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How would I make a collider that stops the game when it collides with the "character"?

I'm still pretty new to this, so I don't know how to create a collider. My end goal is to have a game like the chrome dinosaur game. Same principles, and all. My question is, though, how do I even make a collider. I will be using a .gif for the "dinosaur". I'd like to make it where if this collider were to touch another collider, the game stops and a "game over" is shown. I have tried to create a collider, but they just keep showing up underneath the screen where the game is shown. Ant tips, tricks, or advice? Thanks
Code is as follows:
let img; //background
var bgImg; //also the background
var x1 = 0;
var x2;
var scrollSpeed = 4; //how fast background is
let music; //for music
let catBus; //catbus
//collider variables
let tinyToto;
let tiniestToto;
let hin;
let totoWithBag;
let noFace;
let happySoot;
var mode; //determines whether the game has started
let gravity = 0.2; //jumping forces
let velocity = 0.1;
let upForce = 7;
let startY = 730; //where cat bus jumps from
let startX = 70;
let totoX = 900;
let totoY = 70;
let tinToX = 900;
let tinToY = 70;
var font1; //custom fonts
var font2;
p5.disableFriendlyErrors = true; //avoids errors
function preload() {
bgImg = loadImage("backgwound.png"); //importing background
music = loadSound("catbus theme song.mp3"); //importing music
font1 = loadFont("Big Font.TTF");
font2 = loadFont("Smaller Font.ttf");
//tinyToto.setCollider("rectangle",0,25,75,75)
}
function setup() {
createCanvas(1000, 1000); //canvas size
img = loadImage("backgwound.png"); //background in
x2 = width;
music.loop(); //loops the music
catBus = {
//coordinates for catbus
x: startX,
y: startY,
};
/*
tinyToto = {
x: totoX,
y: totoY,
}
tinTo = {
x : tinToX,
y: tinToY,
}
*/
catGif = createImg("catgif.gif"); //creates catbus
catGif.position(catBus.x, catBus.y); //creates position
catGif.size(270, 100); //creates how big
/*
tinyToto = createImg("TinyToto.gif")
tinyToto.position(tinyToto.x, tinyToto.y)
tinyToto.size(270,100)
tiniestTo = createImg("tiniest Toto.gif")
tiniestTo.position(tinToX.x, tinToY.y)
tiniestTo.size(270,100)
*/
mode = 0; //game start
textSize(50); //text size
}
function draw() {
let time = frameCount; //start background loop
image(img, 0 - time, 0);
image(bgImg, x1, 2, width, height);
image(bgImg, x2, 2, width, height);
x1 -= scrollSpeed;
x2 -= scrollSpeed;
if (x1 <= -width) {
x1 = width;
}
if (x2 <= -width) {
x2 = width;
} //end background loop
fill(128 + sin(frameCount * 0.05) * 128); //text colour
if (mode == 0) {
textSize(20);
textFont(font1);
text("press SPACE to start the game!", 240, 500); //what text to type
}
fill("white");
if (mode == 0) {
textSize(35);
textFont(font2);
text("CATBUS BIZZARE ADVENTURE", 90, 450); //what text to type
}
catBus.y = catBus.y + velocity; //code for jumping
velocity = velocity + gravity;
if (catBus.y > startY) {
velocity = 0;
catBus.y = startY;
}
catGif.position(catBus.x, catBus.y);
//setCollider("tinyToto")
}
function keyPressed() {
if (keyCode === 32 && velocity == 0) {
//spacebar code
mode = 1;
velocity += -upForce;
}
}
<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/p5.js/1.4.0/p5.min.js"></script>

well, this is how I would generally do that kind of thingy:
function draw(){
for(let i in objects) // objects would be cactuses or birds
if(objects[i].x > player.x &&
objects[i].x < player.x + player.width &&
objects[i].y > player.y &&
objects[i].y < player.y + player.height){
noLoop()
// maybe do something else here
} // you could also use: for(let object of objects)
}
or if you want to do class stuff:
let player = new Player()
class Entity {
hasCollided_pointRect(_x, _y, _width, _height){
if(this.x > _x &&
this.x < _x + _width &&
this.y > _y &&
this.y < _y + _height){
return true
}
}
}
class Cactus extends Entity {
update(){
if(hasCollided_pointRect(player.x, player.y, player.width, player.height))
lossEvent()
}
}
class Player {
// ...
}
function lossEvent(){
noLoop()
}
this is a pretty classy way to do it and for a small game you really don't need all of this
also MDN has a nice article on rect with rect & point with rect collisions,
point with point collision is just (x == x && y == y)
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Games/Techniques/2D_collision_detection
this is one of my recent loss "functions":
if(flag.health <= 0){
noLoop()
newSplashText("You lost!\nPress F5 to restart!", "center", "center", 1)
}

