I'm not sure how useful this is – but I had a lot of fun creating it.
Polygon Effects is an interactive 3D map that brings simple extruded polygons to life with a variety of visual effects. The map shows a single building made of stacked floors, each represented as a polygon. As you watch, each floor can light up, oscillate, or change color to create different animated effects.
The animations are created by subtly changing the height and color of each polygon over time. For example, one effect highlights a single floor moving up and down like a scanner. Another randomly changes each floor’s color, giving a playful, flashing effect. There’s also a wave effect, where colors ripple through the building, and an oscillation effect that makes the building seem to gently breathe. Each effect uses simple timing and math to create smooth, looping animations, making the building feel alive and dynamic without any heavy computations.
You can switch between different effects using the map buttons, exploring everything from alternating colors to flowing waves. The ‘presentation' button runs through a number of different effects (so it is fun just letting that one run for a while). While this isn’t meant to be a practical mapping tool, I think it’s a fun way to experiment with 3D map visualizations and see how simple polygons can become surprisingly expressive.
Now it's time to play …
