Diatom

64 kilobyte demoscene intro for PC

demoscene 64k intro OpenGL procedural creative coding Breakpoint 2009

Warning: This demo uses packing techniques which may trigger antivirus detection on Windows systems. Running it requires intentional bypassing of security warnings. If you prefer not to run the executable, you can watch the video above instead.

About Diatom

Diatom is my first demoscene production, a 64 kilobyte PC intro created for the Breakpoint 2009 competition. It won 4th place in the PC 64k intro competition, representing an exciting debut in the demoscene community.

The demo explores organic growth patterns and procedural generation with real-time rendering, featuring innovative visual effects built around the concept of cellular automata and the Game of Life. The entire production, including both code and music, was created by me (andr00).

"Great first prod and it surely won't hurt the scene to have new 64k intro newcomers." - keops on Pouët

Technical Details

Graphics

Written from scratch using OpenGL for rendering, with custom procedural generation techniques. The visuals feature cellular automata patterns, procedural geometry, and stylized motion effects.

Music

Original music composition using Farbrausch's V2 synthesizer system. The soundtrack features a minimalist electronic style that complements the visual aesthetic.

Size

The entire production is compressed to fit within 64 kilobytes (65,536 bytes), including all code, graphics, and music. This required extensive optimization and compression techniques.

Competition

Placed 4th in the PC 64k intro competition at Breakpoint 2009, one of the most prestigious demoscene events worldwide.

Gallery

Community Reception

Diatom was well-received by the demoscene community, garnering praise for its distinctive visual style and impressive achievement as a first production. The demo was nominated for the Scene.org Awards in the "breakthrough performance" category.

From the Pouët comments:

"Really liked this. Felt consistent, but a bit empty. Should have placed higher imo." - raer
"Nice style with a personal touch, plus massive as the first production." - Preacher
"Very enjoyable to watch, and very nice for a first prod." - Lord Graga