The way I handled game states in my Processing games was by making seperate classes for them. Then my main sketch's draw function looked something like
fun draw()
{
currentState.draw();
}
Each gamestate then acted as their own sketches (for example a menu screen, playing, game over, etc), and had a reference to the main sketch which created the states. They would then alter the main's currentState to, i.e., a new GameOverState() etc. where needed.
For now, don't worry about doing that too much if all you want a really simple gameoverscreen with an image and some text.
I would suggest a structure like this instead. Use this pseudocode in your main draw function:
fun draw()
{
if (gameOver)
{
// show game over screen
img(gameOver);
text("game over!");
// skip rest of the function
return;
}
// normal game code goes here
foo();
bar();
// update game over after this frame's game code completes
gameOver = checkGameOver();
}
Now you need a way of checking for a collision to determine the result of checkGameOver()
For the collision handling, check out Jeffrey Thompson's book/website on collision handling. It's an amazing resource, I highly recommend you check it out.
From the website I just linked, here's an excerpt from the website talking about handling collisions between 2d rectangles.
And here's a modified version of the collision handling function listed there (I updated the variable names to be a little more intuitive)
boolean rectRect(float rect1X, float rect1Y, float rect1Width, float rect1Height, float rect2X, float rect2Y, float rect2Width, float r2h)
{
// are the sides of one rectangle touching the other?
if (rect1X + rect1Width >= rect2X && // r1 right edge past r2 left
rect1X <= rect2X + rect2Width && // r1 left edge past r2 right
rect1Y + rect1Height >= rect2Y && // r1 top edge past r2 bottom
rect1Y <= rect2Y + r2h)
{ // r1 bottom edge past r2 top
return true;
}
return false;
You can use that function in your checkGameOver() function which would return a bool depending on whether your collision criteria are met.
For your game, you would loop over every obstacle in your game and check whether the dino and the obstacle overlap.
Pseudocode:
boolean checkGameOver()
{
foreach (Obstacle obstacle in obstacles)
{
if (rectRect(dino, obstacle))
{
return true;
}
}
return false;
}

3D Render With JS

I have a 3D Render of moving cubes, they are different colors, so it's like a rainbow. But I want to know if there is a way to make the squares pulse colors.
https://repl.it/#AlexanderLuna/R-A-I-N-B-O-W#index.html

colorMode(HSB, nums.x * nums.y, 1, 1) Is your answere.
Apply it in the update function and play around with the colors by altering 'nums.x * nums.y' values.
Use a timer or a simple tick (you can simply do tick++ in the update function) as a modifier until it reaches a certain iteration and then reset (or jump the value). You should get the desired effect.

Okey.. apparently I'm procrastinating and spent the last hour playing around with your Repl..
This might not be exactly what you're after, but maybe it'll help some..
class Cube {
constructor(x_, y_, z_, size_, offset_) {
this.x = x_;
this.y = y_;
this.z = z_;
this.size = size_;
this.offset = offset_;
this.angle = 0;
this.tick = 1; // starting point
this.hueSpeed = 2; // tick modifier
}
update(f) {
this.y = map(f(this.angle + this.offset), -1, 1, this.size / 2, height - this.size / 2);
this.angle += 0.05;
colorMode(HSB, this.tick, 1, 1);
/**
* The request is there to simply regulate the frequency of the tick a bit..
* Though we do need to cancel the previous request if hadn't yet fired
* Which I'm apparently to lazy to do atm
*/
window.requestAnimationFrame((e)=>{
this.tick += this.hueSpeed;
(this.tick > 150 || this.tick < 2) && (this.hueSpeed *= -1);
});
}
render() {
push();
stroke(0);
translate(this.x, this.y, this.z);
box(this.size);
pop();
}
}
This is the cube.js script file, the only one altered.

Why does the red blocks skip a block in p5.js?

Ok so the red blocks dangers[] should fall down smoothly down the canvas, but they skip and act weirdly. Does it have anything to do with the for loop that show(); them?
Here's the code:
var dangers = [];
function setup() {
createCanvas(1060, 480);
createDanger();
}
var x = 0;
function createDanger() {
var randomWidth = (floor(random(980)) * 80) % 980;
dangers[x] = new Danger(randomWidth, -80);
dangers.forEach(function(obj) {
setInterval(function() {
obj.fall();
}, 1000);
});
x++;
console.log(dangers);
}
function draw() {
background(0);
for (danger of dangers) {
danger.show();
}
}
setInterval(createDanger, 3000)
//Danger
function Danger (x, y) {
this.x = x;
this.y = y;
var size = 80;
this.fall = function () {
this.y += size;
}
this.update = function () {
}
this.show = function () {
fill(255,0,0);
noStroke();
rect(this.x, this.y, size, size);
}
}
<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/p5.js/0.7.2/addons/p5.dom.min.js"></script>
<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/p5.js/0.7.2/p5.min.js"></script>
<meta charset="utf-8" />
And if you have any other suggestions to my code, feel free to help. Thanks.

