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What is boids?

datavorous/boids — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-07-17 · repo last pushed 2026-01-13

★ 2JavaScriptAudience · researcherComplexity · 2/5QuietSetup · easy

In one sentence

A browser-based animation that simulates flocking behavior, birds or fish moving together from three simple rules, no master plan.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      Simulates flocking
      Runs in browser
      Emergent group motion
    Tech stack
      JavaScript
      HTML
    Use cases
      Learn emergent behavior
      Study game NPC crowds
      Experiment with animation rules
    Audience
      Students
      Game developers
      Researchers
    How it works
      Separation rule
      Alignment rule
      Cohesion rule

Code map

Detail Auto

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filefunction / class

What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Watch and tweak the three flocking rules to see how group behavior changes in real time.

USE CASE 2

Study how simple local rules create complex emergent motion, useful for game NPC crowds.

USE CASE 3

Use as a teaching example for animation or collective-behavior simulation concepts.

What is it built with?

JavaScriptHTML

How does it compare?

datavorous/boids3imed-jaberi/cryptography-si-isamm3imed-jaberi/koa-isomorphic-router
Stars222
LanguageJavaScriptJavaScriptJavaScript
Last pushed2026-01-132021-09-252021-02-06
MaintenanceQuietDormantDormant
Setup difficultyeasyeasyeasy
Complexity2/51/52/5
Audienceresearcherresearcherdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

No install needed, just open the HTML file in a browser.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Explain how the separation, alignment, and cohesion rules work in datavorous/boids.
Prompt 2
Show me how to open and run datavorous/boids in my browser with no install.
Prompt 3
Help me add a new rule to datavorous/boids, like avoiding obstacles.
Prompt 4
Modify datavorous/boids so the flock reacts to my mouse cursor as a predator.

Frequently asked questions

What is boids?

A browser-based animation that simulates flocking behavior, birds or fish moving together from three simple rules, no master plan.

What language is boids written in?

Mainly JavaScript. The stack also includes JavaScript, HTML.

Is boids actively maintained?

Quiet — no commits in 6-12 months (last push 2026-01-13).

How hard is boids to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is boids for?

Mainly researcher.

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