Processing and Processing.js Experiments in Digital Art

In June 2013 I installed Processing 2 on my computer as a consequence of being enrolled in the Coursera class Creative Programming for Digital Media & Mobile Apps. This digital media class used Processing 2's ability to create Android apps. Processing 2 also incorporated the ability to create sketches using Javascript. Whereas previous versions of Processing created Java applets for use on web sites, Processing 2 replaced applets with a Javascript version of Processing. This was done for two reasons. First in order to insure maximum usability and compatibility across traditional desktop and laptop platforms. Second to provide a means by which Processing sketches could be run on Apple's mobile devices (iPhones and iPads).

Getting the entire development environment working took some doing. For information about the challenges I encountered in getting the Processing 2 Android development environment up and running on my Windows laptop, see my blog post A Simple Android Processing Painting Sketch.

As I proceeded through the Coursera Creative Programming for Digital Media & Mobile Apps class, I published some of my Javascript projects here. At the time I had not yet decided if I would create Javascript versions of the Android apps that I had written. As it happens I did not.

Update 03/26/16: For Processing users interested in developing on a Linux platform, I wrote the following tutorial specifically for the Ubuntu Linux distribution: Installing Processing 3.x on Ubuntu Linux Systems Tutorial.

For my part, while I have written Processing apps for both Android and P5.JS, the standard desktop version of Processing is still my creative coding platform of choice.

Processing Workshops

Create Generative Art With Processing Workshop for the 2022 Chicon World Science Fiction Convention provides a description of a workshop I gave at the 2022 Worldcon.

Processing.js Table of Contents

Processing Oscillating Ellipses Animated Painting - my first Processing.js sketch created 6/22/2013.

Party Lines - featuring dancing lines and audio is an independent homework project for the Creative Programming for Digital Media & Mobile Apps class. Sketch published 6/30/2013. Modified 7/3/2013 to add a basic GUI interface.

Party Lines Sequel - featuring dancing lines, curves, ellipses, and audio is an independent homework project for the Creative Programming for Digital Media & Mobile Apps class. Sketch published 7/16/2013.

Simple Picture Painter - is a simple picture painter that uses a source photograph to determine what colors to draw. This sketch was the final project for the Coursera Introduction to Computational Arts: Processing class. Sketch published 2/27/2014.

Processing P5.JS Painter Test - is a simple algorithmic picture painter test of Processing P5.JS. Sketch published 10/27/2017.

Processing P5.JS Webcam Video Test - is a test of using Processing P5.JS to access a computer's webcam. Sketch published 10/27/2017.

Processing.js References

I am providing the following links as a courtesy to those who would like to learn more about Processing and Processing.js and perhaps create their own sketches.

• Processing
• Processing 2 JavaScript Mode
• Processing.js
• Processing.js Tutorials
• Pomax's guide to Processing.js
• Processing.js Quick Start - Processing Developer Edition

Blog Posts in which Processing is Discussed

Following are the blog posts listed on the Processing Creative Coding Blog Post Category Index page.