From aad38bc831c8bba90688df2cc28c46a46cac1112 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Sadeep Madurange Date: Sun, 21 Dec 2025 01:10:18 +0800 Subject: Matrix post as a journal entry. --- _site/feed.xml | 2 +- _site/index.html | 2 +- _site/log/index.html | 2 +- _site/log/matrix-digital-rain/index.html | 100 +++++++++++-------------------- _site/posts.xml | 2 +- _site/projects/index.html | 4 +- _site/robots.txt | 2 +- _site/sitemap.xml | 28 ++++----- 8 files changed, 55 insertions(+), 87 deletions(-) (limited to '_site') diff --git a/_site/feed.xml b/_site/feed.xml index dd2f441..9a57c65 100644 --- a/_site/feed.xml +++ b/_site/feed.xml @@ -1 +1 @@ -Jekyll2025-12-20T21:35:40+08:00http://localhost:4000/feed.xmlASCIIMX | LogW. D. Sadeep MadurangeHow to manage Suckless software installations2025-11-30T00:00:00+08:002025-11-30T00:00:00+08:00http://localhost:4000/log/suckless-softwareW. D. Sadeep MadurangeFingerprint door lock2025-08-18T00:00:00+08:002025-08-18T00:00:00+08:00http://localhost:4000/log/fpm-door-lockW. D. Sadeep MadurangeOn the use of MOSFETs as electronic switches2025-06-22T00:00:00+08:002025-06-22T00:00:00+08:00http://localhost:4000/log/mosfet-switchesW. D. Sadeep MadurangeHow to configure ATmega328P microcontrollers to run at 3.3V and 5V2025-06-10T00:00:00+08:002025-06-10T00:00:00+08:00http://localhost:4000/log/arduino-unoW. D. Sadeep MadurangeMy first PCB2025-04-26T00:00:00+08:002025-04-26T00:00:00+08:00http://localhost:4000/log/my-first-pcbW. D. Sadeep MadurangeBumblebee: browser automation2025-04-02T00:00:00+08:002025-04-02T00:00:00+08:00http://localhost:4000/log/bumblebeeW. D. Sadeep MadurangeHow to set up ATSAM3X8E microcontrollers for bare-metal programming in C2024-09-16T00:00:00+08:002024-09-16T00:00:00+08:00http://localhost:4000/log/arduino-dueW. D. Sadeep MadurangeEtlas: e-paper dashboard2024-09-05T00:00:00+08:002024-09-05T00:00:00+08:00http://localhost:4000/log/etlasW. D. Sadeep MadurangeExperimental e-reader2023-10-24T00:00:00+08:002023-10-24T00:00:00+08:00http://localhost:4000/log/e-readerW. D. Sadeep MadurangeThe Matrix digital rain2022-08-22T00:00:00+08:002022-08-22T00:00:00+08:00http://localhost:4000/log/matrix-digital-rainW. D. Sadeep Madurange \ No newline at end of file +Jekyll2025-12-21T01:20:43+08:00/feed.xmlASCIIMX | LogW. D. Sadeep MadurangeHow to manage Suckless software installations2025-11-30T00:00:00+08:002025-11-30T00:00:00+08:00/log/suckless-softwareW. D. Sadeep MadurangeFingerprint door lock2025-08-18T00:00:00+08:002025-08-18T00:00:00+08:00/log/fpm-door-lockW. D. Sadeep MadurangeOn the use of MOSFETs as electronic switches2025-06-22T00:00:00+08:002025-06-22T00:00:00+08:00/log/mosfet-switchesW. D. Sadeep MadurangeHow to configure ATmega328P microcontrollers to run at 3.3V and 5V2025-06-10T00:00:00+08:002025-06-10T00:00:00+08:00/log/arduino-unoW. D. Sadeep MadurangeMy first PCB2025-04-26T00:00:00+08:002025-04-26T00:00:00+08:00/log/my-first-pcbW. D. Sadeep MadurangeBumblebee: browser automation2025-04-02T00:00:00+08:002025-04-02T00:00:00+08:00/log/bumblebeeW. D. Sadeep MadurangeHow to set up ATSAM3X8E microcontrollers for bare-metal programming in C2024-09-16T00:00:00+08:002024-09-16T00:00:00+08:00/log/arduino-dueW. D. Sadeep MadurangeEtlas: e-paper dashboard2024-09-05T00:00:00+08:002024-09-05T00:00:00+08:00/log/etlasW. D. Sadeep MadurangeExperimental e-reader2023-10-24T00:00:00+08:002023-10-24T00:00:00+08:00/log/e-readerW. D. Sadeep MadurangeRecreating the Matrix rain with ANSI escape sequences2022-08-22T00:00:00+08:002022-08-22T00:00:00+08:00/log/matrix-digital-rainW. D. Sadeep Madurange \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/_site/index.html b/_site/index.html index f279bc5..8b74fe9 100644 --- a/_site/index.html +++ b/_site/index.html @@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ - The Matrix digital rain + Recreating the Matrix rain with ANSI escape sequences diff --git a/_site/log/index.html b/_site/log/index.html index 181a379..57887a7 100644 --- a/_site/log/index.html +++ b/_site/log/index.html @@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ - The Matrix digital rain + Recreating the Matrix rain with ANSI escape sequences diff --git a/_site/log/matrix-digital-rain/index.html b/_site/log/matrix-digital-rain/index.html index 26244b3..ac4a536 100644 --- a/_site/log/matrix-digital-rain/index.html +++ b/_site/log/matrix-digital-rain/index.html @@ -2,12 +2,12 @@ - The Matrix digital rain + Recreating the Matrix rain with ANSI escape sequences - The Matrix digital rain + Recreating the Matrix rain with ANSI escape sequences @@ -41,61 +41,30 @@
-

