Scriptorium
The discrete Fourier transform, made visible: 4,096 epicycle arrows trace any image.
I wanted to *see* the discrete Fourier transform, not just compute it: to watch the math reconstruct an image rather than read about it.
A renderer where 4,096 arrows, each one term of a Fourier series, spin at fixed frequencies tip-to-tail; the point at the end of the chain traces out the input image one frame at a time. Written in Rust with a Python pipeline. Drop in any image with a clean foreground and it produces an MP4 + GIF.
Renders ~3 minutes per subject on an M-series Mac, with a gallery of traced silhouettes. A small, finished tool that does one thing well.
Building the visualization taught me the DFT better than any lecture. Making a concept visible is the fastest way to actually understand it.