Here's an example of smoother performance.
var dangers = [];
function setup() {
background(0);
createCanvas(1060, 480);
createDanger();
}
function createDanger() {
var randomWidth = (floor(random(980)) * 80) % 980;
dangers.push(new Danger(randomWidth, -80));
}
var lastRenderTime;
function update() {
var now = Date.now();
if (lastRenderTime) {
var elapsed = (now - lastRenderTime) / 1000;
dangers.forEach(function(obj) {
obj.fall(elapsed);
});
}
dangers = dangers.filter(d => d.y < 400);
lastRenderTime = now;
}
function draw() {
update();
background(0);
for (danger of dangers) {
danger.show();
}
}
setInterval(function () {
createDanger();
}, 500)
//Danger
function Danger (x, y) {
this.x = x;
this.y = y;
this.speed = 40 + random(50); // pixels per second
var size = 80;
this.fall = function (time) {
this.y += this.speed * time;
}
this.update = function () {
}
this.show = function () {
fill(255,0,0);
noStroke();
rect(this.x, this.y, size, size);
}
}
<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/p5.js/0.7.2/addons/p5.dom.min.js"></script>
<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/p5.js/0.7.2/p5.min.js"></script>
<meta charset="utf-8" />
This is close to the original, except that I did a couple of things differently:
I got rid of the idea of setting an update function for each object when you create a new one. That just doesn't make sense.
I updated the position of each object on every frame. I did this by adding an update function that is called from the draw function. That guarantees that the animation is up to date before each frame is rendered.
I used an absolute real-time clock to adjust the amount of time that passes per frame. I keep track of this with a lastRenderTime variable and subtract now minus lastRenderTime to compute the elapsed time. The elapsed time is passed through to the update function as a parameter.
I used a more physics-based approach to updating the position of the object.
I defined the speed of each object in pixels per second. The position is updated, not by a constant amount each frame, but instead by a variable amount, according to the actual amount of time that has elapsed since the last frame of animation. This ensures that the object moves consistently in real-time regardless of the performance of the machine rendering it. So this.y += size becomes this.y += this.speed * time.
I changed the array access to use push which is a more language-agnostic description of the operation you are trying to perform rather than relying on JavaScript's quirky "extend the length of the array when you write off the end of it" behaviour.
I added a filter function to remove expired objects after they hit the bottom of the window to ensure the array doesn't grow without bound and consume resources over time.
I increased the frequency with which the objects are created from once every 3000 milliseconds to once every 500 milliseconds. Perhaps only because I'm a little impatient. :)
I also decided to choose a random speed for each object, just for a little visual variety and to make it clear that each object has its own speed.

I need the ellipse to remain centered and move back and forth along the length of the line

The code is a snippet from the program that I am writing for a project, using the processing.js library. I need the ellipse to travel along the entire length of the diagonal line while remaining centered on the line. When complete, there will be a total of eight lines with the ellipse sliding back and forth. This is the fifth line. You will notice that I had to create a special speed variable in order to get the sphere to move down the diagonal (two other diagonal lines in the code work without this).
It works on all other lines in the graphic. This one travels down perfectly, then goes "off-track" on the way up; when it reaches the top, it just bounces in an odd (random-looking) way. Can I fix it without changing the basic format? Thank you!
var x5 = 113;
var y5 = 27;
var speed5 = 1;
var speed5y = speed5 * 2;
draw = function() {
//lineBallFive
line(100, 1, 300, 400);
fill(0, 225, 255);
ellipse(x5, y5, ballSize, ballSize);
if (x5 > 300) {
speed5 = -3;
}
if (x5 < 100) {
speed5 = 3;
}
if (y5 > 400) {
speed5y = 2 * -3;
}
if (y5 < 1) {
speed5y = 3;
}
}

Instead of moving the ellipse relative to itself, you can use the lerp() function to move the ellipse using linear interpolation. This will make it much easier to sync up your lines.
Here's a little example:
var amount = 0;
var speed = .001;
function setup() {
size(500, 500);
}
void draw() {
var startX = 0;
var startY = 0;
var endX = width;
var endY = height;
var currentX = lerp(startX, endX, amount);
var currentY = lerp(startY, endY, amount);
background(0);
ellipse(currentX, currentY, 20, 20);
amount += speed;
}

Grass like smoothing animation on beziercurve?

