Chromatic fluid guide

Help

Short answers to what goes wrong most often.

The frame stays empty, or says it needs WebGL 2

The tool works on your GPU with WebGL 2. Update the browser, or turn on hardware acceleration in its settings, then reload.

It is slow

Lower Pressure iterations and Stir rate, and set Bloom to 0. Phones already draw a coarser picture.

The colours fade to black

Move Color dissipation closer to 1 so the colours last longer. Press Reset colors to bring your picture back.

The fluid stops moving

Turn on Auto-stir, press Stir all, or drag across the picture. Move Velocity dissipation closer to 1 so the motion lasts longer.

Does it work on a phone or tablet?

Yes. Drag with a finger to push the fluid; only the first finger pushes. Every preset and button is there. Phones draw the picture at the size of the simulation grid, so it looks coarser.

Record video did nothing, or the file is not what I expected

Every current browser records; the file is an MP4 in H.264 wherever the browser can encode it, and a WebM only where it cannot (Firefox). Press Stop recording to save the file.

How big can my picture be?

Any size opens. The fluid is worked out at up to 512 pixels on the long side of your picture, so fine detail softens.

Copy did nothing

Some browsers do not let a page put a picture on the clipboard. Use Export PNG instead.

Is my picture uploaded?

No. The picture is moved and drawn on your device and never leaves it.

Why is a picture from another tool here?

Pictures you add are kept on this device for every lab tool that takes one, so you need not add them again. Press × on a tile to forget that picture; the picture the page opens with comes back.

Are there keyboard shortcuts?

The tool has none of its own. Anywhere in the lab, Ctrl K, or Cmd K on a Mac, opens the list of all tools.