input())
print("What's the stem's end y position? (whole numbers)")
end_y = int(input())

print("Are the branch angles symmetrical? (y/n)")
symmetrical = input().lower().strip() == "y"
if symmetrical:
   print("What angle are the branches? (in degrees, whole numbers)")
   angle = int(input())
   angleLeft = angle
   angleRight = angle
else:
   print("What angle is the left branch? (in degrees, whole numbers)")
   angleLeft = int(input())
   print("What angle is the right branch? (in degrees, whole numbers)")
   angleRight = int(input())

print("What ratio should the branches be? (decimal numbers (i.e. .75)) >1 means the branches grow with every recursion, <1 means they shrink.")
ratio = float(input())
print("How many recursions should this fractal be? (whole numbers) 5-10 is usually a good starting point to get an idea of the overall shape.)")
recursions = int(input())

tree(start_x, start_y, end_x, end_y, angleLeft, angleRight, ratio, recursions)

• 

  First fractal, made using the pen plotter and a Math'd python script to generate instructions

• 

  Video of the first fractal being drawn, you can hear my partner in the background 'ooh' and 'aah'ing

• 

  Following fractal experiments introduce variability in left/right angles and ratios

• 

  A fractal where the left angle is higher than the right angle

• 

  Chaotic fractal 1

• 

  Chaotic fractal 2

• 

  Chaotic fractal 3

• 

  Chaotic fractal 4

• 

  This fractal introduces slight randomization per branch, set within min-max limits

• 

  This fractal also randomizes ratios per branch, adding a much more organic and clustering look to the overall structure

• 

  I think this one is quite pretty

• 

  This one looks kinda cool I think

• 

  Hey woah

The Canvas Element

function tree(x1, y1, x2, y2, angleLeft, angleRight, ratio, depth) {
   console.log("entered tree depth: " + depth)
   console.log("(" + x1 + ", " + y1 + ") to (" + x2 + ", " + y2 + ")");

   if (depth <= 0) {
       return;
   }
   
   ctx.strokeStyle = "rgb(" + (parseInt(depth)*10) + " " + (parseInt(depth)*3) + " " + (parseInt(depth)*14) + ")";

   if (depth == 1) {
       ctx.fillStyle = "white";
       ctx.strokeStyle = "white";
       ctx.beginPath();
       ctx.arc(x2, y2, 5, 0, Math.PI * 2, false);
       ctx.fill();
   }

   ctx.moveTo(x1, y1);
   ctx.lineTo(x2, y2);
   ctx.stroke();

   var base = new Vector2(x2 - x1, y2 - y1);

   var new_base = base.clone().multiplyScalar(ratio);

   var angleLeft_rad = MathUtils.degToRad(angleLeft);
   var angleRight_rad = MathUtils.degToRad(angleRight);

   var left = new_base.clone().rotateAround(new Vector2(0, 0), -angleLeft_rad);
   var right = new_base.clone().rotateAround(new Vector2(0, 0), angleRight_rad);
   
   var end = new Vector2(x2, y2);
   var left_end = end.clone().add(left);
   var right_end = end.clone().add(right);


   tree(x2, y2, left_end.x, left_end.y, angleLeft, angleRight, ratio, depth - 1);
   tree(x2, y2, right_end.x, right_end.y, angleLeft, angleRight, ratio, depth - 1);
}

• 

  Now taking fractals fully digital I used the canvas element to generate them, generate your own here!

Fractals From Divs

function initTrees(treeAmount) {
  var startAngle = 360 / treeAmount;
  depthstep = 255 / depth;
  for (i = 0; i < treeAmount; i++) {
    tree(startLength, startAngle*i, depth, null, null, ratio);
  }
}

function tree(startLength, startRot, depth, parent, angle, ratio) {
  if (depth == 0) {
    return;
  }

  const newBranch = document.createElement("div");
  newBranch.classList.add("branch");
  newBranch.setAttribute("id", "treeBranch");                

  if (parent != null) {
    parent.appendChild(newBranch);

    newBranch.style.setProperty('--w', parent.offsetWidth * ratio + "px");
    newBranch.style.setProperty('--a', angle + "deg");

  } else if (parent == null) {
    newBranch.classList.add("root");
    document.body.appendChild(newBranch);

    newBranch.style.setProperty('--w', startLength + "px");
    newBranch.style.setProperty('--a', startRot + "deg");
  }

  newBranch.innerHTML = "" + newBranch.offsetWidth + ""

  newBranch.style.setProperty('--colorR', 255);
  newBranch.style.setProperty('--colorG', 255 - (depth * depthstep));
  newBranch.style.setProperty('--colorB', 0);
  newBranch.style.setProperty('--colorA', 1);

  parent = newBranch;
  tree(startLength, startRot, depth - 1, newBranch, angleLeft, ratio);
  tree(startLength, startRot, depth - 1, newBranch, -angleRight, ratio);
}

• 

  Canvas didn't really tickle me however, and then Doriane came with the suggestion to instead draw them using divs, which struck me as incredibly cursed and awesome

• 

  It works, and I could even apply past things like uneven left/right angles already, play with it yourself here

• 

  Squeer

• 

  Due to the way theyre drawn you can draw multiple over eachother to make neat patterns

• 

  (gif) First experiments with animating the tree

• 

  (gif) Spin

• 

  (gif) Spinnn

• 

  (gif) Spinnnnn

• 

  (gif) Spinnnnnnn

• 

  I figured I could also expose the CSS more to the user so they could mess with the styling for themselves, to make the trees pretty and/or weird-looking

• 

  (gif) Meta-ball-ish dual fractal spinning unfurling and such

• 

  (gif) Kinda the same but with wackier colours and using mix-blend-mode

Fractals From The DOM

• 

  So now lets take it to a web extension! Assignment: generate a tree fractal based on the webpage DOM

• 

  And also show what sort of element is related to which branch!

• 

  On some pages the tree even applies some of the page's styling to itself, why? How? I wish I knew (help)

• 

  Some interactivity is introduced, now element type pops up on hover! Maybe also highlight the elements themselves? (yes)

The Final Yuri

• 

  For fun I also made the divvy sprouts compatible with the webby sprouts, so they could intermingle, pull from eachother, and kiss!