THE MATRIX DIGITAL RAIN

+

RECREATING THE MATRIX RAIN WITH ANSI ESCAPE SEQUENCES

22 AUGUST 2022

-

“All I see is blonde, brunette, red head.” The iconic digital rain from The -Matrix in C, with zero dependencies—not even ncurses.

+

Over the weekend, I came across Domsson’s Fakesteak: a beautifully lean rendition of the +Matrix rain in raw C using ANSI escape sequences—zero dependencies, not even +ncurses.

+ +

The project’s README noted that it didn’t support Japanese characters and that +it used 8-bit color mode. The latter meant that the ghosting effect has to rely +on different foreground colors rather than shades of the same color.

+ +

As a tip of the hat to Domsson’s impressive work, I decided to add Unicode and +24-bit truecolor support to it, aiming to faithfully recreate the original +Matrix from the first movie during Neo and Cypher’s conversation:

-

Overview

- -

This is my fork of Domsson’s beautiful Fakesteak. While going through his code, I -wondered what it would take to faithfully recreate the original Matrix from the -first movie without sacrificing its minimalism.

- -

My implementation supports:

- -
    -
  • Unicode characters.
    • -
  • 24-bit RGB colors (truecolor).
    • -
  • 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, such as code points, background -and foreground colors, and 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 is achieved by carefully scaling the RGB -channels before mixing them:

+

Adding Unicode support via wchar_t and wprintf() was easy enough. +Implementing the ghosting effect with truecolor support, however, turned out +harder than expected. To achieve the ghosting effect, I treated phosphor decay +as a multiplier, allowing me to emulate a dim afterglow by gradually +transitioning each raindrop’s RGB values towards the background color:

static void mat_shade(matrix *mat, size_t row, size_t col) 
 {
@@ -107,26 +76,25 @@ channels before mixing them:

 }
-

The ghosting function emulates the dim after glow 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 and high-fidelity recreation of the Matrix aesthetic.

