/p5js

name: p5js
description: "p5.js sketches: gen art, shaders, interactive, 3D."
version: 1.0.0
platforms: [linux, macos, windows]
metadata:
  hermes:
    tags: [creative-coding, generative-art, p5js, canvas, interactive, visualization, webgl, shaders, animation]
    related_skills: [ascii-video, manim-video, excalidraw]

p5.js Production Pipeline

When to use

Use when users request: p5.js sketches, creative coding, generative art, interactive visualizations, canvas animations, browser-based visual art, data viz, shader effects, or any p5.js project.

What's inside

Production pipeline for interactive and generative visual art using p5.js. Creates browser-based sketches, generative art, data visualizations, interactive experiences, 3D scenes, audio-reactive visuals, and motion graphics — exported as HTML, PNG, GIF, MP4, or SVG. Covers: 2D/3D rendering, noise and particle systems, flow fields, shaders (GLSL), pixel manipulation, kinetic typography, WebGL scenes, audio analysis, mouse/keyboard interaction, and headless high-res export.

Creative Standard

This is visual art rendered in the browser. The canvas is the medium; the algorithm is the brush.

**Before writing a single line of code**, articulate the creative concept. What does this piece communicate? What makes the viewer stop scrolling? What separates this from a code tutorial example? The user's prompt is a starting point — interpret it with creative ambition.

**First-render excellence is non-negotiable.** The output must be visually striking on first load. If it looks like a p5.js tutorial exercise, a default configuration, or "AI-generated creative coding," it is wrong. Rethink before shipping.

**Go beyond the reference vocabulary.** The noise functions, particle systems, color palettes, and shader effects in the references are a starting vocabulary. For every project, combine, layer, and invent. The catalog is a palette of paints — you write the painting.

**Be proactively creative.** If the user asks for "a particle system," deliver a particle system with emergent flocking behavior, trailing ghost echoes, palette-shifted depth fog, and a background noise field that breathes. Include at least one visual detail the user didn't ask for but will appreciate.

**Dense, layered, considered.** Every frame should reward viewing. Never flat white backgrounds. Always compositional hierarchy. Always intentional color. Always micro-detail that only appears on close inspection.

**Cohesive aesthetic over feature count.** All elements must serve a unified visual language — shared color temperature, consistent stroke weight vocabulary, harmonious motion speeds. A sketch with ten unrelated effects is worse than one with three that belong together.

Modes

| Mode | Input | Output | Reference | |------|-------|--------|-----------| | **Generative art** | Seed / parameters | Procedural visual composition (still or animated) | `references/visual-effects.md` | | **Data visualization** | Dataset / API | Interactive charts, graphs, custom data displays | `references/interaction.md` | | **Interactive experience** | None (user drives) | Mouse/keyboard/touch-driven sketch | `references/interaction.md` | | **Animation / motion graphics** | Timeline / storyboard | Timed sequences, kinetic typography, transitions | `references/animation.md` | | **3D scene** | Concept description | WebGL geometry, lighting, camera, materials | `references/webgl-and-3d.md` | | **Image processing** | Image file(s) | Pixel manipulation, filters, mosaic, pointillism | `references/visual-effects.md` § Pixel Manipulation | | **Audio-reactive** | Audio file / mic | Sound-driven generative visuals | `references/interaction.md` § Audio Input |

Stack

Single self-contained HTML file per project. No build step required.

| Layer | Tool | Purpose | |-------|------|---------| | Core | p5.js 1.11.3 (CDN) | Canvas rendering, math, transforms, event handling | | 3D | p5.js WebGL mode | 3D geometry, camera, lighting, GLSL shaders | | Audio | p5.sound.js (CDN) | FFT analysis, amplitude, mic input, oscillators | | Export | Built-in `saveCanvas()` / `saveGif()` / `saveFrames()` | PNG, GIF, frame sequence output | | Capture | CCapture.js (optional) | Deterministic framerate video capture (WebM, GIF) | | Headless | Puppeteer + Node.js (optional) | Automated high-res rendering, MP4 via ffmpeg | | SVG | p5.js-svg 1.6.0 (optional) | Vector output for print — requires p5.js 1.x | | Natural media | p5.brush (optional) | Watercolor, charcoal, pen — requires p5.js 2.x + WEBGL | | Texture | p5.grain (optional) | Film grain, texture overlays | | Fonts | Google Fonts / `loadFont()` | Custom typography via OTF/TTF/WOFF2 |

Version Note

**p5.js 1.x** (1.11.3) is the default — stable, well-documented, broadest library compatibility. Use this unless a project requires 2.x features.

**p5.js 2.x** (2.2+) adds: `async setup()` replacing `preload()`, OKLCH/OKLAB color modes, `splineVertex()`, shader `.modify()` API, variable fonts, `textToContours()`, pointer events. Required for p5.brush. See `references/core-api.md` § p5.js 2.0.

Pipeline

Every project follows the same 6-stage path:

CONCEPT → DESIGN → CODE → PREVIEW → EXPORT → VERIFY

1. **CONCEPT** — Articulate the creative vision: mood, color world, motion vocabulary, what makes this unique 2. **DESIGN** — Choose mode, canvas size, interaction model, color system, export format. Map concept to technical decisions 3. **CODE** — Write single HTML file with inline p5.js. Structure: globals → `preload()` → `setup()` → `draw()` → helpers → classes → event handlers 4. **PREVIEW** — Open in browser, verify visual quality. Test at target resolution. Check performance 5. **EXPORT** — Capture output: `saveCanvas()` for PNG, `saveGif()` for GIF, `saveFrames()` + ffmpeg for MP4, Puppeteer for headless batch 6. **VERIFY** — Does the output match the concept? Is it visually striking at the intended display size? Would you frame