OUR EXPERT
Ferenc Deák never throws anything away, which is why he still has all his demoscene files.
Last month, we had a short introduction to SDL2, and created a more-or-less usable L coding framework on which we can base our implementation of some of the most notorious effects of the ’90s demoscene. This month, we are continuing the recreation of those effects, and introducing some auxiliary mobility into the not-so-dormant screen we created last time.
The fire effect was one of those quick-and-dirty effects of the ’90s that seized the attention of spectators at a demo party and ensured instant recognition from your peers. Implementing it involves creating a visual simulation of flames on a computer screen. This is typically achieved by representing the fire as a grid of cells, where each cell corresponds to a pixel and holds a value representing the intensity or temperature of the fire at that location. The process begins by initialising the grid, setting up the initial state of the fire, then iteratively updating the values of each cell based on the value of its neighbours. Randomness is often introduced to add a natural and organic appearance, and the intensity values are mapped to a colour palette set up to recreate the colour scheme of those found in real flames. The simulation is animated by continuously updating and rendering the grid.
The fire palette
Due to the nature of the effect, the palette