- -

Customization

+

Looking back at the implementation, there are still a few improvements to be +made. Instead of using a dedicated buffer, I should have bit-packed the +phosphor decay into the RGB data buffer to save memory. I’m not entirely +satisfied with the Unicode support as it’s restricted to contiguous code +points. The glitch effect, which I implemented with characters unexpectedly +changing, really should flash white as well.

-

While you can alter almost every aspect, including speed, glitch frequency, and -rain density, the most common customizations are the color scheme and character -set.

+

Nonetheless, the rain closely resembles the original, is highly customizable, +and is gentle on the CPU. Not too bad for a weekend project. I tested the +program with xterm and urxvt terminal emulators on OpenBSD and Arch Linux +systems. Someone has managed to get it moving on a Raspberry Pi as well.

-

There are three color settings: head, tail, and background. You can configure -them using COLOR_*_RED, COLOR_*_GRN, and COLOR_*_BLU definitions found in -main.c.

+

Lastly, to compile and run:

-

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:

+
$ cc -O3 main.c -o matrix
+$ ./matrix
+
-

+

“All I see is blonde, brunette, red head.”

Files: source.tar.gz

diff --git a/_site/posts.xml b/_site/posts.xml index 7b61271..a20233d 100644 --- a/_site/posts.xml +++ b/_site/posts.xml @@ -1 +1 @@ -Jekyll2025-12-20T21:35:40+08:00http://localhost:4000/posts.xmlASCIIMXW. D. Sadeep Madurange \ No newline at end of file +Jekyll2025-12-21T01:20:43+08:00/posts.xmlASCIIMXW. D. Sadeep Madurange \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/_site/projects/index.html b/_site/projects/index.html index 6cd47f3..2ef4c48 100644 --- a/_site/projects/index.html +++ b/_site/projects/index.html @@ -93,8 +93,8 @@ - The Matrix digital rain -
The Matrix digital rain
+ Recreating the Matrix rain with ANSI escape sequences +
Recreating the Matrix rain with ANSI escape sequences
 diff --git a/_site/robots.txt b/_site/robots.txt index d297064..e087884 100644 --- a/_site/robots.txt +++ b/_site/robots.txt @@ -1 +1 @@ -Sitemap: http://localhost:4000/sitemap.xml +Sitemap: /sitemap.xml diff --git a/_site/sitemap.xml b/_site/sitemap.xml index 442c589..e2c5b7e 100644 --- a/_site/sitemap.xml +++ b/_site/sitemap.xml @@ -1,55 +1,55 @@ -http://localhost:4000/log/matrix-digital-rain/ +/log/matrix-digital-rain/ 2022-08-22T00:00:00+08:00 -http://localhost:4000/log/e-reader/ +/log/e-reader/ 2023-10-24T00:00:00+08:00 -http://localhost:4000/log/etlas/ +/log/etlas/ 2024-09-05T00:00:00+08:00 -http://localhost:4000/log/arduino-due/ +/log/arduino-due/ 2024-09-16T00:00:00+08:00 -http://localhost:4000/log/bumblebee/ +/log/bumblebee/ 2025-04-02T00:00:00+08:00 -http://localhost:4000/log/my-first-pcb/ +/log/my-first-pcb/ 2025-04-26T00:00:00+08:00 -http://localhost:4000/log/arduino-uno/ +/log/arduino-uno/ 2025-06-10T00:00:00+08:00 -http://localhost:4000/log/mosfet-switches/ +/log/mosfet-switches/ 2025-06-22T00:00:00+08:00 -http://localhost:4000/log/fpm-door-lock/ +/log/fpm-door-lock/ 2025-08-18T00:00:00+08:00 -http://localhost:4000/log/suckless-software/ +/log/suckless-software/ 2025-11-30T00:00:00+08:00 -http://localhost:4000/about/ +/about/ -http://localhost:4000/ +/ -http://localhost:4000/log/ +/log/ -http://localhost:4000/projects/ +/projects/ -- cgit v1.2.3