Strange Attractor Screensaver
Strange Attractor is a free, in-browser screensaver that traces chaotic math systems as glowing point clouds. It draws Clifford and De Jong attractors plus the Lorenz butterfly, plotting thousands of points each frame. Nothing to download, and you press ESC to exit.
How the Strange Attractor screensaver works
Clifford and De Jong attractors are iterated maps: each new point is computed from the previous one by feeding x and y through sine and cosine functions with four fixed parameters a, b, c and d. The screensaver plots up to tens of thousands of these points per frame, and because the formula keeps folding the plane back on itself, the dots settle onto an intricate fractal shape rather than a blob.
The Lorenz option instead integrates the famous Lorenz system of three differential equations with small time steps, drawing the trajectory as a continuous line. The path is rotated slowly in 3D so you orbit the unmistakable butterfly with its two looping wings.
Parameters are not random. The code picks from a curated table of Clifford and De Jong constants, because most random values collapse to a single point or a boring smear; the hand-tuned sets reliably produce striking forms.
Drawing uses additive 'lighter' blending so overlapping points accumulate into bright cores, and a faint background wash each frame keeps the density from fully saturating. With Reseed over time on, after about fifteen seconds the parameters change and a fresh attractor is drawn.
A worked example
At the defaults — Clifford attractor, 6000 points per frame, Spectrum color, Reseed over time on — each frame iterates the Clifford map 6000 times and plots glowing pixels that build up a delicate filigree. The Spectrum mode cycles the hue slowly, and after roughly 15 seconds the screen clears and a new parameter set from the curated table draws an entirely different shape.
Settings & tips
- Raise Points / frame toward 30000 for dense, fully formed clouds, or lower it to watch the shape build up gradually.
- Switch Attractor between Clifford, De Jong and Lorenz for completely different geometry, including the 3D butterfly.
- Use the Color presets (Spectrum, Ice, Fire) or pick Mono and set your own accent color for the points.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a strange attractor?
- A strange attractor is a pattern that a chaotic system settles onto over time, never repeating yet staying within a bounded shape. Famous examples include the Clifford, De Jong and Lorenz attractors.
- Is the strange attractor screensaver free?
- Yes. It runs free in your browser with no download or installation required.
- What is the Lorenz butterfly?
- The Lorenz butterfly is the shape traced by the Lorenz equations, a model of atmospheric convection. Its two looping wings are an icon of chaos theory.
- Why does the pattern change on its own?
- With Reseed over time enabled, the screensaver swaps to a new set of parameters every fifteen seconds or so, drawing a fresh attractor. You can turn this off to keep one shape.
- How do I exit the strange attractor screensaver?
- Press the ESC key at any time to return to the page.