I need some help figuring this out conceptually and in step by step coding. I've been toying with trying to get this code to generate a dreamcatcher shape, and that means changing the randomness to something defined. But how to do that?

Alternatively, if this attractor particle code is just too difficult to work with, I could look into another method of creating a self-generating dreamcatcher, although I've been working with this so long...

Code: http://www.sfu.ca/~bdillon/dreamcatcher/applet/
Dreamcatcher (feathers can be removed, just to give an idea of the shape): http://www.sfu.ca/~bdillon/dreamcatcher/data/dreamcatcher.jpg

Here's what doesn't work:
- Using a mask to cover the particles, making it appear as though the dreamcatcher is forming by only allowing the particles in that shape to appear.

- Drawing the dreamcatcher as an invisible image at the background, picking a pixel coordinate randomly and extracting the color of the point from the image so that if the color is not black, it draws a particle.


Here's what's too much for my mind to grapple with:
- Designing classes extended from current particle algorithms (circle, inner net) and assigning appropriate values to each of class instances.


Hmm.
- Beth

Mmm masks...

http://www.sfu.ca/~bdillon/dreamcatcher/applet/