This code generates an animation that gives the idea of an ever changing network of nodes (each with different impact and possibly more than one color) connecting each other to create something.
I wanted to give it depth perception, so I ended up using two canvases around the title: one in the foreground, even over the words, and the other in background, with slightly larger and blurred elements.
Demo here, full JavaScript code at the moment:
// min and max radius, radius threshold and percentage of filled circles
var radMin = 5,
radMax = 125,
filledCircle = 60, //percentage of filled circles
concentricCircle = 30, //percentage of concentric circles
radThreshold = 25; //IFF special, over this radius concentric, otherwise filled
//min and max speed to move
var speedMin = 0.3,
speedMax = 2.5;
//max reachable opacity for every circle and blur effect
var maxOpacity = 0.6;
//default palette choice
var colors = ['52,168,83', '117,95,147', '199,108,23', '194,62,55', '0,172,212', '120,120,120'],
bgColors = ['52,168,83', '117,95,147', '199,108,23', '194,62,55', '0,172,212', '120,120,120'],
circleBorder = 10,
backgroundLine = bgColors[0];
var backgroundMlt = 0.85;
//min distance for links
var linkDist = Math.min(canvas.width, canvas.height) / 2.4,
lineBorder = 2.5;
//most importantly: number of overall circles and arrays containing them
var maxCircles = 12,
points = [],
pointsBack = [];
//populating the screen
for (var i = 0; i < maxCircles * 2; i++) points.push(new Circle());
for (var i = 0; i < maxCircles; i++) pointsBack.push(new Circle(true));
//experimental vars
var circleExp = 1,
circleExpMax = 1.003,
circleExpMin = 0.997,
circleExpSp = 0.00004,
circlePulse = false;
//circle class
function Circle(background) {
//if background, it has different rules
this.background = (background || false);
this.x = randRange(-canvas.width / 2, canvas.width / 2);
this.y = randRange(-canvas.height / 2, canvas.height / 2);
this.radius = background ? hyperRange(radMin, radMax) * backgroundMlt : hyperRange(radMin, radMax);
this.filled = this.radius < radThreshold ? (randint(0, 100) > filledCircle ? false : 'full') : (randint(0, 100) > concentricCircle ? false : 'concentric');
this.color = background ? bgColors[randint(0, bgColors.length - 1)] : colors[randint(0, colors.length - 1)];
this.borderColor = background ? bgColors[randint(0, bgColors.length - 1)] : colors[randint(0, colors.length - 1)];
this.opacity = 0.05;
this.speed = (background ? randRange(speedMin, speedMax) / backgroundMlt : randRange(speedMin, speedMax)); // * (radMin / this.radius);
this.speedAngle = Math.random() * 2 * Math.PI;
this.speedx = Math.cos(this.speedAngle) * this.speed;
this.speedy = Math.sin(this.speedAngle) * this.speed;
var spacex = Math.abs((this.x - (this.speedx < 0 ? -1 : 1) * (canvas.width / 2 + this.radius)) / this.speedx),
spacey = Math.abs((this.y - (this.speedy < 0 ? -1 : 1) * (canvas.height / 2 + this.radius)) / this.speedy);
this.ttl = Math.min(spacex, spacey);
};
Circle.prototype.init = function() {
Circle.call(this, this.background);
}
//support functions
//generate random int a<=x<=b
function randint(a, b) {
return Math.floor(Math.random() * (b - a + 1) + a);
}
//generate random float
function randRange(a, b) {
return Math.random() * (b - a) + a;
}
//generate random float more likely to be close to a
function hyperRange(a, b) {
return Math.random() * Math.random() * Math.random() * (b - a) + a;
}
//rendering function
function drawCircle(ctx, circle) {
//circle.radius *= circleExp;
var radius = circle.background ? circle.radius *= circleExp : circle.radius /= circleExp;
ctx.beginPath();
ctx.arc(circle.x, circle.y, radius * circleExp, 0, 2 * Math.PI, false);
ctx.lineWidth = Math.max(1, circleBorder * (radMin - circle.radius) / (radMin - radMax));
ctx.strokeStyle = ['rgba(', circle.borderColor, ',', circle.opacity, ')'].join('');
if (circle.filled == 'full') {
ctx.fillStyle = ['rgba(', circle.borderColor, ',', circle.background ? circle.opacity * 0.8 : circle.opacity, ')'].join('');
