ASCIIOM Documentation

What is ASCIIOM?

ASCIIOM is a web-based system for creating generative ASCII art animations. It combines mathematical patterns, color gradients, and monospace typography to produce real-time visual effects that can be exported as JSON, PNG sequences, or scalable SVG files.

Generator vs Player

Generator: Create new animations from scratch. Randomize patterns, blend layers, adjust colors, and export your creations as JSON files. Think of it as your creative workspace.

Player: Load your saved animations from the library, play them back, adjust playback speed, and export final renders as PNG/SVG sequences. Think of it as your performance and export tool.

First Steps

Open the Generator and click "Randomize All" a few times to see what's possible
Click "Export" to save your animation as a JSON file
Place the JSON file in player/saves/
Open the Player — your animation will appear in the gallery
Click it to load and play

Understanding the Interface

Both apps use a collapsible panel on the left side. Click section headers to expand/collapse them. Use the – button in the top-right to collapse the entire panel for an unobstructed view.

ASCIIOM includes 30+ generative patterns across four categories. Combine them using the Blend system for complex layered animations.

Mathematical Patterns

spiralWave

Rotating logarithmic spiral with configurable decay and arm count

mandelbrot

Classic fractal with zoom and pan controls. Increase iterations for finer detail

julia

Julia set fractal. Adjust cRe and cIm for different morphologies

newton

Newton fractal showing convergence basins. Low iteration counts create abstract divisions

lissajous

Parametric curve creating figure-8 shapes. Adjust ax/ay ratios for different harmonics

quasicrystal

Non-repeating tiling pattern. Increase wave count for denser interference

Simulation Patterns

gameOfLife

Conway's cellular automaton. Adjust seed probability and step speed

reactionDiffusion

Gray-Scott model creating organic spots and stripes. Tune feed and kill rates

lorenz

Chaotic attractor particles. Increase count for denser trails

flowParticles

Particle flow following a vector field. Adjust step size and decay

Organic Patterns

flowField

Perlin noise-driven directional field. Scale controls detail, curl controls rotation

turbulence

Multi-octave noise for cloudy, organic texture. Increase octaves for finer detail

voronoi

Cell-based partitioning. Increase cell count for denser divisions

Geometric Patterns

concentricRings

Simple radial rings from center. Fundamental building block

polar

Polar coordinate grid with rings and spokes. Skew parameter warps geometry

halftone

Classic print halftone simulation. Adjust dot size and gamma

kaleidoscope

Radial mirror symmetry. Combine with other patterns for mandalas

moire

Interference pattern from overlapping frequencies. Adjust freqA/freqB and twist

Font Selection

ASCIIOM uses four Google Fonts:

Space Mono: Angular, geometric, strong density contrast
IBM Plex Mono: Clean, humanist, works well at small sizes
Source Code Pro: Neutral, readable, classic code aesthetic
Courier Prime: Typewriter feel, wide, good for sparse charsets

Character Set Design

Different charsets create vastly different aesthetics:

Dense: █▓▒░ — High contrast, retro terminal
Sparse: ===[ ]::: — Minimal, architectural
Organic: @%#*+=-:. — Traditional ASCII gradation
Single: █ or ● — Solid fills

Text Overlay

Add text on top of your animation for titles or watermarks:

Scale X/Y: Stretch text horizontally or vertically
Character Shift: Rotate through charset based on underlying brightness
Color Shift: Shift hue based on position
Override Charset: Use a different charset just for overlay

Export JSON (Generator)

Click Export in the Generator
Save the JSON file to player/saves/
Refresh the Player

Export SVG Frame (Player)

Pause the animation
Click Frame SVG
SVG downloads immediately

Export Sequence (Player)

Set Duration and FPS
Choose PNG, SVG, or both
Click EXPORT SEQUENCE
ZIP file downloads when complete

File Sizes

PNG: ~400KB per frame
SVG: ~80KB per frame
5 seconds @ 30 FPS = ~60MB (PNG) or ~12MB (SVG)

Generator

Space — Randomize All
R — Randomize Pattern
C — Randomize Colors
T — Randomize Charset

Player

Space — Play/Pause
← / → — Previous/Next track
F — Fit to window
R — Reset camera

Pro Tips

Lock dimensions before randomizing to keep grid size consistent
Use mirror modes (X, Y, or XY) for instant symmetry
Combine multiple patterns at low weights (0.1-0.3) for rich textures
Different timeMult values across blend slots create evolving relationships
The charset has more impact on the final look than almost any other parameter