Processing: Creative Coding and Computational Art

PROCESSING: CREATIVE CODING AND COMPUTATIONAL ART
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I need a fourth vertex() call to generate another line:
size(300, 300);
background(255);
beginShape(LINES);
vertex(20, height/2);
vertex(width-20, height/2);
vertex(width/2, height-20);
vertex(width/2, 20);
endShape();
This mode isn’t much of an improvement over just calling two line() functions. The following
code, for example, gives the exact same output as the last, but in four lines rather
than eight:
size(300, 300);
background(255);
line(20, height/2, width-20, height/2);
line(width/2, height-20, width/2, 20);
Creating line strips
The situation, however, changes once you try to generate a line strip, which uses a noargument
version of beginShape(). By default, beginShape() creates an open and filled
path. You need to call noFill() if you want to generate an unfilled line strip. For example,
the next sketch, shown in Figure 6-35, fills the display window with random vertices all
connected by a continuous path. If you used the line() function, you would need to keep
feeding previous second point positions into the next line call. I implemented this
approach as a comparison, which I think you’ll agree is a much less elegant solution.
// elegant vertex() appraoch
size(300, 300);
background(255);
strokeWeight(3);
noFill();
smooth();
beginShape();
for (int i=0; i