Can you interpret this particle code for me?

Happier

Hello Processing Community,I have used this particle case, but there are a few sentences about abs(), sqrt() can't read, can you help me understand this?

    float circleSize = 400;
    float radius = circleSize/2;
    int period = 5; //speed
    float x = 0;
    float particleY;
    float amplitude;
    float sineEl;

    int randomPart[] = new int[100];
    int partSize[] = new int[100];


    void setup() {
      size(600, 600);
      for (int i = 0; i < randomPart.length; i++) {
        randomPart[i] = int(random(100, 500));
        partSize[i] = int(random(2, 11));
      }
    }

    void draw() {
      background(0);
      x += 0.01;

      for (int yRand = 0; yRand < randomPart.length; yRand++) {

        particleY = randomPart[yRand];

        float sine = sin((3*PI*x)/period + randomPart[yRand]);//this 
        amplitude = sqrt(sq(radius) - sq(abs(height/2 - particleY))); // and this
        sineEl = width/2 + sine * amplitude;//and this i don't konw

        float particleSize = partSize[yRand];
        //rotation
        pushMatrix();
        translate(width/2, height/2);
        translate(-width/2, -height/2);
        stroke(255);
        noStroke();
        fill(255);
        ellipse(sineEl, particleY, particleSize, particleSize);
        println(sineEl, particleY, particleSize, particleSize);
        popMatrix();
      }

      noFill();
      stroke(0);
    }

lmccandless

The sin line is wrapping the points around the sphere, the contents inside the sin() function kind of like a longitude line. This becomes clear if you play with the contents, like changing the line to float sine = sin((6 * PI * x)/period + 1); The animation part comes from the x variable which is increased every frame.

The abs() isn't really needed, if you remove it, the effect is still the same. If you remove the sq() wrapping it, the sphere turns into a cylinder.

The third line is multiplying the amplitude(kinda like the lattitude) by the sine(kinda like the longitude) to make it spherical.

Chrisir

abs etc are explained in the reference

See also tutorial on trigonometry

jeremydouglass

• https://processing.org/reference/abs_.html
• https://processing.org/reference/sqrt_.html
• https://processing.org/tutorials/trig/