ctx.fill();
ctx.lineWidth=0;
ctx.strokeStyle = ['rgba(', circle.borderColor, ',', 0, ')'].join('');
}
ctx.stroke();
if (circle.filled == 'concentric') {
ctx.beginPath();
ctx.arc(circle.x, circle.y, radius / 2, 0, 2 * Math.PI, false);
ctx.lineWidth = Math.max(1, circleBorder * (radMin - circle.radius) / (radMin - radMax));
ctx.strokeStyle = ['rgba(', circle.color, ',', circle.opacity, ')'].join('');
ctx.stroke();
}
circle.x += circle.speedx;
circle.y += circle.speedy;
if (circle.opacity < (circle.background ? maxOpacity : 1)) circle.opacity += 0.01;
circle.ttl--;
}
//initializing function
function init() {
window.requestAnimationFrame(draw);
}
//rendering function
function draw() {
if (circlePulse) {
if (circleExp < circleExpMin || circleExp > circleExpMax) circleExpSp *= -1;
circleExp += circleExpSp;
}
var ctxfr = document.getElementById('canvas').getContext('2d');
var ctxbg = document.getElementById('canvasbg').getContext('2d');
ctxfr.globalCompositeOperation = 'destination-over';
ctxfr.clearRect(0, 0, canvas.width, canvas.height); // clear canvas
ctxbg.globalCompositeOperation = 'destination-over';
ctxbg.clearRect(0, 0, canvas.width, canvas.height); // clear canvas
ctxfr.save();
ctxfr.translate(canvas.width / 2, canvas.height / 2);
ctxbg.save();
ctxbg.translate(canvas.width / 2, canvas.height / 2);
//function to render each single circle, its connections and to manage its out of boundaries replacement
function renderPoints(ctx, arr) {
for (var i = 0; i < arr.length; i++) {
var circle = arr[i];
//checking if out of boundaries
if (circle.ttl<0) {}
var xEscape = canvas.width / 2 + circle.radius,
yEscape = canvas.height / 2 + circle.radius;
if (circle.ttl < -20) arr[i].init(arr[i].background);
//if (Math.abs(circle.y) > yEscape || Math.abs(circle.x) > xEscape) arr[i].init(arr[i].background);
drawCircle(ctx, circle);
}
for (var i = 0; i < arr.length - 1; i++) {
for (var j = i + 1; j < arr.length; j++) {
var deltax = arr[i].x - arr[j].x;
var deltay = arr[i].y - arr[j].y;
var dist = Math.pow(Math.pow(deltax, 2) + Math.pow(deltay, 2), 0.5);
//if the circles are overlapping, no laser connecting them
if (dist <= arr[i].radius + arr[j].radius) continue;
//otherwise we connect them only if the dist is < linkDist
if (dist < linkDist) {
var xi = (arr[i].x < arr[j].x ? 1 : -1) * Math.abs(arr[i].radius * deltax / dist);
var yi = (arr[i].y < arr[j].y ? 1 : -1) * Math.abs(arr[i].radius * deltay / dist);
var xj = (arr[i].x < arr[j].x ? -1 : 1) * Math.abs(arr[j].radius * deltax / dist);
var yj = (arr[i].y < arr[j].y ? -1 : 1) * Math.abs(arr[j].radius * deltay / dist);
ctx.beginPath();
ctx.moveTo(arr[i].x + xi, arr[i].y + yi);
ctx.lineTo(arr[j].x + xj, arr[j].y + yj);
var samecolor = arr[i].color == arr[j].color;
ctx.strokeStyle = ["rgba(", arr[i].borderColor, ",", Math.min(arr[i].opacity, arr[j].opacity) * ((linkDist - dist) / linkDist), ")"].join("");
ctx.lineWidth = (arr[i].background ? lineBorder * backgroundMlt : lineBorder) * ((linkDist - dist) / linkDist); //*((linkDist-dist)/linkDist);
ctx.stroke();
}
}
}
}
var startTime = Date.now();
renderPoints(ctxfr, points);
renderPoints(ctxbg, pointsBack);
deltaT = Date.now() - startTime;
ctxfr.restore();
ctxbg.restore();
window.requestAnimationFrame(draw);
}
init();
I asked around and ctx.save() and ctx.restore() are in the top list of suspects, but I wouldn't know how to do this without them.
Notes: The first part with the general variables might not be the best practice, but it worked to let a non-technical staff member (UI designer) play on the variables to see different results.
This is my first animation with canvas, which AFAIK should have been the best option in terms of cross-browser support and (decent) performances, but any advice on this side is still welcome; also, seems to slow down significantly on FF, but just on some machines.
Should I use something other than canvas to do the animation?
