And now for something completely different…

The other day, for reasons I can’t even explain to myself, I googled for metaball examples. No real need, I just rather like the way they look, all blobby and stuff. Well, one of the first things to come up was this nifty example in Java by Gordon Williams. I promptly decompiled the java and ported it all over to Actionscript 3. Afterwards I emailed the author and asked if it would be all right to publish the AS source, and he kindly said it would be fine (I know, I know, it’s a bit of an ass backward way to operate, but if he hadn’t been kind enough to say it was all right, you wouldn’t be reading this now).

So this is the result I got (double click the thing to get it going or stop it):

[kml_flashembed fversion=”10.0.0″ movie=”http://blog.onebyonedesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/metaball.swf” targetclass=”flashmovie” publishmethod=”static” width=”500″ height=”350″]

[/kml_flashembed]

As you can, it’s currently (at least on my machine) running at around a craptacular 11 frames per second. If anyone would like to try their hand at optimizing the sucker please have at the code below (and please post your results here – I’d like to see what people come up with).

A couple supporting classes :

Vect.as

package { /** * @author Gordon Williams (http://www.rabidhamster.org/index.php) * * Java to Actionscript port by: * @author Devon O. Wolfgang (http://blog.onebyonedesign.com) */ public class Vect { public var d:Vector. = new Vector.(); public function Vect(paramFloat1:Number, paramFloat2:Number, paramFloat3:Number) { d.length = 4; d.fixed = true; d[0] = paramFloat1; d[1] = paramFloat2; d[2] = paramFloat3; d[3] = 1.0; } public function magnitude():Number { return Math.sqrt(d[0] * d[0] + d[1] * d[1] + d[2] * d[2]); } public function equal(paramVect:Vect):Boolean { return ((paramVect.d[0] == d[0]) && (paramVect.d[1] == this.d[1]) && (paramVect.d[2] == this.d[2])); } public function mul(paramFloat:Number):void { d[0] *= paramFloat; d[1] *= paramFloat; d[2] *= paramFloat; } public function div(paramFloat:Number):void { d[0] /= paramFloat; d[1] /= paramFloat; d[2] /= paramFloat; } public function add(paramVect:Vect):void { d[0] += paramVect.d[0]; d[1] += paramVect.d[1]; d[2] += paramVect.d[2]; } public function sub(paramVect:Vect):void { d[0] -= paramVect.d[0]; d[1] -= paramVect.d[1]; d[2] -= paramVect.d[2]; } public function dot(paramVect:Vect):Number { return (d[0] * paramVect.d[0] + d[1] * paramVect.d[1] + d[2] * paramVect.d[2]); } public function cross(paramVect:Vect):Vect { return new Vect(d[1] * paramVect.d[2] - (d[2] * paramVect.d[1]), d[2] * paramVect.d[0] - (d[0] * paramVect.d[2]), d[0] * paramVect.d[1] - (d[1] * paramVect.d[0])); } public function normalize():void { mul(1.0 / magnitude()); } public function project():void { d[2] += 256.0; d[0] *= 1024.0 / d[2]; d[1] *= 1024.0 / d[2]; } public function copy():Vect { return new Vect(d[0], d[1], d[2]); } } }

