Silk — Interactive generative art | Hacker News Reader

Silk — Interactive generative art

new.weavesilk.com

213 pointsbawllz69 comments

Open articleView on HN

Some amazing generative art, done with Processing, here: http://complexification.net/gallery/

You can grab the source for these and play around with them, tweaking values to see how things work.

One of my favorites is Sand Traveler. The underlying algorithm is relatively simple, but the results are stunning.

These are presented as Java applets, but Processing 2.0 now lets you export code to JavaScript (processing.js).

It also exports to Android apk files, so you can build Android apps with Processing.

Very interesting. It's random, but not enough to keep you from controlling the brush to create natural images.

Trunk on fire: http://new.weavesilk.com/?cz63

Flower: http://new.weavesilk.com/?cz7z

This is implemented with canvas. Cleaned source: http://pastie.org/5391134

FYI: that's a copyright violation because the original source doesn't carry a license that would allow it to be modified and reproduced.

That may be a matter of debate: http://programmers.stackexchange.com/questions/26548/what-is...

Quite impressed with this; only thing 'wrong' with it is that the gray/black color should erase rather than add. Thanks for the source link Void_.

I do a fair bit of generative music stuff, so I'm impressed with that part as much as the pretty colors: http://new.weavesilk.com/?czw6

> I do a fair bit of generative music stuff

Wow, got any of that online somewhere yet?

I'm kind of shy about my music :-)

Which GM by others out there you like and would recommend, then?

Ok this was mine : http://new.weavesilk.com/?czgl

Would love to see a retina iPad version of this.

If you took this graphical art concept and combined it with the generative music concept of apps like Brian Eno's bloom, you'd have an absolutely amazing app

You'll probably like Borderlands: http://www.borderlands-granular.com/app/

I'm a hardware guy, but that tempts me to pick up an iPad.

This is a fun toy on the iPad. Not the same as the silk stuff but still fun.

Just for fun here are yours and mine combined: http://i.imgur.com/vpB4i.jpg (Michael Angelo have nothing on us!)

"Would love to see a retina iPad version of this."

There are several other iPad generative art apps. Check out Art of Glow.

mine: http://new.weavesilk.com/?d640 http://new.weavesilk.com/?d6bb

dueling dragons: http://new.weavesilk.com/?d7h7

Nice! Took a while to load, though, wonder why that is.

previously on HN, the non-new url

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2089615

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2101422

I've literally had this on repeat for almost 3 hours now: http://new.weavesilk.com/?d06a

So cool.

Even cooler is that you can select another color and DRAW ALONG WITH IT!!!

http://new.weavesilk.com/?d07y

Simply doodling, when out pops the angel of death. Lovely :)

Its not an angel... is actually the Devil! http://new.weavesilk.com/?d2du

Made an angel too (tried to do Tyrael but can't pull it off) http://new.weavesilk.com/?d9he

I am sorry, but what am I missing - where is the interaction? I can't interact with the art I create. What is the difference between this and Photoshop (or any other image editor for example) except for it being browser based and playing some sounds in the background?

It is very well done, and what you can make with it is very impressive. Good work!

> I am sorry, but what am I missing - where is the interaction?

you can paint on creations while they play. try it http://new.weavesilk.com/?d07e

My attempt at Ringo: http://new.weavesilk.com/?czix

These make a good 'just because' mini gift :)

Here is a heart: http://new.weavesilk.com/?d38q

You have to think a little different to create smooth curves. http://new.weavesilk.com/?d3hr

This is pretty old but still pretty fun. http://new.weavesilk.com/?cz33

http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/hSbE0...

Ha, here is mine. Fire and ice. http://new.weavesilk.com/?d1q5

Interesting idea - I had implemented a similar symmetry concept in one of my ios apps (http://gravitypaint.com - if you want to check it out).

Why not extend it to also cover radial symmetry - should be easy to add and you can let the user set the angle etc...

All I get is a parked domain on gravitypaint.com

All okay here. I can access the website without any trouble.

However, a website with some picture of an iOS app is much less interesting than an interactive web application, at least for me.

My intention was never to try and impress anyone. That "app" was actually born from a mistake. I was messing with some particle generation in ogl for iOS, forgot a clear and found myself very amused with the results. From there, I used it as an excuse to explore PS and UI design, and the addiction fed itself until I got overwhelmed doing other projects.

I have long since realized that getting noticed in an app marketplace requires some serious time, PR and effort - none of which I am fond of parting with at the moment.

mine...sadness. http://new.weavesilk.com/?d323

Look, I made a cat http://i.imgur.com/KK9fk.png

Pretty cool, reminds me of this: http://al.chemy.org/

Everytime I play with Silk it feels wildly beautiful. I don't know what it is about it, but I love it.

PAUL http://new.weavesilk.com/?d36f

Frightening chicken cat: http://new.weavesilk.com/?d376 ;)

Could someone list another apps that can make "beautiful" graphic like this app? (Or at least, something that could be done by non-artist, no photoshop / pattern / texture needed to generate the graphic).

With the symmetry setting disabled, this is an interesting way of freestyle sketching (more so with a Wacom) http://new.weavesilk.com/?d4e6

I think I made a demonic, dual-wielding Samurai: http://new.weavesilk.com/?d119

Or it may just be a mess.

Probably obvious. A nuclear explosion: http://new.weavesilk.com/?dayj

This is superb, thanks for posting I must have missed it the previous times. What is the ambiant music playing in the background?

Frightening. http://new.weavesilk.com/?czjy

Genisis - http://new.weavesilk.com/?e4xj

Works really good on the Android browser where things like this usually lag out (Galaxy S3). Smooth.

http://new.weavesilk.com/?d1q4

Very awesome. Needs undo!

Mine: http://new.weavesilk.com/?dao2

Works great on the iPhone five. The ad is a bit annoying in that it covers the entire interface.

Interesting this works better on my Galaxy Nexus than on my four year old MacBook. Chrome on my Nexus rules...

Do I need the app for this to run on iPhone4? I tried pulling up the site but it didn't work.

Super! I'd love the option to change the color of the background. Any way to do that?

Yeah, you can edit CSS with Inspector, change background-color for <body>.

It would be great if you could easily set the picture as your desktop background.

Can someone explain the technical details on how this program works?

-> "Note, Silk has sound, Mute?"

That was considerate and awesome. Thanks.

one more:

http://new.weavesilk.com/?d6v4 (needs 1920x1200 or above)

i would keep this background music running during my work.. makes me refreshed.

Superb.

Wow, just wow, amazing!

hi yuri! :)

This app is consuming my soul: http://new.weavesilk.com/?czkk

And Ctrl+Z would be nice.

I guess Undo would go a little against the spirit of this which includes a little randomness :-)

Well God dammit! I want to control everything, even randomness!

This is so dumb. Why is this art, because it's pretty? God listen to the music. So cheesy. It's the "Alienware" aesthetic. Nerd

Reply on news.ycombinator.com