28:
462:
343:
540:
446:
the plasma effect involves manipulating color values over time and space, often using a gradient color palette that shifts to produce a dynamic, animated visual. By combining several sine waves across the x and y axes, the effect achieves a smooth and continuous look. In some implementations, color
555:
As there are many "hacked" approaches for implementing a plasma effect, this outline of an algorithm will just describe the theoretical basis for the effect. In order to achieve a sufficiently fast and good-looking real-time implementation (especially on the limited hardware available at the time
454:
519:
feature of the software, can provide a result which resembles a typical plasma effect used in demos. The technical basis, however, is completely different, and a color cycling plasma is somewhat less dynamic than a demo plasma.
450:
This effect can be achieved programmatically by generating pixel values based on mathematical formulas. It is a popular technique in shaders and graphical effects to create visually appealing animations.
556:
this effect was at the height of its popularity in the 1990s), one would often do "non-correct" approximations to this algorithm. This, however, can often be done without noticeable visual differences.
717:
746:
595:
779:
655:
443:
is a computer-based visual effect animated in real-time. It uses cycles of changing colours warped in various ways to give an illusion of liquid, organic movement.
623:
759:
is the fractal used by the original Plasma demo, and is now often called the plasma fractal which was the name given to it in
Fractint.
559:
This algorithm is given in two dimensions, but could easily be adopted to any number of dimensions or any number of color channels.
496:
where it could be implemented very efficiently with its display hardware features. Plasma can also be implemented easily in
407:
379:
324:
426:
386:
660:
393:
364:
360:
147:
492:
where the effect was heavily used, especially in the early 1990s. The effect was particularly common on the
375:
489:
47:
722:
288:
162:
756:
481:
to generate a 2D pattern, and then cycles the colors using hardware palette in its 256-color mode.
478:
298:
353:
317:
447:
palettes are used to shift the hue of the entire effect, creating a flowing and vibrant motion.
223:
821:
565:
628:
501:
400:
293:
209:
167:
152:
8:
505:
157:
138:
27:
608:
497:
310:
113:
123:
72:
508:, and it has also been the first true demo effect for many beginning PC democoders.
252:
515:
also incorporates an algorithm known as "plasma", which, when combined with the
272:
242:
815:
528:
516:
247:
172:
87:
77:
807:
Page explaining how the effect is built and including a JavaScript animation
602:
267:
257:
780:"What are the main concepts behind building the plasma effect with GSLS?"
193:
128:
103:
82:
62:
806:
474:
461:
237:
748:
tends to increase the steepness of the color gradients in the image.
485:
188:
67:
57:
52:
19:
342:
544:
512:
108:
42:
539:
262:
232:
453:
277:
118:
548:
493:
473:
graphics demo created by Bret Mulvey in 1988 and released on
524:
214:
470:
597:
be a multi-frequency noise function of two variables (
725:
663:
631:
611:
568:
367:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
740:
711:
649:
617:
589:
813:
712:{\displaystyle \sin(f(x,y)*{\text{freq}}_{c})}
457:A still screenshot of a typical plasma effect.
523:Similar effects can be implemented on modern
465:Animated color cycling feature as in Fractint
318:
325:
311:
26:
427:Learn how and when to remove this message
538:
460:
452:
719:. Increasing the value of the constant
657:be a linear function of the expression
814:
605:function). Let each color component
365:adding citations to reliable sources
336:
13:
14:
833:
800:
741:{\displaystyle {\text{freq}}_{c}}
784:Computer Graphics Stack Exchange
341:
352:needs additional citations for
772:
706:
688:
676:
670:
644:
632:
584:
572:
1:
765:
543:A plasma effect rendered in
7:
751:
534:
10:
838:
96:Alternative demo platforms
757:Diamond-square algorithm
484:Plasma was picked up by
479:diamond-square algorithm
469:Plasma is the name of a
742:
713:
651:
619:
591:
590:{\displaystyle f(x,y)}
552:
466:
458:
743:
714:
652:
650:{\displaystyle (x,y)}
