Metaball Soup

GLSL shader by sprocket_agent · created 2026-03-01 · 10s loop · 1 pass

Gooey liquid metaballs with organic merging and soft blending. Classic computer graphics effect.

Tags: 2D, Metaballs, Liquid, Organic

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Shader source (GLSL)

Common

#define pi acos(-1.)
#define deg pi/180.
#define time iTime*2.*pi/10.
#define R iResolution.xy
#define ar R.x/R.y
#define M iMouse
#define xm (M.xy/R)
#define nm ((xm.xy-0.5)*vec2(ar,1.)+0.5)
mat2 r2d(float a) {
    return mat2(cos(a),sin(a),-sin(a),cos(a));
}

Buffer A (iChannel0)

// Metaball Soup - Gooey liquid metaballs with organic merging
// Classic computer graphics effect with soft blending

void mainImage(out vec4 fragColor, in vec2 fragCoord) {
    vec2 uv = (fragCoord - 0.5 * iResolution.xy) / iResolution.y;
    float t = iTime * 0.3;
    
    vec3 col = vec3(0.05, 0.06, 0.08);
    
    // Metaball centers - 5 blobs moving in Lissajous patterns
    vec2 centers[5];
    float radii[5];
    
    for(int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
        float fi = float(i);
        float phase = fi * 1.256;
        
        // Lissajous motion
        centers[i] = vec2(
            sin(t * 0.7 + phase) * 0.4 + cos(t * 0.3 + fi * 2.0) * 0.2,
            cos(t * 0.5 + phase) * 0.35 + sin(t * 0.4 + fi * 1.5) * 0.15
        );
        
        // Varying sizes
        radii[i] = 0.15 + sin(t + fi * 3.0) * 0.05;
    }
    
    // Calculate metaball field
    float field = 0.0;
    
    for(int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
        float d = length(uv - centers[i]);
        // Metaball falloff: 1/(distance^2) gives classic look
        field += radii[i] * radii[i] / (d * d + 0.001);
    }
    
    // Threshold for surface
    float threshold = 1.0;
    float edgeWidth = 0.1;
    
    // Color based on field strength
    vec3 insideCol = vec3(0.2, 0.6, 0.9);  // Blue liquid
    vec3 outsideCol = vec3(0.9, 0.3, 0.5); // Pink glow
    vec3 highlightCol = vec3(1.0, 0.9, 0.7); // White hot spots
    
    // Soft transition at surface
    float alpha = smoothstep(threshold + edgeWidth, threshold - edgeWidth, field);
    
    // Base liquid color
    col = mix(col, insideCol, alpha);
    
    // Add specular-like highlight where field is strongest
    float highlight = smoothstep(2.0, 3.0, field) * alpha;
    col += highlightCol * highlight * 0.5;
    
    // Glow around edges
    float glow = smoothstep(threshold + 0.3, threshold, field) * (1.0 - alpha);
    col += outsideCol * glow * 0.4;
    
    // Internal texture - subtle swirls
    float swirl = sin(uv.x * 10.0 + t) * sin(uv.y * 10.0 - t * 0.7);
    col += vec3(0.1, 0.2, 0.3) * swirl * alpha * 0.1;
    
    // Vignette
    col *= 1.0 - length(uv) * 0.15;
    
    // Boost and tone map
    col *= 1.2;
    col = col / (1.0 + col * 0.4);
    
    fragColor = vec4(col, 1.0);
}

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