Matrix.as

package { /** * @author Gordon Williams (http://www.rabidhamster.org/index.php) * * Java to Actionscript port by: * @author Devon O. Wolfgang (http://blog.onebyonedesign.com) */ public class Matrix { public var m:Vector.> = new Vector.>(); public function Matrix() { m.length = 4; m.fixed = true; var i:int = 4; while (i--) { var v:Vector. = new Vector.(); v.length = 4; v.fixed = true; m[i] = v; } setZero(); } public function setZero():void { for (var i:int = 0; i < 4; ++i) { for (var j:int = 0; j < 4; ++j ) { this.m[i][j] = 0.0; } } } public function setIdentity():void { setZero(); m[0][0] = 1.0; m[1][1] = 1.0; m[2][2] = 1.0; m[3][3] = 1.0; } public function setTranslate(...args:Array):void { if (args.length == 1) { setTranslate(args[0].d[0], args[0].d[1], args[0].d[2]); } else if (args.length == 3) { setIdentity(); m[3][0] = args[0]; m[3][1] = args[1]; m[3][2] = args[2]; } } public function setRotateX(paramFloat:Number):void { setIdentity(); m[2][2] = (m[1][1] = Math.cos(paramFloat)); m[2][1] = (-(m[1][2] = Math.sin(paramFloat))); } public function setRotateY(paramFloat:Number):void { setIdentity(); m[2][2] = (m[0][0] = Math.cos(paramFloat)); m[0][2] = (-(m[2][0] = Math.sin(paramFloat))); } public function setRotateZ(paramFloat:Number):void { setIdentity(); m[0][0] = (m[1][1] = Math.cos(paramFloat)); m[1][0] = (-(m[0][1] = Math.sin(paramFloat))); } public function setScale(...args:Array):void { if (args.length == 1) { setScale(args[0].d[0], args[0].paramVect.d[1], args[0].paramVect.d[2]); } else if (args.length == 3) { setIdentity(); m[0][0] = args[0]; m[1][1] = args[1]; m[2][2] = args[2]; } } public function mul(paramMatrix:Matrix):Matrix { var localMatrix:Matrix = new Matrix(); for (var i:int = 0; i < 4; ++i) for (var j:int = 0; j < 4; ++j) for (var k:int = 0; k < 4; ++k) localMatrix.m[i][j] += this.m[i][k] * paramMatrix.m[k][j]; return localMatrix; } public function apply(paramVect:Vect):Vect { var localVect:Vect = new Vect(0.0, 0.0, 0.0); for (var i:int = 0; i < 4; ++i) for (var j:int = 0; j < 4; ++j) localVect.d[i] += paramVect.d[j] * m[j][i]; return localVect; } public function copy():Matrix { var localMatrix:Matrix = new Matrix(); for (var i:int = 0; i < 4; ++i) for (var j:int = 0; j < 4; ++j) localMatrix.m[i][j] = this.m[i][j]; return localMatrix; } } }

And the main Metaball class :