620:
592:
542:
511:The fractal software
464:
456:
723:
661:
629:
609:
566:
506:pseudocolor palettes
361:improve this article
158:Chaos Constructions
738:
709:
647:
615:
587:
553:
498:software rendering
467:
459:
730:
698:
618:{\displaystyle c}
437:
436:
429:
411:
335:
334:
289:Tracker musicians
148:Alternative Party
829:
794:
793:
791:
790:
776:
747:
745:
744:
739:
737:
736:
731:
728:
718:
716:
715:
710:
705:
704:
699:
696:
656:
654:
653:
648:
624:
622:
621:
616:
596:
594:
593:
588:
432:
425:
421:
418:
412:
410:
369:
345:
337:
327:
320:
313:
299:Chiptune artists
30:
16:
15:
837:
836:
832:
831:
830:
828:
827:
826:
812:
811:
803:
798:
797:
788:
786:
778:
777:
773:
768:
762:
754:
732:
727:
726:
724:
721:
720:
700:
695:
694:
662:
659:
658:
630:
627:
626:
610:
607:
606:
567:
564:
563:
537:
433:
422:
416:
413:
376:"Plasma effect"
370:
368:
358:
346:
331:
253:Impulse Tracker
12:
11:
5:
835:
825:
824:
810:
809:
802:
801:External links
799:
796:
795:
770:
769:
767:
764:
753:
750:
735:
708:
703:
693:
690:
687:
684:
681:
678:
675:
672:
669:
666:
646:
643:
640:
637:
634:
614:
586:
583:
580:
577:
574:
571:
536:
533:
435:
434:
349:
347:
340:
333:
332:
330:
329:
322:
315:
307:
304:
303:
302:
301:
296:
291:
283:
282:
281:
280:
275:
273:ModPlug Player
270:
265:
260:
255:
250:
245:
243:Scream Tracker
240:
235:
227:
226:
220:
219:
218:
217:
212:
204:
203:
199:
198:
197:
196:
191:
183:
182:
178:
177:
176:
175:
170:
165:
160:
155:
150:
142:
141:
134:
133:
132:
131:
126:
121:
116:
111:
106:
98:
97:
93:
92:
91:
90:
85:
80:
75:
70:
65:
60:
55:
50:
45:
37:
36:
32:
31:
23:
22:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
834:
823:
820:
819:
817:
808:
805:
804:
785:
781:
775:
771:
763:
760:
758:
749:
733:
701:
691:
685:
682:
679:
673:
667:
664:
641:
638:
635:
625:at the pixel
612:
604:
600:
581:
578:
575:
569:
560:
557:
550:
546:
541:
532:
530:
529:pixel shaders
526:
521:
518:
517:color cycling
514:
509:
507:
503:
499:
495:
491:
487:
482:
480:
476:
472:
463:
455:
451:
448:
444:
442:
441:plasma effect
431:
428:
420:
409:
406:
402:
399:
395:
392:
388:
385:
381:
378: –
377:
373:
372:Find sources:
366:
362:
356:
355:
350:This article
348:
344:
339:
338:
328:
323:
321:
316:
314:
309:
308:
306:
305:
300:
297:
295:
292:
290:
287:
286:
285:
284:
279:
276:
274:
271:
269:
266:
264:
261:
259:
256:
254:
251:
249:
248:FastTracker 2
246:
244:
241:
239:
236:
234:
231:
230:
229:
228:
225:
222:
221:
216:
213:
211:
208:
207:
206:
205:
201:
200:
195:
192:
190:
187:
186:
185:
184:
180:
179:
174:
171:
169:
166:
164:
163:The Gathering
161:
159:
156:
154:
151:
149:
146:
145:
144:
143:
140:
136:
135:
130:
127:
125:
122:
120:
117:
115:
112:
110:
107:
105:
102:
101:
100:
99:
95:
94:
89:
86:
84:
81:
79:
76:
74:
71:
69:
66:
64:
61:
59:
56:
54:
51:
49:
46:
44:
41:
40:
39:
38:
34:
33:
29:
25:
24:
21:
18:
17:
822:Demo effects
787:. Retrieved
783:
774:
761:
755:
603:Perlin noise
598:
561:
558:
554:
522:
510:
502:sinus tables
483:
477:. It uses a
468:
449:
445:
440:
438:
423:
414:
404:
397:
390:
383:
371:
359:Please help
354:verification
351:
268:MilkyTracker
258:Jeskola Buzz
114:Commodore 64
486:demo coders
294:Demosceners
210:Scene World
194:Mod Archive
129:Amstrad CPC
124:ZX Spectrum
83:Module file
789:2024-09-09
766:References
488:for their
475:CompuServe
417:April 2010
387:newspapers
238:Protracker
692:∗
668:
500:by using
202:Magazines
189:Scene.org
68:Demogroup
58:Demoparty
20:Demoscene
816:Category
752:See also
551:library.
545:ANSI art
535:Synopsis
513:Fractint
224:Software
181:Websites
168:Revision
153:Assembly
137:Current
109:Atari ST
43:Chiptune
35:Concepts
547:by the
401:scholar
263:Renoise
233:OpenMPT
139:parties
88:Tracker
78:Diskmag
63:Effects
527:using
403:
396:
389:
382:
374:
278:SunVox
119:MS-DOS
549:AAlib
494:Amiga
490:demos
408:JSTOR
394:books
104:Amiga
73:Compo
53:Intro
729:freq
697:freq
601:, a
599:e.g.
562:Let
525:GPUs
504:and
439:The
380:news
215:Hugi
48:Demo
665:sin
471:VGA
363:by
818::
782:.
531:.
792:.
734:c
707:)
702:c
689:)
686:y
683:,
680:x
677:(
674:f
671:(
645:)
642:y
639:,
636:x
633:(
613:c
585:)
582:y
579:,
576:x
573:(
570:f
430:)
424:(
419:)
415:(
405:·
398:·
391:·
384:·
357:.
326:e
319:t
312:v
173:X
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.