https://github.com/hyperb1iss/chromacat
ChromaCat is a turbocharged terminal colorizer written in Rust
https://github.com/hyperb1iss/chromacat
animation ansi aurora beautiful color gradient lolcat plasma terminal themes
Last synced: 4 months ago
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ChromaCat is a turbocharged terminal colorizer written in Rust
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/hyperb1iss/chromacat
- Owner: hyperb1iss
- License: apache-2.0
- Created: 2024-10-26T22:01:54.000Z (over 1 year ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-01-17T18:19:00.000Z (5 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-01-18T04:40:49.235Z (5 months ago)
- Topics: animation, ansi, aurora, beautiful, color, gradient, lolcat, plasma, terminal, themes
- Language: Rust
- Homepage:
- Size: 616 KB
- Stars: 3
- Watchers: 1
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Funding: .github/FUNDING.yml
- License: LICENSE
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
# 😺 ChromaCat ✨
> _Because your terminal deserves to be fabulous_ ✨
[](https://github.com/hyperb1iss/chromacat/actions/workflows/cicd.yml)
[](https://crates.io/crates/chromacat)
[](LICENSE)
[](https://docs.rs/chromacat)
[](README.md#-pattern-types)
[](README.md#-theme-gallery)
ChromaCat is a turbocharged terminal colorizer written in Rust that brings stunning gradient patterns and animations to your command-line experience. Think `lolcat` but with superpowers! 🚀
## ✨ Features
- 🎨 **Rich Pattern Library**: Twelve distinct pattern types from simple gradients to complex effects
- 🌈 **40+ Built-in Themes**: Everything from classic rainbow to custom color schemes
- 🔄 **Smooth Animations**: Breathe life into your terminal with fluid color transitions
- 🎮 **Interactive Mode**: Real-time control over animations and effects
- 🎯 **Precise Control**: Fine-tune every aspect of your gradients
- 🦀 **Blazing Fast**: Optimized Rust implementation with minimal overhead
- 🌍 **Full Unicode Support**: Works beautifully with emojis and international text
- 📱 **Terminal-Aware**: Adapts to terminal dimensions and capabilities
- 🎨 **Custom Themes**: Create and share your own color schemes
## 🚀 Installation
### Using Cargo (Recommended)
```bash
cargo install chromacat
```
### From Source
```bash
git clone https://github.com/hyperb1iss/chromacat
cd chromacat
cargo build --release
```
### Homebrew
```bash
brew install hyperb1iss/tap/chromacat
```
## 🎯 Quick Start
```bash
# Basic usage
echo "Hello, ChromaCat!" | chromacat
# Choose a theme
ls -la | chromacat -t cyberpunk
# Add some animation
cat your_file.txt | chromacat -a
# Use a specific pattern
echo "Wave pattern!" | chromacat -p wave --param amplitude=1.5
```
## 🎨 Pattern Types
ChromaCat offers twelve pattern types for dynamic colorization:
- `diagonal` - Angled gradient with customizable direction (default)
- `horizontal` - Classic left-to-right gradient
- `plasma` - Psychedelic plasma effect using sine waves
- `ripple` - Concentric circles emanating from center
- `wave` - Flowing wave distortion pattern
- `spiral` - Hypnotic spiral pattern from center
- `checkerboard` - Alternating gradient colors in a grid
- `diamond` - Diamond-shaped gradient pattern
- `perlin` - Organic, cloud-like noise pattern
- `rain` - Matrix-style digital rain effect
- `fire` - Dynamic flame simulation
- `aurora` - Northern lights simulation
## 🎨 Theme Gallery
ChromaCat comes with over 40 built-in themes across multiple categories. Here's a sample of what's available:
### 🌌 Space Themes
Experience cosmic-inspired gradients perfect for sci-fi interfaces and space-themed applications.
nebula
cosmos
aurora
galaxy
### 💻 Tech Themes
Modern, cyberpunk-inspired themes that bring a digital aesthetic to your terminal.
matrix
cyberpunk
hackerman
quantum
### 🎭 Aesthetic Themes
Stylish gradients perfect for creative and artistic applications.
pastel
neon
retrowave
vaporwave
### 🎉 Party Themes
Vibrant, energetic themes that bring celebration to your terminal.
rave
disco
festival
carnival
### 🎓 Abstract Themes
Experimental and artistic gradients for unique visual effects.
fire
toxic
glitch
plasma
### 🌈 Pride Themes
Celebrate diversity with these pride flag-inspired gradients.
