taracodlabs p5.js Generative Art and Creative Coding
Create generative visual art, animations, and interactive sketches using p5.js. Output is a self-contained HTML file that opens in any browser — no build step required.
When to Use
- User wants generative or procedural visual art
- User wants an interactive animation or visualization
- User wants to visualize data in a creative, non-standard way
- User wants a screensaver-style animation
- User wants to experiment with creative coding
How to Use
1. Basic p5.js HTML template
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<title>p5.js Sketch</title>
<style>body { margin: 0; background: #0d1117; overflow: hidden; }</style>
<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/p5.js/1.9.0/p5.min.js"></script>
</head>
<body>
<script>
// Your p5.js sketch code goes here
function setup() {
createCanvas(windowWidth, windowHeight);
background(13, 17, 23);
}
function draw() {
// Called every frame (~60fps)
}
</script>
</body>
</html>
2. Flowing particles sketch
let particles = [];
function setup() {
createCanvas(windowWidth, windowHeight);
colorMode(HSB, 360, 100, 100, 100);
background(220, 30, 10);
for (let i = 0; i < 300; i++) {
particles.push({ x: random(width), y: random(height), hue: random(180, 280) });
}
}
function draw() {
fill(220, 30, 10, 8);
noStroke();
rect(0, 0, width, height);
for (let p of particles) {
let angle = noise(p.x * 0.003, p.y * 0.003) * TWO_PI * 4;
p.x += cos(angle) * 2;
p.y += sin(angle) * 2;
if (p.x < 0 || p.x > width || p.y < 0 || p.y > height) {
p.x = random(width); p.y = random(height);
}
stroke(p.hue, 70, 90, 60);
strokeWeight(1.5);
point(p.x, p.y);
}
}
3. Recursive fractal tree
function setup() {
createCanvas(800, 600);
background(13, 17, 23);
stroke(100, 200, 120, 180);
translate(width / 2, height);
branch(120);
}
function branch(len) {
strokeWeight(map(len, 5, 120, 0.5, 4));
line(0, 0, 0, -len);
translate(0, -len);
if (len > 8) {
push(); rotate(0.4); branch(len * 0.67); pop();
push(); rotate(-0.4); branch(len * 0.67); pop();
}
}
4. Interactive mouse repulsion
let circles = [];
function setup() {
createCanvas(windowWidth, windowHeight);
for (let i = 0; i < 100; i++) {
circles.push({ x: random(width), y: random(height), vx: 0, vy: 0, r: random(5, 15) });
}
}
function draw() {
background(13, 17, 23, 25);
for (let c of circles) {
let dx = c.x - mouseX, dy = c.y - mouseY;
let dist = sqrt(dx*dx + dy*dy);
if (dist < 100) { c.vx += dx / dist * 2; c.vy += dy / dist * 2; }
c.vx *= 0.95; c.vy *= 0.95;
c.x = constrain(c.x + c.vx, 0, width);
c.y = constrain(c.y + c.vy, 0, height);
fill(180, 100, 220, 180); noStroke();
ellipse(c.x, c.y, c.r * 2);
}
}
5. Generate and save the sketch file
template = open("sketch_template.html").read()
sketch_code = """/* paste sketch code here */"""
html = template.replace("// Your p5.js sketch code goes here", sketch_code)
with open("my_sketch.html", "w") as f:
f.write(html)
print("Open my_sketch.html in a browser")
Examples
"Create a flowing particle animation with a dark background"
→ Use template from step 1, insert sketch code from step 2. Save as particles.html.
"Make an interactive sketch where particles run away from the mouse" → Use step 4 pasted into the template from step 1.
"Generate a fractal tree visualization" → Use step 3 inside the basic template. Adjust branch length and angle for different tree shapes.
Cautions
- p5.js sketches run in the browser — they cannot access the local filesystem directly
- The CDN link requires internet access; for offline use, download
p5.min.jslocally - Very high particle counts (> 5000) may cause frame rate drops — start with 300-500 particles
windowWidth/windowHeightresize the canvas to fill the browser window — addwindowResized()handler for responsive sketches- For offline-first output, embed the p5.js library inline rather than using the CDN