Experiment 2 - Living Impressions
Description
This project offers a generative, living impression of this inspiring image:
Information
This experiment explores using p5.js to generate a living image based on a source image. It combines primitive shapes and time to create an illusion of passing over railroad tracks.
Technical
Relation to inspring image: Color: The color of the ground and Primitives: The Tracks and Polygons: The grass on the right side is generated randomly using vertex calls. Composition: Different random seed values lead to differently spaced ties, tracks in different positions, and a different grass pattern Life: The tracks change as if this is a camera slowly traversing up a line
Reflection
I knew from the start I wanted to do soemthing railroad themed, because I like trains and also railroad tracks are somewhat easy to draw. I originally wanted it to be more abstract, like this, and moving along it like this. During this approach, I learned how to create the effect of the camera appearing to move. I did not, however; have an actual reference image. So I changed to the image it is now based on, scrapping the switch idea. Parts of the code are leftover from that (i.e. the tracks object, which was changed from a line to an actual track). While I am happy with the effect it created, it is not perfect. If I was to work on it more, I'd work on the following. There are misaligned ties every once and a while, and depending on the canvas size it can be a little jarring. The grass does not move, the technique I used with the ties will not work with that type of shape. The ties, while the number is supposed to be randomly generated (based on seed), does not actually vary. Still, I enjoyed this project, and it was interesting playing around with the numbers and seeing the result.
