The Pixelator is really nothing more than an excuse to play around with Canvas, a fun new(ish) HTML5 technology for creating images on the fly with javascript. I'd spent a couple of evenings experimenting when a co-worker (@estwo) sent me a link to DeSandro's amazing Close-Pixelate script. Wow. So awesome. But the script cried out for a UI to let people construct their own patterns dynamically, and not have to wade through code. For me, the fun lies in playing with it - finding what patterns work and what don't. So all I really did was slap on a UI.
For me, Canvas feels like ZX Spectrum (48K) programming all over again. I get that same feeling of awesomeness as I did when I was 8, seeing a few lines of abstract mathematical code transformed into something real on the screen - entirely without the aid of any mind-enhancing drugs. Enjoy!
— Ben
View Swirly Source