This is a work that uses the principles of natural selection, operating on colored abstract shapes that breed and consume each other, to produce a visual image.
Each little circle is a color creature with color DNA (red, green and blue), living in an environment in which color is also food. This environment always “favors” (or selects for) one color over others. The environment starts with red as this favored or selected for color.
Circles with more red in their DNA (and which then also appear more red) eat circles whose color is less red. When two circles collide, the red circle sucks away–eats–some of the red of the less-red circle, making the former even more red and the latter even less red. The red circle also grows larger as a result of this meal and the less-red circle grows smaller as a result of being the meal. When circles reach a certain minimum size, they die and disappear.
If two colliding circles are of the same color “species” — in other words when they have similar (though not necessarily exactly similar) color DNA–they breed, producing an offspring with similar but slightly mutated DNA, such that its red may be a bit more or a bit less than that of its parents. Meanwhile, the parents lose a little of their size — the cost of having children.
To Use:
- Hold down mouse to cycle thru colors and choose the favored color
- Move mouse while holding down
- Circles will collide with your creature
- Release mouse to inject creature into the environment
- Shapes closer in shade to the selected color will thrive and breed
- Others will be consumed
- As this happens, watch the work change color toward the selected color
Note: When released, your creature will default to a neutral color (equal parts red, green and blue). However, the color it last showed (red, green or blue) before you released it is the new favored color–the selected for or dominant color in the environment. Watch your creature evolve and devour or be devoured.
Source code | Built with Processing