Magnetic Bottle

Magnetic Bottle weaves a shape out of light. Particles of two charges orbit around a shape you choose, each leaving a fading line behind it, and because the two families spin in opposite directions their spirals cross into a fine woven lattice. On the default cone it reads as a vortex that tightens and brightens toward the tip.

How it works

The shape acts as the wall of a magnetic field. Where it narrows the field gets stronger, a particle's orbit spins faster and its climb slows until it stops and turns back, and that turning point glows as a bright ring. Each particle has its own pitch, so each turns back at a different height, and together they fill the whole shape.

Settings

• Shape tab: cone, cylinder, sphere, capsule, torus, box or one of four polyhedra, each with its own sizes. Polyhedra give pyramids and faceted forms.
• Windings: how dense the weave is.
• Pitch Spread: how far up the shape the orbits reach.
• Line Life: how long the lines linger.
• Glow, Color and Counter Color: the brightness of the rings and the two family colours.

The cursor can pinch the field so the weave dents in, drift the particles into a local swirl, or heat them so they flare and turn back earlier.

Use it for

Sci-fi, energy and tech visuals, marks built on simple shapes and hypnotic loops. Related: Shape Burst and Field Lines.