package { /** * @author Gordon Williams (http://www.rabidhamster.org/index.php) * * Java to Actionscript port by: * @author Devon O. Wolfgang (http://blog.onebyonedesign.com) */ import flash.display.Bitmap; import flash.display.BitmapData; import flash.display.Sprite; import flash.events.Event; import flash.utils.getTimer; public class MetaBall extends Sprite { private var MIDX:int; private var MIDY:int; private var MAXX:int; private var MAXY:int; private var _oldtime:Number; private var _newtime:Number; private var _timepass:Number; private var _time:Number; private var _pMatrix:Matrix; private var _pixels:Vector.; private var _grid:Vector. = new Vector.(); private var _thresh:Number; private var _balls:Vector. = new Vector.(); private var _ballFreq:Vector. = new Vector.(); private var _ballOfs:Vector. = new Vector.(); private var _meshData:Array; private var _squareData:Array; private var _canvas:BitmapData; private var _display:Bitmap; public function MetaBall(width:int, height:int, numBalls:int = 5) { _canvas = new BitmapData(width, height, false, 0x000000); _display = new Bitmap(_canvas); addChild(_display); _oldtime = 0; _newtime = 0; _timepass = 0.0; _time = 0.0; _grid.length = 4096; _grid.fixed = true; _thresh = 0.23; _balls.length = numBalls; _balls.fixed = true; _ballFreq.length = numBalls; _ballFreq.fixed = true; _ballOfs.length = numBalls; _ballOfs.fixed = true; MIDX = int(_canvas.width * .5); MIDY = int(_canvas.height * .5); MAXX = _canvas.width; MAXY = _canvas.height; _meshData = [ [], [ 0, 3 ], [ 1, 0 ], [ 1, 3 ], [ 3, 2 ], [ 0, 2 ],[ 3, 0, 1, 2 ],[ 1, 2 ], [ 2, 1 ], [ 0, 1, 2, 3 ], [ 2, 0 ], [ 2, 3 ], [ 3, 1 ], [ 0, 1], [ 3, 0 ], [] ]; _squareData = []; init(); } public function init():void { initBuffers(); var len:int = _balls.length; for (var i:int = 0; i < len; ++i) { _ballFreq[i] = new Vect(Math.random() + 0.5, Math.random() + 0.5, Math.random() + 0.5); _ballOfs[i] = new Vect(Math.random() * Math.PI, Math.random() * Math.PI, Math.random() * Math.PI); } } protected function initBuffers():void { _pixels = new Vector.(); _pixels.length = _canvas.width * _canvas.height; _pixels.fixed = true; } private function ballVal(paramFloat1:Number, paramFloat2:Number, paramFloat3:Number):Number { var f:Number = paramFloat1 * paramFloat1 + paramFloat2 * paramFloat2 + paramFloat3 * paramFloat3; if (f > 1.0) return (1.0 / f); return 1.0; } private function gridFill():void { var i:int = 0; var len:int = _balls.length; for (var j:int = 0; j < 16; ++j) for (var k:int = 0; k < 16; ++k) for (var l:int = 0; l < 16; ++l) { _grid[i] = 0.0; for (var i1:int = 0; i1 < len; ++i1) _grid[i] += ballVal(l + _balls[i1].d[0] - 8.0, k + _balls[i1].d[1] - 8.0, j + _balls[i1].d[2] - 8.0); ++i; } } private function diff(paramFloat1:Number, paramFloat2:Number):Number { if (paramFloat2 != paramFloat1) { var f:Number = (_thresh - paramFloat1) / (paramFloat2 - paramFloat1); return f; } return 0.0; } private function getVectXY(paramInt:int, paramFloat1:Number, paramFloat2:Number, paramFloat3:Number):Vect { switch (paramInt) { case 0: return new Vect(paramFloat1 + diff(_squareData[0], _squareData[1]), paramFloat2, paramFloat3); case 1: return new Vect(paramFloat1 + 1.0, paramFloat2 + diff(_squareData[1], _squareData[3]), paramFloat3); case 2: return new Vect(paramFloat1 + diff(_squareData[2], _squareData[3]), paramFloat2 + 1.0, paramFloat3); case 3: return new Vect(paramFloat1, paramFloat2 + diff(_squareData[0], _squareData[2]), paramFloat3); default: return new Vect(0.0, 0.0, 0.0); } } private function getVectYZ(paramInt:int, paramFloat1:Number, paramFloat2:Number, paramFloat3:Number):Vect { switch (paramInt) { case 0: return new Vect(paramFloat1, paramFloat2 + diff(_squareData[0], _squareData[1]), paramFloat3); case 1: return new Vect(paramFloat1, paramFloat2 + 1.0, paramFloat3 + diff(_squareData[1], _squareData[3])); case 2: return new Vect(paramFloat1, paramFloat2 + diff(_squareData[2], _squareData[3]), paramFloat3 + 1.0); case 3: return new Vect(paramFloat1, paramFloat2, paramFloat3 + diff(_squareData[0], _squareData[2])); default: return new Vect(0.0, 0.0, 0.0); } } private function getVectZX(paramInt:int, paramFloat1:Number, paramFloat2:Number, paramFloat3:Number):Vect { switch (paramInt) { case 0: return new Vect(paramFloat1, paramFloat2, paramFloat3 + diff(_squareData[0], _squareData[1])); case 1: return new Vect(paramFloat1 + diff(_squareData[1], _squareData[3]), paramFloat2, paramFloat3 + 1.0); case 2: return new Vect(paramFloat1 + 1.0, paramFloat2, paramFloat3 + diff(_squareData[2], _squareData[3])); case 3: return new Vect(paramFloat1 + diff(_squareData[0], _squareData[2]), paramFloat2, paramFloat3); default: return new Vect(0.0, 0.0, 0.0); } } private function gridMesh():void { var i:int = 0; for (var j:int = 0; j < 15; ++j) for (var k:int = 0; k < 16; ++k) for (var l:int = 0; l < 16; ++l) { if ((l < 15) && (k < 15)) { var i1:int = 0; if ((_squareData[0] = _grid[i]) > _thresh) ++i1; if ((_squareData[1] = _grid[(i + 1)]) > _thresh) i1 += 2; if ((_squareData[2] = _grid[(i + 16)]) > _thresh) i1 += 4; if ((_squareData[3] = _grid[(i + 17)]) > _thresh) i1 += 8; var len:int = _meshData[i1].length; for (var i2:int = 0; i2 < len; i2 += 2) line(getVectXY(_meshData[i1][i2], l, k, j), getVectXY(_meshData[i1][(i2 + 1)], l, k, j)); i1 = 0; if ((_squareData[0] = _grid[i]) > _thresh) ++i1; if ((_squareData[1] = _grid[(i + 16)]) > _thresh) i1 += 2; if ((_squareData[2] = _grid[(i + 256)]) > _thresh) i1 += 4; if ((_squareData[3] = _grid[(i + 272)]) > _thresh) i1 += 8; len = _meshData[i1].length; for (var i3:int = 0; i3 < len; i3 += 2) line(getVectYZ(_meshData[i1][i3], l, k, j), getVectYZ(_meshData[i1][(i3 + 1)], l, k, j)); i1 = 0; if ((_squareData[0] = _grid[i]) > _thresh) ++i1; if ((_squareData[1] = _grid[(i + 256)]) > _thresh) i1 += 2; if ((_squareData[2] = _grid[(i + 1)]) > _thresh) i1 += 4; if ((_squareData[3] = _grid[(i + 257)]) > _thresh) i1 += 8; len = _meshData[i1].length; for (var i4:int = 0; i4 < len; i4 += 2) line(getVectZX(_meshData[i1][i4], l, k, j), getVectZX(_meshData[i1][(i4 + 1)], l, k, j)); } ++i; } } private function line(paramVect1:Vect, paramVect2:Vect):void { paramVect1 = _pMatrix.apply(paramVect1); paramVect2 = _pMatrix.apply(paramVect2); paramVect1.project(); paramVect2.project(); drawLineAA(paramVect1.d[0] + MIDX, paramVect1.d[1] + MIDY, paramVect2.d[0] + MIDX, paramVect2.d[1] + MIDY, 100); } public function paint():void { var i:int = _canvas.width * _canvas.height; var j:int = _canvas.width; for (var k:int = j; k < i - j; ++k) { // original line //this._pixels[k] = ((this._pixels[k] & 0xFF) * 7 + ((this._pixels[(k - 1)] & 0xFF) + (this._pixels[(k + 1)] & 0xFF) + (this._pixels[(k - j)] & 0xFF) + (this._pixels[(k + j)] & 0xFF)) * 2 >> 4); this._pixels[k] = ((_pixels[k] & 0xFF) * 3 + ((_pixels[(k - 1)] & 