README.md
July 9, 2025 · View on GitHub
cellscape
Terminal-based cellular automata playground
Features
- Includes Eight classic cellular automata
- Beautiful TUI navigation menu
- Real-time speed control with up/down arrow keys
- Focus mode for distraction-free fullscreen viewing
- Monochrome toggle for terminal theme compatibility
- Generation-based coloring creating trippy wave effects
Supported Automata
| Automaton | Description | Alias |
|---|---|---|
| Conway's Game of Life | The classic cellular automaton with simple rules creating complex patterns | life |
| Brian's Brain | 3-state automaton with beautiful trailing patterns | brain |
| Langton's Ant | Simple ant following two rules creating emergent complexity | ant |
| Larger than Life | Generalized Game of Life with extended neighborhoods | ltl |
| Belousov-Zhabotinsky | Chemical reaction simulation with spiral waves | belousov |
| Faders | Multi-state cells that fade through colors before dying | faders |
| Forest Fire | Trees grow, catch fire, and burn in natural cycles | forest |
| Wildfire | Stochastic fire spread through vegetation | wildfire |
Installation
Via go install
go install github.com/ashish0kumar/cellscape@latest
Build from Source
git clone https://github.com/ashish0kumar/cellscape.git
cd cellscape
go mod tidy
go build
sudo mv cellscape /usr/local/bin/
cellscape --help
Usage
Interactive Menu
cellscape
Direct Automaton Launch
cellscape run life
cellscape run brain -m -f
cellscape run belousov --focus --monochrome
Available keywords: life, brain, ant, ltl, belousov, faders, forest, wildfire
Key Bindings
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
Space | Pause / resume simulation |
↑ / k | Increase speed (max 10) |
↓ / j | Decrease speed (min 1) |
s | Single-step while paused |
f | Toggle focus mode |
c | Toggle monochrome / color |
r | Reset current automaton |
q / Esc | Return to menu (or exit) |
Configuration
Command Line Options
--monochrome,-m- Start in monochrome mode--focus,-f- Start in focus mode (fullscreen, no UI)
Visual Modes
- Colorful Mode: Generation-based rainbow coloring with wave effects
- Monochrome Mode: Clean grayscale using ANSI terminal colors
- Focus Mode: Fullscreen grid with no status bars or help text
Dependencies
- Bubble Tea - TUI framework
- Lipgloss - Styling and layout
- Cobra - CLI framework
Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to open an issue or submit a pull request.
© 2025-present Ashish Kumar
