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| -rw-r--r-- | _projects/bumblebee.md | 8 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | _projects/matrix-digital-rain.md | 88 |
2 files changed, 81 insertions, 15 deletions
diff --git a/_projects/bumblebee.md b/_projects/bumblebee.md index b322969..80acfe3 100644 --- a/_projects/bumblebee.md +++ b/_projects/bumblebee.md @@ -38,10 +38,10 @@ target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Scintilla.NET</a> editor), debounce events, and block hidden elements and scripts. Before settling on a desktop application, we contemplated designing Bumblebee -as a browser extension. We decided against that because we didn't want the -browser vendors to dictate Bumblebee's capabilities. Besides, the company's -security policy, which prohibited browser extensions, would have complicated -the deployment of an extension-based solution. The initial prototype used a C# +as a browser extension. We chose the desktop app because extensions don't offer +the deep, event-based control we needed. Besides, the company's security +policy, which prohibited browser extensions, would have complicated the +deployment of an extension-based solution. The initial prototype used a C# wrapper of the Chromium project instead of WebView. WebView's more intuitive API and its seamless integration with Windows Forms led us to choose it over the Chromium wrapper. diff --git a/_projects/matrix-digital-rain.md b/_projects/matrix-digital-rain.md index f9a1a22..1b48d82 100644 --- a/_projects/matrix-digital-rain.md +++ b/_projects/matrix-digital-rain.md @@ -5,25 +5,91 @@ thumbnail: thumb.png layout: post --- -The famous digital rain from The Matrix, implemented in C. +"All I see is blonde, brunette, red head." The iconic digital rain from The +Matrix in C, with zero dependencies - not even ncurses. <video style="max-width:100%;" controls="" poster="thumb.png"> <source src="matrix.mp4" type="video/mp4"> </video> -This project is a fork of Domsson's beautiful <a +## Overview + +This is my fork of Domsson's beautiful <a href="https://github.com/domsson/fakesteak" class="external" target="_blank" -rel="noopener noreferrer">Fakesteak</a>. +rel="noopener noreferrer">Fakesteak</a>. While studying the code, I wondered +what it would take to faithfully recreate the original Matrix from the first +movie without sacrificing the program's minimalism and elegance. + +My version adds: + + - Unicode character support. + - Fully customizable 24-bit RGB (truecolor) colors. + - Glitches in the matrix. + - Ghosting effect of old monochrome CRT displays. + - Closely resembles the Matrix seen in the background during Neo and Cypher's + conversation. + +With no dependencies, compilation is trivial: + +``` +$ cc -O3 main.c -o matrix +$ ./matrix +``` + +## How does it work? + +The program tracks the state of the terminal - characters, background and +foreground colors, shading levels, cursor position - using multiple internal +data buffers. On each frame, it updates these buffers and repaints the screen +using ANSI escape codes: + +``` +static void term_print(const matrix *mat, size_t row, size_t col) +{ + size_t idx; + idx = mat_idx(mat, row, col); + wprintf(L"\x1b[%d;%dH\x1b[38;2;%d;%d;%dm%lc", + row, col, + mat->rgb[idx].color[R], + mat->rgb[idx].color[G], + mat->rgb[idx].color[B], + mat->code[idx]); +} +``` + +The ghosting effect, the signature feature of this implementation, works by +scaling and mixing the RGB channels: + +``` +static void mat_shade(matrix *mat, size_t row, size_t col) +{ + unsigned char *color; + color = mat->rgb[mat_idx(mat, row, col)].color; + color[R] = color[R] - (color[R] - COLOR_BG_RED) / 2; + color[G] = color[G] - (color[G] - COLOR_BG_GRN) / 2; + color[B] = color[B] - (color[B] - COLOR_BG_BLU) / 2; +} +``` + +The ghosting function emulates the screen decay by gradually transitioning each +raindrop's color towards the background color. This approach provides two key +benefits: straightforward color configuration that integrates naturally with +Unix ricing (desktop customization) and high-fidelity recreation of the Matrix +aesthetic. + +## Customization + +While you can adjust almost every aspect, including its speed, glitch +frequency, and rain density, the most useful settings for customization are the +color scheme and character set. -There are three color settings: head, tail, and background. They are configured -by setting the 24-bit RGB channels using `COLOR_*_RED`, `COLOR_*_GRN`, and -`COLOR_*_BLU` definitions. The ghosting effect of old monochrome screens is -achieved by scaling the RGB channels. This results in a rain effect that -closely resembles the original from the first Matrix movie. +There are three color settings: head, tail, and background. You can configure +them by setting the `COLOR_*_RED`, `COLOR_*_GRN`, and `COLOR_*_BLU` definitions +in main.c. -In addition, this implementation supports UTF-32 character sets. The -`UNICODE_MIN` and `UNICODE_MAX` controls the Unicode block used. For -instance, setting them to `0x30A1` and `0x30F6` rains Katakana: +The `UNICODE_MIN` and `UNICODE_MAX` values control the Unicode block used. For +example, setting them to `0x30A1` and `0x30F6` rains Katakana (if a font that +supports Katakana is present on the system): <img style="width: 100%;" src="katakana.png" /> |