Creative Technology – Design Challenge #6
Use Processing to design a generative work that mimics a natural process in some way.
In class, we used generative algorithms to create an ever-changing landscape image. We used Perlin Noise to build a randomized mountain range, with smoother rolling hills in the foreground. In a random position in the sky, we drew a sun of variable size. The whole scene was done in grey scale.
Building upon the post-apocalyptic feel, we also decide to build a routine that would randomly generate lightning bolts. The lightning works its way down the display differently every time the program is run, and also has the potential to fork at any point that it changes direction.
From this point I decided to add a bit of color to the sky and the hills. To build on the realism that this added, I developed a new routine to draw trees, similar to how the lightning is drawn. These lines work their way up the screen, and have a greater probability of branching.
The next addition to the scene, was a routine to randomly generate clouds. The clouds are randomly positioned in the sky and have a random height and width. Curve vectors are then drawn to random points within those constraints.
The finishing touch, was to make the lightning bolts originate from the clouds rather than coming from off the top of the screen.
