Hello.
I am wondering if there is a more efficient / elegant way of doing this (see code at the bottom of this post).

there are four dots following the mouse coordinates, but I'd like to have n dots approaching the mouse and be able to specify the number of dots in a quicker + simpler way than having to add this to the code whenever I want to add or remove dots:

float xn = 0;
float yn = 0;

xn += (targetX - x0) * easing;
yn += (targetY - y0) * easing;

ellipse(xn += sin(random(-1.0, 1.0))*random(15), yn += sin(random(-1.0, 1.0))*random(15), 10, 10);


Is it possible to encapsulate this in a for loop so that I can have to loop create n float variables, ellipses and so on... something a little like this (I know this doesn't do the job but hopefully shows what I'm after):

for (int i=0; i<20; i++) {
float x+i = 0;
float y+i = 0;

x+i += (targetX - x+i) * easing;
y+i += (targetY - y+i) * easing;

ellipse(x+i += sin(random(-1.0, 1.0))*random(15), y+i += sin(random(-1.0, 1.0))*random(15), 10, 10);

}

That way there'd be much less code for me to play around with. I've had a go at this but have gotten my self into grotesque mind loops trying to get the code to create variables for me...

cheers.





//adapted from the handbook:

float easing = 0.03;
float x0 = 0;
float y0 = 0;
float x1 = 0;
float y1 = 0;
float x2 = 0;
float y2 = 0;
float x3 = 0;
float y3 = 0;

void setup() {
size(500, 500);
smooth();
noStroke();
}

void draw() {
 
background(255);

float targetX = mouseX;
float targetY = mouseY;
x0 += (targetX - x0) * easing;
y0 += (targetY - y0) * easing;
x1 += (targetX - x1) * easing;
y1 += (targetY - y1) * easing;
x2 += (targetX - x2) * easing;
y2 += (targetY - y2) * easing;
x3 += (targetX - x3) * easing;
y3 += (targetY - y3) * easing;

fill(0);
ellipse(targetX, targetY, 20, 20);

fill(215, 15, 56);
ellipse(x0 += sin(random(-1.0, 1.0))*random(15), y0 += sin(random(-1.0, 1.0))*random(15), 10, 10);
ellipse(x1 += sin(random(-1.0, 1.0))*random(15), y1 += sin(random(-1.0, 1.0))*random(15), 10, 10);
ellipse(x2 += sin(random(-1.0, 1.0))*random(15), y2 += sin(random(-1.0, 1.0))*random(15), 10, 10);
ellipse(x3 += sin(random(-1.0, 1.0))*random(15), y3 += sin(random(-1.0, 1.0))*random(15), 10, 10);

}

many thanks.