oh boy… this is going to be a frequent topic. i *hate* how vector fields are drawn. i don’t believe i’ve ever seen a vector field drawn well. ever. why? [hello matlab, mathematica, et al…]
- square grid sampling: yuk.
- non-adaptive sampling: too few samples near equilibria & too many where the vectors are large
- long vectors intersect: yuk.
- the arrows are drawn poorly. also, yuk.
- no/poor use of color.
- static pics — vector fields should induce flow (in your mind)
can i fix all these problems? hardly. not easily. but i’m trying. here’s an early attempt. it, too, is flawed. but notice the difference that a hex grid, a bit of style on the arrows, a little 3-d layering, and some ambient occlusion make.