This is what I am trying to achieve--GRASS Animation(Desired animation)
This is where the project is standing currently --My hair animation
This is a more structurised code of the above code --My hair animation(by markE)--markE`s code of hair animation
PROBLEM:--
I am able to give movements to hairs but animation should be more like wavy grass like freeflowing.Its not very smooth now.What can be done to make the hairs flow in more natural manner.
Please provide me with a small sample if possible!!!
<canvas id="myCanvas" width="500" height="500" style="background-color: antiquewhite" ></canvas>
JAVASCRIPT
//mouse position
var x2=0;
var y2=0;
window.addEventListener("mousemove",function(){moving(event);init()},false)
//these variables define the bend in our bezier curve
var bend9=0;
var bend8=0;
var bend7=0;
var bend6=0;
var bend5=0;
var bend4=0;
var bend3=0;
var bend2=0;
var bend1=0;
//function to get the mouse cordinates
function moving(event) {
bend_value();//this function is defined below
try
{
x2 = event.touches[0].pageX;
y2 = event.touches[0].pageY;
}
catch (error)
{
try
{
x2 = event.clientX;
y2 = event.clientY;
}
catch (e)
{
}
}
try
{
event.preventDefault();
}
catch (e)
{
}
if(between(y2,204,237) && between(x2,115,272))
{
console.log("Xmove="+x2,"Ymove="+y2)
}
}
//function for declaring range of bezier curve
function between(val, min, max)
{
return val >= min && val <= max;
}
(function() {
hair = function() {
return this;
};
hair.prototype={
draw_hair:function(a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h){
var sx =136+a;//start position of curve.used in moveTo(sx,sy)
var sy =235+b;
var cp1x=136+c;//control point 1
var cp1y=222+d;
var cp2x=136+e;//control point 2
var cp2y=222+f;
var endx=136+g;//end points
var endy=210+h;
var canvas = document.getElementById('myCanvas');
var context = canvas.getContext('2d');
// context.clearRect(0, 0,500,500);
context.strokeStyle="grey";
context.lineWidth="8";
context.beginPath();
context.moveTo(sx,sy);
context.bezierCurveTo(cp1x,cp1y,cp2x,cp2y,endx,endy);
context.lineCap = 'round';
context.stroke();
// context.restore();
// context.save();
}
};
})();
//this function provides and calculate the bend on mousemove
function bend_value(){
var ref1=135;//this is ref point for hair or curve no 1
var ref2=150;//hair no 2 and so on
var ref3=165;
var ref4=180;
var ref5=195;
var ref6=210;
var ref7=225;
var ref8=240;
var ref9=255;
if(between(x2,115,270) && between(y2,205,236))
{
if(x2>=135 && x2<=145){bend1=(x2-ref1)*(2.2);}
if(x2<=135 && x2>=125){bend1=(x2-ref1)*(2.2);}
if(x2>=150 && x2<=160){bend2=(x2-ref2)*(2.2);}
if(x2<=150 && x2>=140){bend2=(x2-ref2)*(2.2);}
if(x2>=165 && x2<=175){bend3=(x2-ref3)*(2.2);}
if(x2<=165 && x2>=155){bend3=(x2-ref3)*(2.2);}
if(x2>=180 && x2<=190){bend4=(x2-ref4)*(2.2);}
if(x2<=180 && x2>=170){bend4=(x2-ref4)*(2.2);}
if(x2>=195 && x2<=205){bend5=(x2-ref5)*(2.2);}
if(x2<=195 && x2>=185){bend5=(x2-ref5)*(2.2);}
if(x2>=210 && x2<=220){bend6=(x2-ref6)*(2.2);}
if(x2<=210 && x2>=200){bend6=(x2-ref6)*(2.2);}
if(x2>=225 && x2<=235){bend7=(x2-ref7)*(2.2);}
if(x2<=225 && x2>=215){bend7=(x2-ref7)*(2.2);}
if(x2>=240 && x2<=250){bend8=(x2-ref8)*(2.2);}
if(x2<=240 && x2>=230){bend8=(x2-ref8)*(2.2);}
if(x2>=255 && x2<=265){bend9=(x2-ref9)*(2.2);}
if(x2<=255 && x2>=245){bend9=(x2-ref9)*(2.2);}
}
}
function init(){//this function draws each hair/curve
var canvas = document.getElementById('myCanvas');
var context = canvas.getContext('2d');
var clear=context.clearRect(0, 0,500,500);
var save=context.save();
// /* console.log("bend2="+bend2)
// console.log("bend3="+bend3)
// console.log("bend4="+bend4)
// console.log("bend5="+bend5)
// console.log("bend6="+bend6)
// console.log("bend7="+bend7)
// console.log("bend8="+bend8)
// console.log("bend9="+bend9)*/
hd1 = new hair();//hd1 stands for hair draw 1.this is an instance created for drawing hair no 1
clear;
hd1.draw_hair(0,0,0,0,0,0,0+bend1/2,0);//these parameters passed to function drawhair and bend is beint retrieved from function bend_value()
save;
hd2 = new hair();
clear;
hd2.draw_hair(15,0,15,0,15,0,15+bend2/2,0);
save;
hd3 = new hair();
clear;
hd3.draw_hair(30,0,30,0,30,0,30+bend3/2,0);
save;
hd4 = new hair();
clear;
hd4.draw_hair(45,0,45,0,45,0,45+bend4/2,0);
save;
hd5 = new hair();
clear;
hd5.draw_hair(60,0,60,0,60,0,60+bend5/2,0);
save;
}
window.onload = function() {
init();
disableSelection(document.body)
}
function disableSelection(target){
if (typeof target.onselectstart!="undefined") //IE
target.onselectstart=function(){return false}
else if (typeof target.style.MozUserSelect!="undefined") //Firefox
target.style.MozUserSelect="none"
else //All other ie: Opera
target.onmousedown=function(){return false}
target.style.cursor = "default"
}

