Builds a 3D scene from a formula step by step
“It makes a full 3d complex scene out of a math formula, with step by step explanation”Open comment #25627023
Computing history, graphics & visual media
Inigo Quilez · Discussed on HN from 2021 to 2025
Editorial context · source-attributed
Across the sampled HN recommendations, people specifically point to Builds a 3D scene from a formula step by step and Mind-blowing math art with live coding.
The recorded HN source is “This was a mind blowing example of math and art from last year” — a useful perspective from kn8a in 2021-01, rather than a claim that every Hacker News reader agrees.
Alongside recommendations, the export retains a reference mention from t8y (2022-02): “people appreciate that it's a shader, even people that are not into programming” This is context, not proof; use the linked discussion to inspect the original thread.
Intermediate learners exploring signed distance fields. Its upstream classification is creative coding & generative art, while this Explorer page groups it with related material in computing history, graphics & visual media.
Builds a 3D scene from a formula step by step
“It makes a full 3d complex scene out of a math formula, with step by step explanation”Open comment #25627023
Mind-blowing math art with live coding
“This was a mind blowing example of math and art from last year”Open comment #25689173
Amazing demo of signed distance fields
“is an amazing demo of their power.”Open comment #25946777
Making-of video for a shader artwork
“people appreciate that it's a shader, even people that are not into programming”Open comment #30284122
Inigo Quilez live-codes a cartoon character painting entirely from math, using signed distance fields in a Shadertoy shader. He explains each step of building the image from formulas.
Original HackerTube classification: Creative coding & generative art.
Mind-blowing math art with live coding
“This was a mind blowing example of math and art from last year”Read the original HN comment
kn8a · 2021-01 · 13 recommenders across 10 months

gimpymoo
HN recommends it often as an entertaining and authentic dramatization of Sinclair versus Acorn, the story from which ARM grew.

Freya Holmér
HN repeatedly calls it one of the best math and graphics explainers on YouTube, praised for bridging game dev and math.

Freya Holmér
It is the go-to recommendation for anyone who wants to genuinely understand Bezier curves and splines, and commenters repeatedly call it one of the best programming-related educational videos.