Physarum trails guide

Three looks

Each picture below was made in Physarum trails from its two sample pictures: a preset, the slowest Transition speed, and Replay, caught partway through the run. The table lists what was set; two of them also use the smallest number of agents. The slow speed only makes the moment easier to catch: a run takes the same 220 steps at any speed, so it grows the same network.

Gold veins

Thick, glowing yellow-gold trunks over a darkened, pearl-crowned figure, the spiked halo of a second figure faint behind it
Gold veins with 65k agents, partway through: thick gold trunks over a darkened picture turning from A into B.

Press Gold veins under Presets, pick 256 · 65k under Agents, move Transition speed all the way left, then press Replay at the top of the panel.

Wide sensors that look far ahead, slow turns and a trail that lasts and spreads join the paths into a few bold trunks. The picture is dimmed further than in Capillaries, so the gold stands out. The preset itself uses 262k agents; this picture was made with 65k, the number a phone keeps.

SettingValue
PresetsGold veins
Agents256 · 65k
Transition speed0.3
Load and saveReplay

Lower Diffuse to 0.2 for sharper, thinner trunks.

Crimson web

Looping red threads over a pale, pearl-draped figure with a spiked halo, a pearl-crowned figure beginning to show through
Crimson web with 65k agents, early in the run: looping red threads, picture A still in front of B.

Press Crimson web under Presets, pick 256 · 65k under Agents, move Transition speed all the way left, then press Replay at the top of the panel.

Narrow sensors, fast turns and a strong deposit make agents double back often, so the trail knits into tight loops. A weaker food pull lets the web spread over dark parts of the picture too. The preset itself uses 262k agents; this picture was made with 65k.

SettingValue
PresetsCrimson web
Agents256 · 65k
Transition speed0.3
Load and saveReplay

Set Tint to Slate for the same web in cold blue.

Starved

Thin white threads with pale blue edges winding over a pearl-crowned figure before spires, a faint spiked halo left from the first picture
Starved partway through: thin white threads with pale blue edges over a picture that has almost become B.

Press Starved under Presets, move Transition speed all the way left, then press Replay at the top of the panel.

The picture barely pulls the agents and the trail fades fast, so only the busiest paths glow: a thin, open net that keeps shifting as it searches. It uses 65k agents, like Capillaries.

SettingValue
PresetsStarved
Transition speed0.3
Load and saveReplay

Raise Food pull to 2 and the threads gather on the bright parts of the picture.