QUICKSTART.md

Quick Start Guide

Running the Application

# Build and run in release mode (recommended for best performance)
cargo run --release

# Or for development (faster compile, slower runtime)
cargo run

The application will open with a control panel on the left and visualization area on the right.

First Steps

1. Choose View Mode: Click 2D or 3D at the top of the control panel
2. Select a Simulation: Use the dropdown menu to choose which simulation to explore
3. Adjust Parameters: Use sliders and controls to modify the simulation in real-time
4. Explore Presets: Click preset buttons to jump to interesting configurations

Recommended Starting Points

Mandelbrot Set (2D Fractal)

What it is: The iconic fractal showing infinite self-similar complexity

Try this:

1. Start with the default view
2. Click "Seahorse Valley" preset to see intricate spirals
3. Use mousewheel to zoom in smoothly
4. Drag with your mouse to pan around
5. Try different color schemes (Rainbow, Fire, Ice, Galaxy)
6. Increase Max Iterations (500-1000) for more detail at high zoom levels

Tips:

• Zoom range: 0.1x to 10,000x
• Higher zoom needs more iterations for crisp details
• Try Color Cycling for animated rainbow effects

Julia Set (2D Fractal)

What it is: Beautiful fractal variations, each with unique character

Try this:

1. Click "Douady's Rabbit" to see the famous rabbit shape
2. Drag the C Real and C Imaginary sliders to morph the fractal in real-time
3. Enable Animate to watch the fractal continuously transform
4. Use mousewheel to zoom into fine details
5. Try "San Marco Dragon" or "Siegel Disk" presets

Tips:

• Each (C Real, C Imag) pair creates a completely different fractal
• Animation creates a smooth journey through parameter space

Burning Ship (2D Fractal)

What it is: A fractal using absolute values, creating ship-like structures

Try this:

1. Start at "Main Ship" to see the overall structure
2. Click "Antenna Detail" for intricate masts and rigging
3. Zoom with mousewheel and pan by dragging
4. Try Ocean or Ice color schemes

Conway's Game of Life (2D Cellular Automaton)

What it is: Emergent patterns from simple rules - cells live, die, and reproduce

Try this:

1. Click "Glider Gun" to watch it create infinite moving gliders
2. Use Pause/Play button to control time
3. Click "Step" to advance one generation at a time
4. Try different Rules (HighLife, Maze, Seeds)
5. Enable "Color by Age" to see how long cells have lived
6. Click "Randomize" for chaos, then watch patterns emerge

Pattern Guide:

• Glider Gun: Creates moving gliders indefinitely
• Pulsar: Oscillates with period 3
• Pentadecathlon: Period 15 oscillator
• Acorn: Small pattern that evolves for 5,206 generations
• LWSS: Lightweight spaceship that moves diagonally

Lorenz Attractor (3D Chaotic System)

What it is: The famous "butterfly effect" system showing chaos

Try this:

1. Watch the butterfly-shaped pattern form
2. Drag Rotation X/Y sliders to view from different angles
3. Use mousewheel while hovering to zoom in/out
4. Adjust Rho parameter (0-50) to see bifurcations
5. Try "Chaotic" preset for wild behavior
6. Enable Auto-Rotate for continuous viewing

Tips:

• σ (sigma) = 10 is standard
• ρ (rho) around 28 creates the butterfly
• Increase Trail Length for denser visualization

Reaction-Diffusion (2D Chemical Simulation)

What it is: Pattern formation like animal spots and coral growth

Try this:

1. Watch patterns emerge from noise
2. Adjust Feed Rate and Kill Rate for different patterns
3. Lower values create spots, higher values create stripes
4. Wait 10-20 seconds for patterns to stabilize

Pattern Types:

• Feed ~0.04, Kill ~0.06: Spots
• Feed ~0.03, Kill ~0.06: Worms
• Feed ~0.06, Kill ~0.06: Coral

Slime Mold (2D Emergent)

What it is: Simulation of Physarum polycephalum behavior

Try this:

1. Watch agents create networks optimizing for food sources
2. Increase Agent Count for denser trails
3. Adjust Sensor Angle and Turn Angle for different patterns
4. Higher Decay Rate creates sharper trails

Boids (2D Flocking)