Update: I'm currently adjusting the code to produce the requested result and commenting it.
(function() { // The code is encapsulated in a self invoking function to isolate the scope
"use strict";
// The following lines creates shortcuts to the constructors of the Box2D types used
var B2Vec2 = Box2D.Common.Math.b2Vec2,
B2BodyDef = Box2D.Dynamics.b2BodyDef,
B2Body = Box2D.Dynamics.b2Body,
B2FixtureDef = Box2D.Dynamics.b2FixtureDef,
B2Fixture = Box2D.Dynamics.b2Fixture,
B2World = Box2D.Dynamics.b2World,
B2PolygonShape = Box2D.Collision.Shapes.b2PolygonShape,
B2RevoluteJoint = Box2D.Dynamics.Joints.b2RevoluteJoint,
B2RevoluteJointDef = Box2D.Dynamics.Joints.b2RevoluteJointDef;
// This makes sure that there is a method to request a callback to update the graphics for next frame
window.requestAnimationFrame =
window.requestAnimationFrame || // According to the standard
window.mozRequestAnimationFrame || // For mozilla
window.webkitRequestAnimationFrame || // For webkit
window.msRequestAnimationFrame || // For ie
function (f) { window.setTimeout(function () { f(Date.now()); }, 1000/60); }; // If everthing else fails
var world = new B2World(new B2Vec2(0, -10), true), // Create a world with gravity
physicalObjects = [], // Maintain a list of the simulated objects
windInput = 0, // The input for the wind in the current frame
wind = 0, // The current wind (smoothing the input values + randomness)
STRAW_COUNT = 10, // Number of straws
GRASS_RESET_SPEED = 2, // How quick should the straw reset to its target angle
POWER_MOUSE_WIND = 120, // How much does the mouse affect the wind
POWER_RANDOM_WIND = 180; // How much does the randomness affect the wind
// GrassPart is a prototype for a piece of a straw. It has the following properties
// position: the position of the piece
// density: the density of the piece
// target: the target angle of the piece
// statik: a boolean stating if the piece is static (i.e. does not move)
function GrassPart(position, density, target, statik) {
this.width = 0.05;
this.height = 0.5;
this.target = target;
// To create a physical body in Box2D you have to setup a body definition
// and create at least one fixture.
var bdef = new B2BodyDef(), fdef = new B2FixtureDef();
// In this example we specify if the body is static or not (the grass roots
// has to be static to keep the straw in its position), and its original
// position.
bdef.type = statik? B2Body.b2_staticBody : B2Body.b2_dynamicBody;
bdef.position.SetV(position);
// The fixture of the piece is a box with a given density. The negative group index
// makes sure that the straws does not collide.
fdef.shape = new B2PolygonShape();
fdef.shape.SetAsBox(this.width/2, this.height/2);
fdef.density = density;
fdef.filter.groupIndex = -1;
// The body and fixture is created and added to the world
this.body = world.CreateBody(bdef);
this.body.CreateFixture(fdef);
}
// This method is called for every frame of animation. It strives to reset the original
// angle of the straw (the joint). The time parameter is unused here but contains the
// current time.
GrassPart.prototype.update = function (time) {
if (this.joint) {
this.joint.SetMotorSpeed(GRASS_RESET_SPEED*(this.target - this.joint.GetJointAngle()));
}
};
// The link method is used to link the pieces of the straw together using a joint
// other: the piece to link to
// torque: the strength of the joint (stiffness)
GrassPart.prototype.link = function(other, torque) {
// This is all Box2D specific. Look it up in the manual.
var jdef = new B2RevoluteJointDef();
var p = this.body.GetWorldPoint(new B2Vec2(0, 0.5)); // Get the world coordinates of where the joint
jdef.Initialize(this.body, other.body, p);
jdef.maxMotorTorque = torque;
jdef.motorSpeed = 0;
jdef.enableMotor = true;
// Add the joint to the world
this.joint = world.CreateJoint(jdef);
};
// A prototype for a straw of grass
// position: the position of the bottom of the root of the straw
function Grass(position) {
var pos = new B2Vec2(position.x, position.y);
var angle = 1.2*Math.random() - 0.6; // Randomize the target angle
// Create three pieces, the static root and to more, and place them in line.
// The second parameter is the stiffness of the joints. It controls how the straw bends.
// The third is the target angle and different angles are specified for the pieces.
this.g1 = new GrassPart(pos, 1, angle/4, true); // This is the static root
pos.Add(new B2Vec2(0, 1));
this.g2 = new GrassPart(pos, 0.75, angle);
pos.Add(new B2Vec2(0, 1));
this.g3 = new GrassPart(pos, 0.5);
// Link the pieces into a straw
this.g1.link(this.g2, 20);
this.g2.link(this.g3, 3);
// Add the pieces to the list of simulate objects
physicalObjects.push(this.g1);
physicalObjects.push(this.g2);
physicalObjects.push(this.g3);
}
Grass.prototype.draw = function (context) {
var p = new B2Vec2(0, 0.5);
var p1 = this.g1.body.GetWorldPoint(p);
var p2 = this.g2.body.GetWorldPoint(p);
var p3 = this.g3.body.GetWorldPoint(p);
context.strokeStyle = 'grey';
context.lineWidth = 0.4;
context.lineCap = 'round';
context.beginPath();
context.moveTo(p1.x, p1.y);
context.quadraticCurveTo(p2.x, p2.y, p3.x, p3.y);
context.stroke();
};
var lastX, grass = [], context = document.getElementById('canvas').getContext('2d');
function updateGraphics(time) {
window.requestAnimationFrame(updateGraphics);
wind = 0.95*wind + 0.05*(POWER_MOUSE_WIND*windInput + POWER_RANDOM_WIND*Math.random() - POWER_RANDOM_WIND/2);
windInput = 0;
world.SetGravity(new B2Vec2(wind, -10));
physicalObjects.forEach(function(obj) { if (obj.update) obj.update(time); });
world.Step(1/60, 8, 3);
world.ClearForces();
context.clearRect(0, 0, context.canvas.width, context.canvas.height);
context.save();
context.translate(context.canvas.width/2, context.canvas.height/2);
context.scale(context.canvas.width/20, -context.canvas.width/20);
grass.forEach(function (o) { o.draw(context); });
context.restore();
}
document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0].addEventListener("mousemove", function (e) {
windInput = Math.abs(lastX - e.x) < 200? 0.2*(e.x - lastX) : 0;
lastX = e.x;
});
var W = 8;
for (var i = 0; i < STRAW_COUNT; i++) {
grass.push(new Grass(new B2Vec2(W*(i/(STRAW_COUNT-1))-W/2, -1)));
}
window.requestAnimationFrame(updateGraphics);
})();

