Ancient Brain Starter Tutorial (P5)

This tutorial shows you how to get started on Ancient Brain (P5 version).

To be precise, this shows how to start coding on Ancient Brain in the JavaScript programming language, using the P5 library for the graphics. (You can use other libraries for graphics, notably Three.js.)

On Ancient Brain, you can edit and run programs in the browser, with no install. You have to register and get a username if you want to save your creations.

This tutorial will show you how to copy and edit a simple "World" called "One Cube World". (Click on World image to run it.)

You will soon be able to make variants of this World, such as the ones shown here.

Contents

1. Register and login
2. Run the Starter World
3. Clone the Starter World
4. Edit your World
5. First look at the code
6. Change some code
7. Program structure
8. Paint the cube
9. Upload your own image
10. Make another box
11. Make lots of boxes
12. Add music
13. Errors
14. Documentation
15. Clone and edit other P5 Worlds
16. Finish

Notes

• This tutorial does not assume you have ever done any computer programming (or "coding") before. It starts from scratch.
• This is not a full course in programming. For that see the Introduction to Programming course.
• Rather, this explains how to use Ancient Brain. As such, it serves as a gentle introduction to the idea of coding itself.

Introduction video

This tutorial has 16 videos, one for each step. There is also a high-level introduction to Ancient Brain, shown below. This does not assume you have ever coded, or ever heard of JavaScript graphics.

Notes on videos

• The videos feature Dr. Mark Humphrys of Dublin City University.
• The videos may show an older version of the Ancient Brain site.
• Maximise video to see text and code clearly.
• Credit to Ideas Lab at NIDL at DCU for their superb video editing.

Get started

Enough talk. Let's start the tutorial!