Orion's Java Demos

Color Table Animation	Blurring
Fire!	Pinned Addition
Squid	Chasers
Transparency	Ice

I was inspired by the late-1980's programming phenomenon known as the "demo". Running on glacial hardware, these cleverly written programs carefully tuned both hardware and algorithms to create stunning visual effects. I'm trying to help disseminate that mindest, and propagate it to the next generation of programmers.

I use Java first for portability, second for clarity of concept, and finally for brevity. Java has an excellent set of graphical APIs. In addition, using Java precludes the direct manipulation of hardware, leaving the focus on the portable tricks you can pull in software.

These demos are intended as eye candy. All are animated, and all require a JDK-1.1-class browser (IE 4.0 or Netscape 4.0 or better). Any resemblence to the real world or other programs, living or dead, is purely coincidental. You can take or leave the cryptic, largely condescending text following each demo.

I wrote these demos during Christmas vacation, mostly during late December of 1998.

Download all Demos & Source