Waving grass algorithm
UPDATE
I made a reduced update to better meet what I believe is your requirements. To use mouse you just calculate the angle between the mouse point and the strain root and use that for new angle in the update.
I have incorporated a simple mouse-move sensitive approach which makes the strains "point" towards the mouse, but you can add random angles to this as deltas and so forth. Everything you need is as said in the code - adjust as needed.
New fiddle (based on previous with a few modifications):
http://jsfiddle.net/AbdiasSoftware/yEwGc/
Image showing 150 strains being simulated.
Grass simulation demo:
http://jsfiddle.net/AbdiasSoftware/5z89V/
This will generate a nice realistic looking grass field. The demo has 70 grass rendered (works best in Chrome or just lower the number for Firefox).
The code is rather simple. It consists of a main object (grassObj) which contains its geometry as well as functions to calculate the angles, segments, movements and so forth. I'll show this in detail below.
First some inits that are accessed globally by the functions:
var numOfGrass = 70, /// number of grass strains
grass,
/// get canvas context
ctx = canvas.getContext('2d'),
w = canvas.width,
h = canvas.height,
/// we use an animated image for the background
/// The image also clears the canvas for each loop call
/// I rendered the clouds in a 3D software.
img = document.createElement('img'),
ix = 0, /// background image position
iw = -1; /// used for with and initial for flag
/// load background image, use it whenever it's ready
img.onload = function() {iw = this.width}
img.src = 'http://i.imgur.com/zzjtzG7.jpg';
The heart - grassObj
The main object as mentioned above is the grassObj:
function grassObj(x, y, seg1, seg2, maxAngle) {
/// exposed properties we need for rendering
this.x = x; /// bottom position of grass
this.y = y;
this.seg1 = seg1; /// segments of grass
this.seg2 = seg2;
this.gradient = getGradient(Math.random() * 50 + 50, 100 * Math.random() + 170);
this.currentAngle; ///current angle that will be rendered
/// internals used for calculating new angle, goal, difference and speed
var counter, /// counter between 0-1 for ease-in/out
delta, /// random steps in the direction goal rel. c.angle.
angle, /// current angle, does not change until goal is reached
diff, /// diff between goal and angle
goal = getAngle();
/// internal: returns an angel between 0 and maxAngle
function getAngle() {
return maxAngle * Math.random();
}
/// ease in-out function
function easeInOut(t) {
return t < 0.5 ? 4 * t * t * t : (t-1) * (2 * t - 2) * (2 * t - 2) + 1;
}
/// sets a new goal for grass to move to. Does the main calculations
function newGoal() {
angle = goal; /// set goal as new angle when reached
this.currentAngle = angle;
goal = getAngle(); /// get new goal
diff = goal - angle; /// calc diff
counter = 0; /// reset counter
delta = (4 * Math.random() + 1) / 100;
}
/// creates a gradient for this grass to increase realism
function getGradient(min, max) {
var g = ctx.createLinearGradient(0, 0, 0, h);
g.addColorStop(1, 'rgb(0,' + parseInt(min) + ', 0)');
g.addColorStop(0, 'rgb(0,' + parseInt(max) + ', 0)');
return g;
}
/// this is called from animation loop. Counts and keeps tracks of
/// current position and calls new goal when current goal is reached
this.update = function() {
/// count from 0 to 1 with random delta value
counter += delta;
/// if counter passes 1 then goal is reached -> get new goal
if (counter > 1) {
newGoal();
return;
}
/// ease in/out function
var t = easeInOut(counter);
/// update current angle for render
this.currentAngle = angle + t * diff;
}
/// init
newGoal();
return this;
}
Grass generator
We call makeGrass to generate grass at random positions, random heights and with random segments. The function is called with number of grass to render, width and height of canvas to fill and a variation variable in percent (0 - 1 float).
The single grass consist only of four points in total. The two middle points are spread about 1/3 and 2/3 of the total height with a little variation to break pattern. The points when rendered, are smoother using a cardinal spline with full tension to make the grass look smooth.
function makeGrass(numOfGrass, width, height, hVariation) {
/// setup variables
var x, y, seg1, seg2, angle,
hf = height * hVariation, /// get variation
i = 0,
grass = []; /// array to hold the grass
/// generate grass
for(; i < numOfGrass; i++) {
x = width * Math.random(); /// random x position
y = height - hf * Math.random(); /// random height
/// break grass into 3 segments with random variation
seg1 = y / 3 + y * hVariation * Math.random() * 0.1;
seg2 = (y / 3 * 2) + y * hVariation * Math.random() * 0.1;
grass.push(new grassObj(x, y, seg1, seg2, 15 * Math.random() + 50));
}
return grass;
}
Render
The render function just loops through the objects and updates the current geometry:
function renderGrass(ctx, grass) {
/// local vars for animation
var len = grass.length,
i = 0,
gr, pos, diff, pts, x, y;
/// renders background when loaded
if (iw > -1) {
ctx.drawImage(img, ix--, 0);
if (ix < -w) {
ctx.drawImage(img, ix + iw, 0);
}
if (ix <= -iw) ix = 0;
} else {
ctx.clearRect(0, 0, w, h);
}
/// loops through the grass object and renders current state
for(; gr = grass[i]; i++) {
x = gr.x;
y = gr.y;
ctx.beginPath();
/// calculates the end-point based on length and angle
/// Angle is limited [0, 60] which we add 225 deg. to get
/// it upwards. Alter 225 to make grass lean more to a side.
pos = lineToAngle(ctx, x, h, y, gr.currentAngle + 225);
/// diff between end point and root point
diff = (pos[0] - x)
pts = [];
/// starts at bottom, goes to top middle and then back
/// down with a slight offset to make the grass
pts.push(x); /// first couple at bottom
pts.push(h);
/// first segment 1/4 of the difference
pts.push(x + (diff / 4));
pts.push(h - gr.seg1);
/// second segment 2/3 of the difference
pts.push(x + (diff / 3 * 2));
pts.push(h - gr.seg2);
pts.push(pos[0]); /// top point
pts.push(pos[1]);
/// re-use previous data, but go backward down to root again
/// with a slight offset
pts.push(x + (diff / 3 * 2) + 10);
pts.push(h - gr.seg2);
pts.push(x + (diff / 4) + 12);
pts.push(h - gr.seg1 + 10);
pts.push(x + 15); /// end couple at bottom
pts.push(h);
/// smooth points (extended context function, see demo)
ctx.curve(pts, 0.8, 5);
ctx.closePath();
/// fill grass with its gradient
ctx.fillStyle = gr.gradient;
ctx.fill();
}
}
Animate
The main loop where we animate everything:
function animate() {
/// update each grass objects
for(var i = 0;i < grass.length; i++) grass[i].update();
/// render them
renderGrass(ctx, grass);
/// loop
requestAnimationFrame(animate);
}
And that's all there is to it for this version.

