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Maximo Serif Design

Infinite Serif Design

[ Java Applet should be here! ]
Try one of the following to allow this cool Java Applet to run:
  • If your browser is requesting access to "Run this Active Control" (maybe in an info-bar, above?) then allow it to run.
  • Otherwise, your browser may not be configured to run a Java Applet.
    Download the "Java Runtime Environment (JRE)" to be able to run Java Applets.

Infinite Serif Design

Recursive algorithm which draws a great number of different shapes while only varying 2 parameters.

Features

  • cool random colors
  • cool random settings

How it Works

Draws a "recursively-serifed" line:
  • Start by drawing a Line (vertically, say.)
  • At each end of that line (top and bottom), draw a "serif" - a shorter line perpendicular to the original line. What we have now, after one iteration, is an "I" shape.
  • Now, consider drawing serifs on each of the serifs. This produces sort of an I with I's on each end.
  • Keep adding serifs to each serif, until they're too small to draw. (This is the "bottom" of the recursion.)
  • That's sort of neat (and probably somehow mathematically significant), but not too exciting.
    There are (at least) a couple of parameters that we can vary to make the design more interesting:
    • Serif/Line Length Ratio Length of the serif compared to the length of the line it is attached to. 0.25 means each serif will be one-fourth the length of the line.
    • Serif-Line Intersection Angle The angle that each serif is drawn, in relation to perpendicular (90 degrees) to the line. 0 degrees means 0 degrees from perpendicular, giving the standard I shape. Each serif's serifs are drawn at an angle also, providing a cumulative "skewing" effect to the design.

Possible Future Features

  • Non-Applet version
  • Animate between parameter settings
  • Dancing olives!

Download Windows Stand-Alone Version

Be assured that this software will not intentionally run, install, or do anything to your system other than what is stated on this page.
However, as with any software or anything else you find lying around for free, use at your own risk!
Download (or Run) "SerifDesign.exe" (168 KB)
© 2006-7, Mike Boncaldo.