Strings
Here is a test of the optical flow component of Firefly. You can check the Firefly add-on to Grasshopper here. As an ongoing research project, I’ve been searching for a suitable platform to study responsive geometric patterns. This initial study focuses on one particular effect of Firefly, the optical flow that outputs the direction vectors on a given webcam input. I developed traces of it by joining endpoints of these vectors together, creating strings. Then, recorded them to provide better motion effects, adding color afterward. The data recorder component is creating this effect of fading out.
Although Grasshopper is not a capable platform for studying responsive installations such as Processing or VVVV, I still give it credit because of its effortless way of coding. More control over the visual outcome (e.g transparency of curves) is still missing in Grasshopper, but more importantly, the performance is a big issue for such real-time formation algorithms. Update: After 9 years, on 17.1.2023, I re-checked the code. It still works in Rhino 7! The strings algorithm runs much smoother on a faster computer. I think the Firefly add-on has no alternative today as far as I know. On some computers, I saw it didn’t work. I was lucky I think because it worked and connected to the webcam in the first try. Update#2: As of 13.8.2026, the code (Firefly add-on) still works with Rhinoceros 8!
Here is the original 2014 Grasshopper definition if you are interested in testing this algorithm: (Firefly must be installed on your Grasshopper, and a working webcam should be connected when running the file).
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