Darn! Late to the party...
But LOTS of neat answers here -- I'm upvoting all !
Anyway, here's my idea:
Here's code and a Fiddle: http://jsfiddle.net/m1erickson/MJjHz/
<!doctype html>
<html>
<head>
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="all" href="css/reset.css" /> <!-- reset css -->
<script src="http://code.jquery.com/jquery-1.9.1.js"></script>
<script src="http://code.jquery.com/ui/1.10.1/jquery-ui.js"></script>
<style>
body { font-family: arial; padding:15px; }
canvas { border: 1px solid red;}
input[type="text"]{width:35px;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<p>Move mouse across hairs</p>
<canvas height="100" width="250" id="canvas"></canvas>
<script>
$(function() {
var canvas=document.getElementById("canvas");
var ctx = canvas.getContext("2d");
var canvasOffset=$("#canvas").offset();
var offsetX=canvasOffset.left;
var offsetY=canvasOffset.top;
var cHeight=canvas.height;
var showControls=false;
var lastMouseX=0;
// preset styling CONSTANTS
var SWAY=.55; // max endpoint sway from center
var C1Y=.40; // fixed Y of cp#1
var C2SWAY=.20 // max cp#2 sway from center
var C2Y=.75; // fixed Y of cp#2
var YY=20; // max height of ellipse at top of hair
var PIPERCENT=Math.PI/100;
var hairs=[];
// create hairs
var newHairX=40;
var hairCount=20;
for(var i=0;i<hairCount;i++){
var randomLength=50+parseInt(Math.random()*5);
addHair(newHairX+(i*8),randomLength);
}
function addHair(x,length){
hairs.push({
x:x,
length:length,
left:0,
right:0,
top:0,
s:{x:0,y:0},
c1:{x:0,y:0},
c2:{x:0,y:0},
e:{x:0,y:0},
isInMotion:false,
currentX:0
});
}
for(var i=0;i<hairs.length;i++){
var h=hairs[i];
setHairPointsFixed(h);
setHairPointsPct(h,50);
draw(h);
}
function setHairPointsFixed(h){
h.s.x = h.x;
h.s.y = cHeight;
h.c1.x = h.x;
h.c1.y = cHeight-h.length*C1Y;
h.c2.y = cHeight-h.length*C2Y;
h.top = cHeight-h.length;
h.left = h.x-h.length*SWAY;
h.right = h.x+h.length*SWAY;
}
function setHairPointsPct(h,pct){
// endpoint
var a=Math.PI+PIPERCENT*pct;
h.e.x = h.x - ((h.length*SWAY)*Math.cos(a));
h.e.y = h.top + (YY*Math.sin(a));
// controlpoint#2
h.c2.x = h.x + h.length*(C2SWAY*2*pct/100-C2SWAY);
}
//////////////////////////////
function handleMouseMove(e){
mouseX=parseInt(e.clientX-offsetX);
mouseY=parseInt(e.clientY-offsetY);
// draw this frame based on mouse moves
ctx.clearRect(0,0,canvas.width,canvas.height);
for(var i=0;i<hairs.length;i++){
hairMoves(hairs[i],mouseX,mouseY);
}
lastMouseX=mouseX;
}
$("#canvas").mousemove(function(e){handleMouseMove(e);});
function hairMoves(h,mouseX,mouseY){
// No hair movement if not touching hair
if(mouseY<cHeight-h.length-YY){
if(h.isInMotion){
h.isInMotion=false;
setHairPointsPct(h,50);
}
draw(h);
return;
}
// No hair movement if too deep in hair
if(mouseY>h.c1.y){
draw(h);
return;
}
//
var pct=50;
if(mouseX>=h.left && mouseX<=h.right){
if(h.isInMotion){
var pct=-(mouseX-h.right)/(h.right-h.left)*100;
setHairPointsPct(h,pct);
draw(h);
}else{
// if hair is at rest
// but mouse has just contacted hair
// set hair in motion
if( (lastMouseX<=h.x && mouseX>=h.x )
||(lastMouseX>=h.x && mouseX<=h.x )
){
h.isInMotion=true;
var pct=-(mouseX-h.right)/(h.right-h.left)*100;
}
setHairPointsPct(h,pct);
draw(h);
}
}else{
if(h.isInMotion){
h.isInMotion=false;
setHairPointsPct(h,50);
};
draw(h);
}
}
function dot(pt,color){
ctx.beginPath();
ctx.arc(pt.x,pt.y,5,0,Math.PI*2,false);
ctx.closePath();
ctx.fillStyle=color;
ctx.fill();
}
function draw(h){
ctx.beginPath();
ctx.moveTo(h.s.x,h.s.y);
ctx.bezierCurveTo(h.c1.x,h.c1.y,h.c2.x,h.c2.y,h.e.x,h.e.y);
ctx.strokeStyle="orange";
ctx.lineWidth=3;
ctx.stroke();
if(showControls){
dot(h.s,"green");
dot(h.c1,"red");
dot(h.c2,"blue");
dot(h.e,"purple");
ctx.beginPath();
ctx.rect(h.left,h.top-YY,(h.right-h.left),h.length*(1-C1Y)+YY)
ctx.lineWidth=1;
ctx.strokeStyle="lightgray";
ctx.stroke();
}
}
});
</script>
</body>
</html>

