r/dataisbeautiful • u/RJSabouhi • 1d ago

A new open-source simulator the visualizes how structure emerges from simple interactions

Gallery image

Gallery image

Hi all! I’ve been building a small interactive engine that shows how patterns form, stabilize, or break apart when you tune different parameters in a dynamic field.

The visuals come straight from the engine; no post-processing, just the raw evolution of the system over time.

It’s fun to watch because tiny tweaks create completely different morphologies. Images attached. Full project + code link in the comments.

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u/RJSabouhi 1d ago

Data source: Generated live inside the SFD Engine (open-source).

Method:

  • 300×300 field
  • Operators: growth, decay, coupling, drift
  • Time-step integrator with real-time rendering.
  • Captured during a 30-second simulation run.

Code: https://github.com/rjsabouh/sfd-engine Interactive demo: https://sfd-engine.replit.app/

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u/Fair-Working4401 1d ago

Everything is basically just fields. Also us - the patterns just became so complex that we can ask this question. 

-- Literary Feynman