Recording & Export

PNG, WebM, GIF, fullscreen 1080p, and batch recording across all simulators.

All three simulators support PNG snapshots and WebM video recording. The Generator adds GIF export, fullscreen 1080p capture, and batch recording.


Export Comparison

Feature
Generator
Stencil
Masked

Save PNG

Yes

Yes

Yes

Record WebM

Yes

Yes

Yes

Export GIF

Yes

No

No

Fullscreen 1080p

Yes

No

No

Batch Record

Yes

No

No

Share URL

No

Yes

No


PNG Snapshot

Available in all three simulators via the Save PNG button.

  • File: shumi-physarum-{seed}.png

  • Resolution: Matches current canvas size

  • Best for: Static backgrounds, social posts, print-ready assets

Tip: Let the swarm grow 3–5 seconds before capturing for a fully developed network.

Stencil & Masked Compositing

In the Stencil and Masked, PNG capture composites all visible layers (background swarm, ghost afterimage, mascot physarum) into a single image. What you see is what you get.


WebM Video

Available in all three simulators via the ● Record button.

  • Codec: VP9 at 60 FPS (falls back to VP8 if unsupported)

  • Bitrate: 8 Mbps for high-quality output

  • File: shumi-physarum-{seed}.webm

  • Best for: Hero backgrounds, looping videos, social content

Click the button once to start, again to stop and download.

Important (Generator): Set Cursor Influence to 0 before recording to avoid mouse interference.

Converting WebM to MP4


Animated GIF (Generator Only)

The GIF exporter captures the live swarm, center-crops to a square, and encodes a looping animation.

Settings

Setting
Range
Default
Notes

Size

128 – 720 px

256px

Square output, suitable for avatars

Duration

2 – 15 seconds

4s

Shorter = smaller file size

FPS

8 – 30

16

Sweet spot 12–20

Size Guide

Size
Use Case

128 × 128

Favicon, tiny embed, chat avatar

256 × 256

Standard avatar, profile picture

480 × 480

High-res profile, thumbnail

720 × 720

Social media post, full-size asset

How to Export

  1. Let the swarm grow to a frame you like

  2. Set size, duration, and FPS

  3. Click Export GIF

  4. Wait for capture + encoding (progress shown)

  5. File downloads automatically


Fullscreen 1080p Recording (Generator Only)

Click Fullscreen Record (1080p) for 1080p output.

  • Hides the sidebar, resizes canvas to 1080 × 1080

  • Hub stays at 35% from top (designed for hero backgrounds)

  • Uses the clip length from the Recording Studio section

  • UI restores automatically when done

  • Best for: Website hero sections, presentations, brand assets


Recording Studio (Generator Only)

Seed Preview (Audition)

The fastest way to find your perfect swarm:

  1. Click Preview Seeds. Random seeds cycle every 4 seconds.

  2. Press Space to bookmark the current seed (max 10)

  3. Canvas border flashes green on bookmark

  4. Click Stop Preview when done

  5. Bookmarked seeds appear as clickable links

Batch Recording

After bookmarking seeds:

  1. Set Clip Length (5–60 seconds per seed)

  2. Click Batch Record Bookmarks

  3. Each seed records sequentially in fullscreen 1080p

  4. Files download one by one as each clip finishes


Share URL (Stencil Only)

The Stencil's Share button copies a URL to clipboard that encodes the current seed, formation mode, and key stencil settings. See The Stencilarrow-up-right for details on which parameters are encoded.


Browser Compatibility

Feature
Chrome
Firefox
Safari
Edge

Live swarm

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

WebM recording

Yes

Yes

No*

Yes

GIF export

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

OffscreenCanvas (Stencil Worker)

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

*Safari doesn't support MediaRecorder with WebM. Use GIF export or screen recording instead.

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