canvasparticles-js

v3.3.3

Published

11 days ago

In an HTML canvas, a bunch of floating particles connected with lines when they approach eachother. Creating a fun and interactive background.

Downloads

358

Canvas Particles JS

Description

In an HTML canvas, a bunch of floating particles connected with lines when they approach eachother. Creating a fun and interactive background. Colors, interaction and gravity can be customized!

Showcase Implementation Options Example

Showcase

If you dont like reading documentation this website is for you: http://kylehoeckman.great-site.net/canvas-particles/

Implementation

Particles will be drawn onto this <canvas> element

<canvas id="canvas-particles"></canvas>

Resize the <canvas> so it covers the whole page and place it behind all elements.

#canvas-particles {
  position: fixed;
  top: 0;
  left: 0;
  width: 100%;
  height: 100%;
  z-index: -1; /* Place behind other elements to act as background */
}

Add a <script> element in the <head> to import the canvasParticles.js file.

<head>
  <script src="./canvasParticles.js" defer></script>
</head>

Add an inline <script> element at the very bottom of the <body>.

<body>
  ...

  <script>
    const initParticles = () => {
      const selector = '#canvas-particles' // Query Selector for the canvas
      const options = {} // See #options
      new CanvasParticles(selector, options).start()
    }
    document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', initParticles)
  </script>
</body>

Be aware that using ES modules is only possible when running the application on a (local) server. Same Origin Policy

Add a <script> element in the <head> to import initParticles.js.

<head>
  <script src="./initParticles.js" type="module"></script>
</head>

Inside initParticles.js:

import CanvasParticles from './canvasParticles.mjs'

const selector = '#canvas-particles' // Query Selector for the canvas
const options = {} // See #options
new CanvasParticles(selector, options).start()

Add a <script> element in the <head> to import CanvasParticles.

<head>
  <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/[email protected]/canvasParticles.min.js" defer></script>
</head>

Start animating

const selector = '#canvas-particles' // Query Selector for the canvas
const options = {} // See #options
new CanvasParticles(selector, options).start()

Starting and stopping animation

const particles = new CanvasParticles(selector, options)
particles.start()
particles.stop()

Options

Configuration options for the particles and their behavior. Play around with these values: Sandbox

The default value will be used when an option is assigned an invalid value. Your screen resolution and refresh rate will directly impact perfomance!

const options = {
  /** @param {string} [options.background=false] - Background of the canvas. Can be any CSS supported value for the background property.
   * @note No background will be set if background is not a string.
   */
  background: 'linear-gradient(115deg, #354089, black)',

  /** @param {integer} [options.framesPerUpdate=1] - How many times the same frame will be shown before an update happens.
   * @example 60 fps / 2 framesPerUpdate = 30 updates/s
   * @example 144 fps / 3 framesPerUpdate = 48 updates/s
   * */
  framesPerUpdate: 1, // recommended: 1 - 3

  /** @param {boolean} [options.resetOnResize=false] - Create new particles when the canvas gets resized.
   * @info If false, will instead add or remove a few particles to match particles.ppm
   */
  resetOnResize: false,

  /** @param {Object} [options.mouse] - Mouse interaction settings. */
  mouse: {
    /** @param {0|1|2} [options.mouse.interactionType=1] - The type of interaction the mouse will have with particles.
     * 0 = No interaction.
     * 1 = The mouse can visually shift the particles.
     * 2 = The mouse can move the particles.
     * @note mouse.distRatio should be less than 1 to allow dragging, closer to 0 is easier to drag
     */
    interactionType: 2,

    /** @param {float} [options.mouse.connectDistMult=2÷3] - The maximum distance for the mouse to interact with the particles.
     * The value is multiplied by particles.connectDistance
     * @example 0.8 connectDistMult * 150 particles.connectDistance = 120 pixels
     */
    connectDistMult: 0.8,

    /** @param {number} [options.mouse.distRatio=2÷3] - All particles within set radius from the mouse will be drawn to mouse.connectDistance pixels from the mouse.
     * @example radius = 150 connectDistance / 0.4 distRatio = 375 pixels
     * @note Keep this value above mouse.connectDistMult
     */
    distRatio: 1, // recommended: 0.2 - 1
  },

  /** @param {Object} [options.particles] - Particle settings. */
  particles: {
    /** param {string} [options.particles.color='black'] - The color of the particles and their connections. Can be any CSS supported color format. */
    color: '#88c8ffa0',