0xFF) + (_pixels[(k + 1)] & 0xFF) + (_pixels[(k - j)] & 0xFF) + (_pixels[(k + j)] & 0xFF)) * 2 >> 4); } _oldtime = _newtime; _newtime = getTimer(); _timepass = _newtime - _oldtime; _timepass /= 1000.0; _time += _timepass; var localMatrix1:Matrix = new Matrix(); var localMatrix2:Matrix = new Matrix(); localMatrix2.setTranslate(-8.0, -8.0, -8.0); localMatrix1.setRotateX(_time); localMatrix2 = localMatrix2.mul(localMatrix1); localMatrix1.setRotateY(_time * 1.375); localMatrix2 = localMatrix2.mul(localMatrix1); localMatrix1.setScale(5.0, 5.0, 5.0); _pMatrix = localMatrix2.mul(localMatrix1); var l:int = _balls.length; while (l--) { _balls[l] = new Vect((Math.sin(_ballFreq[l].d[0] * _time + _ballOfs[l].d[0]) * 3.5), (Math.sin(_ballFreq[l].d[1] * _time + _ballOfs[l].d[1]) * 3.5), (Math.sin(_ballFreq[l].d[2] * _time + _ballOfs[l].d[2]) * 3.5)); } gridFill(); gridMesh(); _canvas.lock(); var kk:int = 0; var ii:int = _canvas.height; while (ii--) { var jj:int = _canvas.width; while(jj--) { _canvas.setPixel(jj, ii, _pixels[kk]); kk++; } } _canvas.unlock(); } public function start():void { _newtime = (_oldtime = getTimer()); addEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME, update); } public function stop():void { removeEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME, update); } private function update(event:Event):void { paint(); } private function drawLineAA(paramDouble1:Number, paramDouble2:Number, paramDouble3:Number, paramDouble4:Number, paramInt:int):void { var i7:int; var i8:int; var i9:int; var i10:int; var i:int = int(65536.0 * paramDouble1); var j:int = int(65536.0 * paramDouble3); var k:int = int(65536.0 * paramDouble2); var l:int = int(65536.0 * paramDouble4); var i1:int = i; var i2:int = j; var i3:int = k; var i4:int = l; var i5:int = i2 - i1; var i6:int = i4 - i3; if (Math.abs(paramDouble3 - paramDouble1) > Math.abs(paramDouble4 - paramDouble2)) { if (i2 < i1) { i1 = j; i2 = i; i3 = l; } i7 = i3; i8 = (i5 >> 16 == 0) ? i6 : i6 / (i5 >> 16); for (i9 = i1 >> 16; i9 < i2 + 32767 >> 16; ++i9) { i10 = i7 >> 16; drawPixelAA(i9, i10, _canvas.width, i7, paramInt); i7 += i8; } } else { if (i4 < i3) { i1 = j; i3 = l; i4 = k; } i7 = i1; i8 = (i6 >> 16 == 0) ? i5 : i5 / (i6 >> 16); for (i9 = i3 >> 16; i9 < i4 + 32767 >> 16; ++i9) { i10 = i7 >> 16; drawPixelAA(i10, i9, 1, i7, paramInt); i7 += i8; } } } private function drawPixelAA(paramInt1:int, paramInt2:int, paramInt3:int, paramInt4:int, paramInt5:int):void { if ((paramInt2 >= 0) && (paramInt2 < _canvas.height - 1) && (paramInt1 >= 0) && (paramInt1 < _canvas.width - 1)) { var i:int = paramInt2 * _canvas.width + paramInt1; if ((i < 0) || (i >= _canvas.width * _canvas.height)) return; var l1:Number = this._pixels[i]; var l2:Number = this._pixels[(i + paramInt3)]; if (l1 < 0) l1 = 256 + l1; if (l2 < 0) l2 = 256 + l2; var l3:Number = paramInt4 & 0xFFFF; var l4:Number = 65536 - l3; var l5:Number = paramInt5 * l4 >> 16; var l6:Number = paramInt5 * l3 >> 16; l1 += l5; l2 += l6; this._pixels[i] = ((l1 < 255) ? l1 : 0x000000); if (paramInt3 != 0) { i += paramInt3; if ((i < 0) || (i >= _canvas.width * _canvas.height)) return; this._pixels[i] = ((l2 < 255) ? l2 : 0x000000); } } } } }

Intantiation is easy - just create a new Metaball instance specifying its width, height and the number of balls (defaults to five) and add it to your display list.

Have no idea what you could do with the thing, but it sure is purty...