lesbian
trans
nonbinary
progress
## 💫 Usage Examples
### Basic Text Coloring
```bash
# Simple gradient
echo "Hello, World!" | chromacat
# Use the cyberpunk theme
echo "Hello, ChromaCat!" | chromacat -t cyberpunk
# Multiple files
chromacat file1.txt file2.txt
```
### Pattern Selection and Customization
```bash
# Diagonal gradient at 45 degrees
chromacat -p diagonal --param angle=45 file.txt
# Plasma effect with custom settings
chromacat -p plasma --param complexity=3.0,scale=1.5 file.txt
# Wave pattern with customization
chromacat -p wave --param amplitude=1.5,frequency=2.0 file.txt
# Ripple pattern from center
chromacat -p ripple --param wavelength=1.0,damping=0.5 file.txt
# Fire effect with custom parameters
chromacat -p fire --param "intensity=1.5,speed=2.0,turbulence=0.7,wind=true"
# Aurora effect simulation
chromacat -p aurora --param "intensity=1.2,waviness=1.5,layers=4"
# Matrix-style digital rain
chromacat -p pixel_rain --param "speed=1.5,density=2.0,length=5,glitch=true"
```
### Animation Effects
```bash
# Basic animation
cat your_file.txt | chromacat -a
# Smooth animation with custom FPS
ls -la | chromacat -a --fps 60 --smooth
# Infinite animation
chromacat --animate --duration 0 file.txt
```
### Advanced Usage
```bash
# Combine with other commands
git status | chromacat -p ripple -t neon
# Custom animation speed
find . -type f | chromacat -a --speed 0.5
# Progress logging with style
yarn build | chromacat -t cyberpunk
```
## 🎮 Interactive Controls
When running in animation mode (`-a`):
- `Space` - Pause/Resume animation
- `T` - Cycle through themes
- `P` - Cycle through patterns
- `Q` or `Esc` - Quit
- `←` `→` - Adjust animation speed
- `↑` `↓` - Scroll through content
## 🛠 Configuration Options
### Common Parameters
- `--frequency <0.1-10.0>` - Base pattern frequency
- `--amplitude <0.1-2.0>` - Pattern intensity
- `--speed <0.0-1.0>` - Animation speed
### Animation Settings
- `--fps <1-144>` - Frames per second
- `--duration ` - Animation duration (0 for infinite)
- `--smooth` - Enable smooth transitions
- `--no-color` - Disable colored output
### Pattern-Specific Parameters
```bash
# Plasma
chromacat -p plasma --param complexity=3.0,scale=1.5,blend_mode=add
# Ripple
chromacat -p ripple --param wavelength=1.0,damping=0.5,center_x=0.5,center_y=0.5
# Wave
chromacat -p wave --param amplitude=1.0,frequency=2.0,phase=0.0,offset=0.5
# Spiral
chromacat -p spiral --param density=2.0,rotation=90,expansion=1.5
# Checkerboard
chromacat -p checkerboard --param size=2,blur=0.1,rotation=45
# Fire
chromacat -p fire --param intensity=1.5,turbulence=0.8,height=1.2,wind_strength=0.5
# Aurora
chromacat -p aurora --param intensity=1.2,waviness=1.5,layers=4,spread=0.4
# Pixel Rain
chromacat -p pixel_rain --param speed=2.0,density=1.5,length=4,glitch_freq=1.0
```
## 🎨 Custom Themes
ChromaCat supports custom theme creation through YAML files. See our [Custom Theme Guide](docs/custom-themes.md) for detailed instructions on creating your own color schemes.
```bash
# Load and use a custom theme
chromacat --theme-file mythemes.yaml -t my-custom-theme
```
## 🏗️ Architecture
For developers interested in ChromaCat's internal design and contributing to the project, check out our [Architecture Overview](docs/architecture.md).
## 🔧 Integration Tips
### Shell Aliases
```bash
# Add to your .bashrc or .zshrc
alias cat="chromacat"
alias ls="ls --color=always | chromacat -t ocean"
alias gl="git log --oneline --graph | chromacat -p wave -t neon"
```
### Build Logs
```bash
# Make your build logs fabulous
npm run build | chromacat -t cyberpunk
cargo build 2>&1 | chromacat -p plasma -t matrix
```
### System Monitoring
```bash
# Colorful system monitoring
watch -n1 "ps aux | sort -rn -k 3,3 | head -n 5 | chromacat -t heat"
```
## 🤝 Contributing
Yes please!
1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (`git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature`)
3. Commit your changes (`git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature'`)
4. Push to the branch (`git push origin feature/AmazingFeature`)
5. Open a Pull Request
## 📄 License
This project is licensed under the Apache License 2.0 - see the [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for details.
---
Created by [Stefanie Jane 🌠](https://github.com/hyperb1iss)
If you find ChromaCat useful, [buy me a Monster Ultra Violet](https://ko-fi.com/hyperb1iss)! ⚡️