What it is: Emergent flocking behavior from simple rules

Try this:

1. Watch birds flock naturally
2. Increase Boid Count up to 500
3. Adjust Separation, Alignment, Cohesion strengths
4. Enable Trail Fade for motion trails
5. Add Predators to see avoidance behavior

N-Body Gravity (3D Physics)

What it is: Gravitational orbital mechanics

Try this:

1. Watch planets orbit the central mass
2. Increase Body Count for more chaos
3. Adjust Gravitational Constant for faster/slower orbits
4. Higher Initial Velocity creates elliptical orbits
5. Enable Auto-Rotate to see 3D structure

DNA Helix (3D Visual)

What it is: Double helix structure visualization

Try this:

1. Adjust Twist Rate to wind/unwind the helix
2. Change Number of Base Pairs (5-50)
3. Increase Animation Speed for rotation
4. Drag rotation sliders for different viewing angles

Galaxy Spiral (3D Astrophysics)

What it is: Spiral galaxy with differential rotation

Try this:

1. Increase Number of Arms (2-8)
2. Adjust Stars per Arm for density
3. Change Rotation Speed to see galaxy spin
4. Higher Disk Thickness for more 3D structure

Color Schemes

All fractals support 26 color schemes:

• Classic, Rainbow, Fire, Ice - Traditional palettes
• Plasma, Viridis, Inferno, Magma - Scientific visualization
• Sunset, Ocean, Galaxy - Nature-inspired
• Neon, Pastel - Artistic styles
• And many more!

Tip: Enable Smooth Coloring for continuous gradients!

Controls Summary

2D Fractals

• Mousewheel: Zoom in/out
• Left-click + Drag: Pan around
• Sliders: Adjust all parameters
• Presets: Quick navigation

3D Simulations

• Mousewheel (when hovering): Quick zoom
• Rotation Sliders: Change viewing angle
• Auto-Rotate: Automatic rotation
• Parameter Sliders: Adjust system behavior

General

• View Mode Toggle: Switch 2D ↔ 3D
• Simulation Dropdown: Select which simulation
• Collapsible Sections: Organize parameters
• Reset Buttons: Return to defaults

Performance Tips

1. Always use cargo run --release for 10x better performance
2. High zoom fractals: Increase Max Iterations (500-1000)
3. Slow simulations: Reduce particle/agent counts
4. Smooth 60 FPS: Release mode + reasonable parameters
5. Parallel rendering: Automatic on all 2D simulations

Troubleshooting

Build errors: Ensure Rust 1.70+ is installed

rustc --version

Poor performance: Use cargo run --release, not debug mode

Window doesn't open: Check graphics drivers support OpenGL/DirectX

Sliders unresponsive: Try clicking directly on values to type numbers

Learning Path

Beginner (Start Here)

1. Mandelbrot Set - Explore with mousewheel zoom
2. Julia Set - Try different presets
3. Game of Life - Watch glider guns
4. Lorenz Attractor - See chaos in 3D

Intermediate

5. Reaction-Diffusion - Create spot/stripe patterns
6. Boids - Understand emergent flocking
7. Burning Ship - Unusual fractal forms
8. Galaxy Spiral - Astrophysical simulation

Advanced

9. Slime Mold - Complex emergent networks
10. N-Body Gravity - Multi-body chaos
11. Fluid SPH - Particle fluid dynamics
12. Strange Attractors - Mathematical art

Pro Tips

1. Fractals: Zoom slowly for smooth transitions, increase iterations at high zoom
2. Game of Life: Try different rules with same patterns for variety
3. Attractors: Long trails (5000+) show structure, short trails (100) show motion
4. Color cycling: Animate stationary fractals for dynamic effects
5. Combination: Switch between 2D and 3D frequently for variety

Next Steps

• Experiment with all 39 simulations
• Try every preset and color scheme
• Adjust parameters to extremes and see what happens
• Read FEATURES.md for detailed documentation
• Explore the source code in sim-core/src/ to understand algorithms
• Add your own simulations using the trait system!

🌌 Enjoy Exploring!

These simulations demonstrate how simple mathematical rules create infinite complexity. Take your time to explore, experiment, and discover the beauty hidden in mathematics and physics!

Pro tip: Screenshot your favorite discoveries - you may never find that exact view again! 📸