Show HN: Artificial Ivy in the Browser

#1

Post by dnmc » Tue, Jan 20, 2026, 3:14 AM UTC

This is just a goofy thing I cooked up over the weekend. It's kind of like a screensaver, but with more reading and sliders. (It's not terribly efficient, so expect phone batteries to take a hit!)

Show HN: Artificial Ivy in the Browser
da.nmcardle.com

Re: Show HN: Artificial Ivy in the Browser

#2

Post by mhuffman » Tue, Jan 20, 2026, 5:45 AM UTC

This is very calming for some reason.

Re: Show HN: Artificial Ivy in the Browser

#3

Post by totetsu » Tue, Jan 20, 2026, 6:54 AM UTC

many years ago I used the safety filter data set from google quick-draw to do something similar with dick sketches.

Re: Show HN: Artificial Ivy in the Browser

#4

Post by Nevermark » Tue, Jan 20, 2026, 7:32 AM UTC

It's beautiful. Both the general texture created and the wave effects.

I would love to be able to control speed. I am curious what the waves would look like at very high speed.

As a wallpaper, a slow speed would be great.

Nice work.

Re: Show HN: Artificial Ivy in the Browser

#5

Post by namtr2810 » Tue, Jan 20, 2026, 8:26 AM UTC

That's awesome! could you add a functionality so that I could control the color of the lines?

Re: Show HN: Artificial Ivy in the Browser

#6

Post by seszett » Tue, Jan 20, 2026, 8:29 AM UTC

Very nice, I could suggest two more factors influencing growth that are important for plants: geotropism and phototropism.

Geotropism basically makes plants grow away from the source of gravity, and phototropism makes them grow towards light (and that is usually reversed for roots).

Re: Show HN: Artificial Ivy in the Browser

#7

Post by bartvk » Tue, Jan 20, 2026, 8:58 AM UTC

I appreciate that it's beautiful and awesome, but when the complete screen was filled, I wanted a flamethrower option.

Re: Show HN: Artificial Ivy in the Browser

#8

Post by dnmc » Tue, Jan 20, 2026, 9:48 AM UTC

seszett wrote: post #6

Very nice, I could suggest two more factors influencing growth that are important for plants: geotropism and phototropism. Geotropism basically makes plants grow away from the source of gravity, and phototropism makes them grow towards light (and that is usually reversed for roots).

Oh, those are great ideas. On that note, I was also considering simulating nutrients and rewarding the roots that find them.

Re: Show HN: Artificial Ivy in the Browser

#9

Post by dnmc » Tue, Jan 20, 2026, 9:57 AM UTC

bartvk wrote: post #7

I appreciate that it's beautiful and awesome, but when the complete screen was filled, I wanted a flamethrower option.

Hah, believe me, the flamethrower feature is first in line for the v2 milestone!

Re: Show HN: Artificial Ivy in the Browser

#10

Post by ErroneousBosh » Tue, Jan 20, 2026, 10:19 AM UTC

bartvk wrote: post #7

I appreciate that it's beautiful and awesome, but when the complete screen was filled, I wanted a flamethrower option.

Don't you know that you can just drive a Ford C700 refrigerated van through it instead of mucking around with messy dangerous flamethrowers?