How the Art is Created

In this program, trigonometric functions like sine and cosine are used to control the colors you see on the canvas, and here's how they do it:

Sine and Cosine Values

Sine and cosine functions take an input value, typically a number representing time, and give you an output value that oscillates (goes up and down) between -1 and 1 in a smooth, repetitive way.

Mapping to Colors

These oscillating values from the trigonometric functions are then transformed into colors. Here's how it's done:

Red Component: The output from the sine function (S) is used to influence the red color in the final result. When the sine value is at its maximum (1), the red color is strongest. When it's at its minimum (-1), the red color is weakest. Values in between produce varying shades of red.

Green Component: Similarly, the output from the cosine function (C) is used to affect the green color. When the cosine value is at its maximum (1), the green color is strongest. When it's at its minimum (-1), the green color is weakest. Values in between create different shades of green.

Combining Colors

The final step combines these red and green color components into a single color. The blue component is kept constant, set to zero, which means it doesn't change. The 'a' component represents transparency or opacity and is often set to a default value (30% opacity in this case) to make the colors somewhat see-through.

In summary, the trigonometric functions, sine, and cosine, are like dynamic color controllers. They produce values that determine how much red and green there should be in the color palette displayed on the canvas. By continuously changing these values over time, the program creates visually captivating and ever-evolving patterns and colors for you to see.