    /** @param {number} [options.particles.ppm=100] - Particles per million (ppm).
     * This determines how many particles are created per million pixels of the canvas.
     * @example FHD on Chrome = 1920 width * 937 height = 1799040 pixels; 1799040 pixels * 100 ppm / 1000000 = 179.904 = 179 particles
     * @important The amount of particles exponentially reduces performance.
     * People with large screens will have a bad experience with high values.
     * One solution is to increase particles.connectDistance and decrease this value.
     */
    ppm: 100, // recommended: < 120

    /** @param {number} [options.particles.max=500] - The maximum number of particles allowed. */
    max: 200, // recommended: < 500

    /** @param {number} [options.particles.maxWork=Infinity] - The maximum "work" a particle can perform before its connections are no longer drawn.
     * @example 10 maxWork = 10 * 150 connectDistance = max 1500 pixels of lines drawn per particle
     * @important Low values will stabilize performance at the cost of creating an ugly effect where connections may flicker.
     */
    maxWork: 10,

    /** @param {number} [options.particles.connectDistance=150] - The maximum distance for a connection between 2 particles.
     * @note Heavily affects performance. */
    connectDistance: 150,

    /** @param {number} [options.particles.relSpeed=1] - The relative moving speed of the particles.
     * The moving speed is a random value between 0.5 and 1 pixels per update multiplied by this value.
     */
    relSpeed: 0.8,

    /** @param {number} [options.particles.relSize=1] - The relative size of the particles.
     * The ray is a random value between 0.5 and 2.5 pixels multiplied by this value.
     */
    relSize: 1.1,

    /** @param {number} [options.particles.rotationSpeed=2] - The speed at which the particles randomly changes direction.
     * @example 1 rotationSpeed = max direction change of 0.01 radians per update
     */
    rotationSpeed: 1, // recommended: < 10
  },

  /** @param {Object} [options.gravity] - Gravitational force settings.
   * @important Heavily reduces performance if gravity.repulsive or gravity.pulling is not equal to 0
   */
  gravity: {
    /** @param {number} [options.gravity.repulsive=0] - The repulsive force between particles. */
    repulsive: 2, // recommended: 0.50 - 5.00

    /** @param {number} [options.gravity.pulling=0] - The attractive force pulling particles together. Works poorly if `gravity.repulsive` is too low.
     * @note gravity.repulsive should be great enough to prevent forming a singularity.
     */
    pulling: 0.0, // recommended: 0.01 - 0.10

    /** @param {number} [options.gravity.friction=0.9] -  The smoothness of the gravitational forces.
     * The force gets multiplied by the fricion every update.
     * @example force after x updates = force * friction ** x
     */
    friction: 0.8, // recommended: 0.500 - 0.999
  },
}

Update options on the fly

Note: Options changed after the initial class construction without using a setter are not validated. Assigning invalid values will lead to unexpected behavior and system errors.

Using setter

The following options have dedicated setters that must be used to update their values:

options.background
options.mouse.connectDistMult
options.particles.color

const particles = new CanvasParticles(selector, options)

// Use the setters to update these specific options
particles.setBackground('red')
particles.setMouseConnectDistMult(0.8)
particles.setParticleColor('hsl(149, 100%, 50%)')

Requires particle reset

The following options require newParticles() to be called after they are updated to apply changes:

options.particles.ppm
options.particles.max

particles.options.particles.ppm = 100
particles.options.particles.max = 300
particles.newParticles() // Required reset to apply changes

Other

All other options can be updated by simply modifying the options object properties.

particles.options.mouse.interactionType = 0
particles.options.particles.connectDist = 200
particles.options.gravity.repulsive = 1

One pager example

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
  <head>
    <meta charset="utf-8" />
    <script src="./canvasParticles.js" defer></script>
    <style>
      #canvas-particles {
        position: absolute;
        top: 0;
        left: 0;
        width: 100%;
        height: 100%;
        z-index: -1;
      }
    </style>
  </head>

  <body>
    <canvas id="canvas-particles"></canvas>

    <script>
      const selector = '#canvas-particles'
      const options = {
        background: 'hsl(125, 42%, 35%)',
        mouse: {
          interactionType: 2,
        },
        particles: {
          color: 'rgba(150, 255, 105, 0.95)',
          max: 200,
        },
      }
      new CanvasParticles(selector, options).start()
    </script>
  </body>
</html>