selected works available
a pursuit of sand
 
sand traveler
processing    june, 2004   j.tarbell
 
 
  launch small java applet launch medium java applet launch large java applet  
  250 x 250 pixels
100 cities
500 x 500 pixels
100 cities
1,000 x 1,000 pixels
200 cities
 
 
The Sand Traveler is a rendering of 1,000 traveling particles, each in pursuit of another. Over time, patterns of travel are exposed as sweeping paths of color.

The Sand Traveler uses a pursuit algorithm similar to the City Traveler. The significant difference is the way that pixels are laid down between the travelers.

Three variations follow:
 

A1000

A1001

A1002

A1003
 

A0000
 
The first variation is the purist approach to visualizing the travelers. Between particles in pursuit, an even distribution of color is drawn. This produces smooth bands with smaller, more dense regions drawn as almost solid fills.
 
 
  launch small java applet launch medium java applet launch large java applet  
  250 x 250 pixels
100 cities
500 x 500 pixels
100 cities
1,000 x 1,000 pixels
200 cities
 
 

B1000

B1001

B1002

B1003
 

B0000
 
The next variation uses the classic Sand Stroke (see Sand Stroke ) as a way to print the connections between particles. This produces a more irregular effect, even allowing the connections to change color over time.
 
cloud emergence
C1000
loops of attraction
C1001
1500 pursuit curves
C1002
strange sand signs
C1003
 

A0000
 
One final variation simply rotates the sand stroke 90 degrees, painting color perpendicular to the actual point-to-point connection. This is by far the most irregular of all the Sand Traveler variations, producing structures that almost seem nervously alive.