ONE-LINERS: Grow a picture or video from a single line of C or Python code

abs(y) >= 5 ? 40*cos(x/15) : -10

Induced grating illusion

The grey strip across the middle is a single flat shade of grey

y & 8 ? (x > -80 && x < -20 ? green : white) : (x > 20 && x < 80 ? green: black)

Munker-White illusion

The two greens are the same green

(((x+24) & 24) == 24)&&(((x+y) & 12) == 12)&&(((x & 32)!=0)*green | ((x & 64)!=0)*red | (x > 0)*blue)

Tracks or streamers

(x*x+y*y > 60*60) ? (1+cos((sqrt(x*x+y*y))/17.0))*red + (1+cos((sqrt(x*x+y*y))/17.0))*(green*(abs(y+x))/256) : black

Ring

((x & y) >> (x & ~y & 127))*green + ((x & y) >> (~x & y & 31))*red + ((x & y) >> (x & y & 63))*blue

Sierpinski-like Carpet

Many variations possible by changing the numbers. For each colour, try 3, 7, 15, 31, 63, 127. These preserve a different number of low-order bits for the shift operation.

sqrt(2*(x*x+y*y) - 2*sqrt(x*x+y*y)*(x*cos(sqrt(x*x+y*y)/5.0)+y*sin(sqrt(x*x+y*y)/5.0)))

A kind of spiral

green*sqrt(2*(x*x+y*y) - 2*sqrt(x*x+y*y)*(x*cos(sqrt(x*x+y*y)/20.0)+y*sin(sqrt(x*x+y*y)/20.0)))+red*sqrt(2*(x*x+y*y) - 2*sqrt(x*x+y*y)*(x*cos(sqrt(x*x+y*y)/30.0)+y*sin(sqrt(x*x+y*y)/30.0)))+blue*sqrt(2*(x*x+y*y) - 2*sqrt(x*x+y*y)*(x*cos(sqrt(x*x+y*y)/10.0)+y*sin(sqrt(x*x+y*y)/10.0)))

A more colourful one

(x/80)*(x/80) + (-(y-30)/60 - pow(((x/80)*(x/80)),1/3))*(-(y-30)/60-pow(((x/80)*(x/80)),1/3)) < 1 ? red : white

Heart

sin(sin(x/12)+cos(y/12))-cos(sin(x*y/144)+cos(x/12))

Sine/cosine mix

abs(sin(x/30))*(red*abs(sin((x+y)/10))+blue*abs(sin((x-y)/10)))

Tartan rolls

((x & 12) == 0)*(((x+60)*(x+60)+y*y<40*40) ? 0.7*white : red) + ((x & 12) == 4)*(((x-60)*(x-60)+y*y<40*40) ? 0.7*white : blue) + ((x & 12) == 8)*(((x+60)*(x+60)+y*y<40*40) ? 0.7*white : (blue+red)) + ((x & 12) == 12)*(((x-60)*(x-60)+y*y<40*40) ? 0.7*white : green)

The confetti illusion

Under the stripes, both disks are the same colour.

(abs(y)>60)||(abs(y) == 30)||(abs(y)<60&&((y==x)||(y==2*x)||(2*y==x)||(3*y==x)||(4*y==x)||(6*y==x)||(y==-x)||(y==-2*x)||(2*y==-x)||(3*y==-x)||(4*y==-x)||(6*y==-x)))

Hering illusion

If you want joined up lines you can convert '6*y==x' to 'y==(int)(x/6)' for example, but I like the dashed lines.

-cos((sqrt(sqrt(((x-50)-(y+80))*((x-50)-(y+80))+(y+80)*(y+80))))/0.9)*red+cos((sqrt(sqrt(((x-50)-(y+80))*((x-50)-(y+80))+(y+80)*(y+80))))/1.5)*green+cos((sqrt(sqrt(((x-50)-(y+80))*((x-50)-(y+80))+(y+80)*(y+80))))/0.40)*blue

One-liners get much longer when you offset from the origin!

(x & 31 == 15)*(x + y & 63 > 24) ? (y+129)*(3 + (x + y & 63 > 54))*abs(sin(x/45)) : 127-y

A sense of falling

like an arrow shower sent out of sight, somewhere becoming rain.

(Larkin)

((y & 15 > 8)*(x + (y-15) & 31 > 16)*0.5 + (y & 15 < 8)*(x - y & 31 > 16))*green

Blocks or chevrons?

