Origin

[…]

Their scientific pursuits had long been focused on this particular region, absorbing a considerable amount of their resources. Centuries were invested in decoding patterns that, despite their relentless efforts, remained stubbornly incomprehensible.

Then it happened.

In a tiny sliver of spacetime, a coherent structure emerged. The entire episode unfolded in an instant, but it was crystal clear. A spontaneous creation with an otherworldly precision, unforeseen and inexplicable, had materialized right before their eyes.

And just as quickly it all dissolved, leaving only a faint, vanishing trail.

Attempts at replication proved unsuccessful, the anomaly slipping through their scientific grasp. But this singular event proved that they had glimpsed the origin of some kind, an undeniable reality forever etched into their collective minds.

[…]

Details

This generative artwork uses a technique called Monte Carlo path tracing, which is a physically based rendering algorithm that simulates the way light rays bounce around in a scene. It is computationally expensive as it follows multiple light rays per pixel, but it produces well-lit and realistic images.

The shapes in this artwork are created using pure mathematical equations called signed distance functions. Using various complex algorithms, these shapes are distorted and combined with each other to create new forms.

Due to its computational complexity, it takes a while to render a crisp image. The longer you let it run, the more detailed and less noisy the final output becomes. By default, the renderer optimizes for a 15 FPS rendering speed by choosing an optimal tile size. This keeps your browser responsive, but renders more slowly. To render an image at maximum capacity, you can disable tile-based rendering.

Controls

• Press [space] or [tap] the screen to pause the renderer.
• Press [s] or [tap and hold] to save a png file.
• Press [1] - [8] to select a preset that renders 4000 frames and saves the result at a specific size. Sizes range from 1024 to 8192 pixels on the longest side.
• Press [a] to toggle automatic tile-based rendering.
• Press [i] to toggle the info panel.

You can optionally append these parameters to the URL:

• [size=<number>] define the number of pixels of the largest side (default: window size).
• [frames=<number>] define the total number of render frames (default: 4000).
• [save=1] when frames is defined, you can optionally enable auto-save when the renderering is completed (default: disabled).
• [fps=<number>] automatically adjust the tile size to reach the desired frames per second of your browser (default: 15).
• [tile=<number>] define the tile size for tile-based rendering, use 0 for full-size rendering (default: auto).