What this is
A strange attractor is the shape a chaotic system settles into: the path never repeats and never leaves, so it keeps winding inside one fixed form like the Lorenz butterfly. This page steps eight of those systems forward a tiny slice of time at a time and draws the path as a cloud of points. Move a parameter while it runs and the shape bends with it.
How to use it
- Pick an attractor, then drag in the view to turn it and scroll or pinch to move closer.
- Move the parameter sliders to bend the shape, and set the color by speed, position, age or one tone.
- Open Export to save a PNG or copy the view to the clipboard.
Read the guide
Words: strange attractor · vector · frame rate
Common questions
How do I zoom?
Scroll or pinch over the view, or open Camera and move Distance; the slider shows the distance either way, from 5 to 200. A scroll over the view does not scroll the page; scroll over the panel or the text below.
Does it work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. Every attractor, slider and colour is there. On a phone, or on any touch screen or window under 900 pixels wide when the page opens, Max points opens at 20k and stops at 100k, and the view is drawn at no more than 1.5 times the screen's pixels. Drag with one finger to turn the view.
Is anything uploaded?
No. The shapes are worked out and drawn on your device.