((y>0)&&((x-20 < 0.5*y && -x-20 < 0.5*y)*((int(1000/y))%6 ? blue*0.2 : blue*0.25+red*0.1) + (x-20>=0.5*y || -x-20>=0.5*y)*(blue*0.15)))+((y<=0)&&((x*x+y*y<20*20)*(red*0.8+green*0.4) + (x*x+y*y>=20*20)*((rand()%1000==0)*green*0.9 + red*((128+y)/256)))) + 0.3*(rand()%1000)

Grainy Sunset

0.175*x*x + 0.25981*x*y + 0.325*y*y >= 1800 ? white : 0.175*x*x + 0.25981*x*y + 0.325*y*y >= 300 ? white*0.1 : 0.175*x*x + 0.25981*x*y + 0.325*y*y >= 3 ? red : black

Vinyl

(abs(x) > 50 || abs(y) > 50) ? (1+cos(sqrt(sqrt(x*x*x*x*x*x+y*y*y*y*y*y))/150.0))*blue : black

Blue Neon

(y < -85-10)*((x < -86-10 || (x >= -86+10 && x < 0))*red + ((x >= -86-10&&x < -86-5)||(x >= -86+5&&x<-86+10))*white + (x >=-86-5&&x<-86+5)*blue) + (y>=-85-10&&y<-85-5)*((x < -86-5 || (x >= -86+5 && x < 0))*white + (x >=-86-5&&x<-86+5)*blue) + (y>=-85-5&&y<-85+5)*(x<0)*blue + (y>=-85+5&&y<-85+10)*((x < -86-5 || (x >= -86+5 && x < 0))*white + (x >=-86-5&&x<-86+5)*blue) + (y>=-85+10&&y<-43)*((x < -86-10 || (x >= -86+10 && x < 0))*red + ((x >= -86-10&&x < -86-5)||(x >= -86+5&&x<-86+10))*white + (x >=-86-5&&x<-86+5)*blue) + ((y>=43&&y<85-7)||(y>=85+7))*((x<-86-7||(x>=-86+7&&x<0))*blue + (x>=-86-7&&x<-86+7)*(red+green)) + (y>=85-7&&y<85+7)*(x<0)*(red+green) + ((y>=-43&&y<0-7)||(y>=0+7&&y<43))*(((x>=0&&x<42-7)||(x>=42+7))*red + ((x>=42-7)&&(x<42+7))*white) + (y>=0-7&&y<0+7)*(x>=0)*white

Scandinavia

I was going to do Finland, Iceland and the Faroes too, but this got long enough!

(y<-50 || (y >= -34 && y < 50))*((x<-70)*white + (x>-60)*red)+(y>=-50 && y < -34 && x > -60)*red + (y>60)*((x<-70)*blue + (x>-60 && x<90)*white+ ((x>100)*((y<90)*white + (y>100)*(red+green))))

Composition II in Red, Blue and Yellow. Piet Mondrian, 1930.

cos(sqrt(sqrt(x*x*x*x*x*x+y*y*y*y*y*y))/800.0)*blue + cos(sqrt(sqrt(x*x*x*x*x*x+y*y*y*y*y*y))/1500.0)*green

Square 1

cos(sqrt(sqrt(x*x*x*x*x*x+y*y*y*y*y*y))/800.0)*blue + cos(sqrt(sqrt(x*x*x*x*x*x+y*y*y*y*y*y))/1500.0)*red

Square 2

cos(x*x/250.0) * cos(y*y/250.0) > 0.3 ? (red+green)*(cos(x*x/250.0) * cos(y*y/250.0)) + 0.07*blue*(sqrt(sqrt(x*x+y*y))) : black

Square in the middle

(!(x||y) ? 2 : sin(sqrt(x*x+y*y)/6)/(sqrt(x*x+y*y)/6)+1) + ((x!=0)?(128*sin(x/6)/(x/6)<-y):0)

Quick intermission for signal/image processing types

sinc function from above and the side.

(x*x+y*y < 154*154)*((1+sin((sqrt((x+40)*(x+40)+y*y/1.5)/25-pi/2)))*red + (1+sin((sqrt((x-40)*(x-40)+y*y/1.5)/25-pi/2)))*green)

Ovals

x != 0 && x & 3 == 3 && ((y-50*sin(x/8.0))*(y-50*sin((x-1)/8.0))<0 && green || white)

Shimmering Sine Wave

I can't decide if I've created a new illusion or just an annoying picture.

sqrt(4*sqrt(x*x*x*x+y*y*y*y) - 2*sqrt(sqrt(x*x*x*x+y*y*y*y))*(x*cos(sqrt(sqrt(x*x*x*x+y*y*y*y))/8.0)+y*sin(sqrt(sqrt(x*x*x*x+y*y*y*y))/8.0)))*red

A rose perhaps

sqrt((x+y^x-y<<1)&x*x+y*y>>6)

by Marco Bodrato, who comments that it's reminiscent of The Alchemist by Remedios Varo

Probably my favourite monochrome one-liner. Except...

sqrt((x+y^x-(y<<1))&x*x+y*y>>6)

Just to show what a change of precedence can do. The same string as Marco's directly above, but with the insertion of one pair of brackets.