Here is a simple hair simulation that seems to be what you are looking for. The basic idea is to draw a bezier curve (in this case I use two curves to provide thickness for the hair). The curve will have a base, a bending point, and a tip. I set the bending point halfway up the hair. The tip of the hair will rotate about the axis of the base of the hair in response to mouse movement.
Place this code in a script tag below the canvas element declaration.
function Point(x, y) {
this.x = x;
this.y = y;
}
function Hair( ) {
this.height = 100; // hair height
this.baseWidth = 3; // hair base width.
this.thickness = 1.5; // hair thickness
this.points = {};
this.points.base1 = new Point(Math.random()*canvas.width, canvas.height);
// The point at which the hair will bend. I set it to the middle of the hair, but you can adjust this.
this.points.bendPoint1 = new Point(this.points.base1.x-this.thickness, this.points.base1.y - this.height / 2)
this.points.bendPoint2 = new Point(this.points.bendPoint1.x, this.points.bendPoint1.y-this.thickness); // complement of bendPoint1 - we use this because the hair has thickness
this.points.base2 = new Point(this.points.base1.x + this.baseWidth, this.points.base1.y) // complement of base1 - we use this because the hair has thickness
}
Hair.prototype.paint = function(mouseX, mouseY, direction) {
ctx.save();
// rotate the the tip of the hair
var tipRotationAngle = Math.atan(Math.abs(this.points.base1.y - mouseY)/Math.abs(this.points.base1.x - mouseX));
// if the mouse is on the other side of the hair, adjust the angle
if (mouseX < this.points.base1.x) {
tipRotationAngle = Math.PI - tipRotationAngle;
}
// if the mouse isn't close enough to the hair, it shouldn't affect the hair
if (mouseX < this.points.base1.x - this.height/2 || mouseX > this.points.base1.x + this.height/2 || mouseY < this.points.base1.y - this.height || mouseY > this.points.base1.y) {
tipRotationAngle = Math.PI/2; // 90 degrees, which means the hair is straight
}
// Use the direction of the mouse to as a lazy way to simulate the direction the hair should bend.
// Note that in real life, the direction that the hair should bend has nothing to do with the direction of motion. It actually depends on which side of the hair the force is being applied.
// Figuring out which side of the hair the force is being applied is a little tricky, so I took this shortcut.
// If you run your finger along a comb quickly, this approximation will work. However if you are in the middle of the comb and slowly change direction, you will notice that the force is still applied in the opposite direction of motion as you slowly back off the set of tines.
if ((mouseX < this.points.base1.x && direction == 'right') || (mouseX > this.points.base1.x && direction == 'left')) {
tipRotationAngle = Math.PI/2; // 90 degrees, which means the hair is straight
}
var tipPoint = new Point(this.points.base1.x + this.baseWidth + this.height*Math.cos(tipRotationAngle), this.points.base1.y - this.height*Math.sin(tipRotationAngle));
ctx.beginPath();
ctx.moveTo(this.points.base1.x, this.points.base1.y); // start at the base
ctx.bezierCurveTo(this.points.base1.x, this.points.base1.y, this.points.bendPoint1.x, this.points.bendPoint1.y, tipPoint.x, tipPoint.y); // draw a curve to the tip of the hair
ctx.bezierCurveTo(tipPoint.x, tipPoint.y, this.points.bendPoint2.x, this.points.bendPoint2.y, this.points.base2.x, this.points.base2.y); // draw a curve back down to the base using the complement points since the hair has thickness.
ctx.closePath(); // complete the path so we have a shape that we can fill with color
ctx.fillStyle='rgb(0,0,0)';
ctx.fill();
ctx.restore();
}
// I used global variables to keep the example simple, but it is generally best to avoid using global variables
window.canvas = document.getElementById('myCanvas');
window.ctx = canvas.getContext('2d');
ctx.fillStyle = 'rgb(200,255,255)'; // background color
window.hair = [];
window.prevClientX = 0;
for (var i = 0; i < 100; i++) {
hair.push(new Hair());
}
// initial draw
ctx.fillRect(0,0,canvas.width,canvas.height); // clear canvas
for (var i = 0; i < hair.length; i++) {
hair[i].paint(0, 0, 'right');
}
window.onmousemove = function(e) {
ctx.fillRect(0,0,canvas.width,canvas.height); // clear canvas
for (var i = 0; i < hair.length; i++) {
hair[i].paint(e.clientX, e.clientY, e.clientX > window.prevClientX ? 'right' : 'left');
}
window.prevClientX = e.clientX;
}

Made this some time ago, might be useful to some people. Just adjust the variables at the beginning of the code with the values that fits your wishes:
...
Mheight = 1;
height = 33;
width = 17;
distance = 10;
randomness = 14;
angle = Math.PI / 2;
...
Also on http://lucasm0ta.github.io/JsGrass/