I think maybe I prefer this one.

(int)(sin(x/10.1)+cos(y/10.1))&(x+y)

By Stefano Bodrato

((y<-30 && x<-10)&&((int)(y/3)%2?blue:(int)(x/3)%2?blue:red+green))+((y>=-30 || x>=-10)*(((int)(((y+128)/12))%2)*(blue+green) + red))

By Stefano Bodrato

cos(x*x+y*y)

By Stefano Bodrato

(y>x*x/30-100)?x+128+red*y:128-blue*y

By Stefano Bodrato

(sqrt(x*x+y*y)>30)*(((sin(x/10.1)>y/10.1))*(red*abs(x-y)*abs(sin(x+y/10))*abs(x+y))+((sin(x/10.1)<=y/10.1)*(3000*blue*(sin(x/20.1))))) + (sqrt(x*x+y*y)<=30)*(50*(x*white+y*red))

By Stefano Bodrato

green * ((((x - 50)*(x - 50) + (y - 25)*(y - 25)) > 8000 ? 8000 : ((x - 50)*(x - 50) + (y - 25)*(y - 25)))) + blue * ((((x + 50)*(x + 50) + (y - 25)*(y - 25)) > 8000 ? 8000 : ((x + 50)*(x + 50) + (y - 25)*(y - 25)))) + red * ((((x - 0)*(x - 0) + (y + 25)*(y + 25)) > 8000 ? 8000 : ((x - 0)*(x - 0) + (y + 25)*(y + 25))))

By GDR!

green*sin(((x - 50)*(x - 50) + y*y) / 300) + blue*sin(((x + 50)*(x + 50) + y*y) / 300) + red * sin((x * x + (y - 50) * (y - 50)) / 300)

By GDR!

(int)(81.0 * atan2(x, y)) ^ (int)(2.0 * sqrt(x*x + y*y))

By GDR!

blue*(pow((((int)(81.0 * atan2(x, y))) & 31) - 15, 2) + pow((((int)(2.0 * sqrt(x*x + y*y))) & 31) - 15, 2))

By GDR!

((abs((int)(81.0 * atan2(x, y))) %100)- 50)*((abs((int)(81.0 * atan2(x, y))) %100)- 50) + ((abs((int)(2.0 * sqrt(x*x + y*y))) %100) - 50)*((abs((int)(2.0 * sqrt(x*x + y*y))) %100) - 50) > 41*41 ? white : ((abs((int)(81.0 * atan2(x, y))) %100)- 50)*((abs((int)(81.0 * atan2(x, y))) %100)- 50) + ((abs((int)(2.0 * sqrt(x*x + y*y))) %100) - 50)*((abs((int)(2.0 * sqrt(x*x + y*y))) %100) - 50) >= 40*40 || (((abs((int)(81.0 * atan2(x, y))) %100)- 50)+15)*(((abs((int)(81.0 * atan2(x, y))) %100)- 50)+15)+(((abs((int)(2.0 * sqrt(x*x + y*y))) %100) - 50)+10)*(((abs((int)(2.0 * sqrt(x*x + y*y))) %100) - 50)+10) < 6* 6 || (((abs((int)(81.0 * atan2(x, y))) %100)- 50)-15)*(((abs((int)(81.0 * atan2(x, y))) %100)- 50)-15)+(((abs((int)(2.0 * sqrt(x*x + y*y))) %100) - 50)+10)*(((abs((int)(2.0 * sqrt(x*x + y*y))) %100) - 50)+10) < 6* 6 || ((abs((int)(81.0 * atan2(x, y))) %100)- 50)*((abs((int)(81.0 * atan2(x, y))) %100)- 50) + (((abs((int)(2.0 * sqrt(x*x + y*y))) %100) - 50)+15)*(((abs((int)(2.0 * sqrt(x*x + y*y))) %100) - 50)+15) >= 40*40 && ((abs((int)(81.0 * atan2(x, y))) %100)- 50)*((abs((int)(81.0 * atan2(x, y))) %100)- 50)+(((abs((int)(2.0 * sqrt(x*x + y*y))) %100) - 50)+15)*(((abs((int)(2.0 * sqrt(x*x + y*y))) %100) - 50)+15)<=41*41 && ((abs((int)(2.0 * sqrt(x*x + y*y))) %100) - 50) > 15 ? 0 : red + green

By GDR!

((x ^ y) >> (-x & ~y & 2))*green + ((x ^ y) >> (-x & y & 122))*red + ((x ^ y) >> (-x & y & 36))*blue

Another carpet to finish

Send your contributions to the gallery by emailing me at johnatuserportdotcom!

John Robinson