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Pixel Canvas

A decorative canvas grid of square pixels that light up under the cursor and smoothly fade back — or, with the idle + twinkle props, an ambient pixel-stars field, or with the flow prop, autonomous organic shapes (a drifting metaball field) rendered as pixels. Token-derived colors, default/trail/glow variants.

Preview

Controls

Theme
Surface
Direction
Viewport

Device view renders in an isolated frame so real responsive breakpoints apply. Switch to Full for overflowing popovers.

Installation

terminal 
php artisan ui:add pixel-canvas

Behavior layer (Alpine)

This component installs a self-registering Alpine module to resources/js/ui/pixel-canvas.js. Import the behavior layer once from your bundle so it loads (it hooks alpine:init):

resources/js/ui/index.js JS 
import './pixel-canvas.js';

Registry contract

Install confidence

php artisan ui:add pixel-canvas writes only the generated targets below. The CLI validates each file hash before writing and prompts before replacing local changes unless --force is used.

Version
1.2.0
License
open
Stability
stable
Contract
v2
Foundation
≥ 1.0.0
Type Generated target
blade resources/views/components/ui/pixel-canvas.blade.php
js resources/js/ui/pixel-canvas.js

Registry dependencies

None.

Package dependencies

composer: jml/brok:^1.0

npm: alpinejs

Guidance

Expressive and showcase effect

Support brand expression or a showcase moment.

Use when

  • Use only when visual expression supports storytelling, brand differentiation, or a clear showcase moment. Do not place heavy effects in task-dense workflows where clarity, speed, and readability matter more.

Avoid when

  • Avoid using pixel-canvas as a default simply because it is available in the library. Choose it only when its interaction cost, visibility, and behavior match the job to be done.
Task length
short
Interaction cost
medium
Interruptiveness
low
Input precision
none
Mobile / touch risk
high
Accessibility risk
high
Needs background context
No
Comparison needed
No

Preferred alternatives

  • Static content-first presentation

Anti-patterns

  • Heavy effects in forms or task-dense workflows
  • Motion that interferes with reading or focus

API

manifest knowledge + registry-derived coverage

Props

Prop Type / values Default Description
gap int 6 Declared by @props in the registry Blade source.
speed int 35 Declared by @props in the registry Blade source.
variant string default Declared by @props in the registry Blade source.
colors mixed|null null Declared by @props in the registry Blade source.
idle int 0 Declared by @props in the registry Blade source.
twinkle int 0 Declared by @props in the registry Blade source.
flow int 0 Declared by @props in the registry Blade source.

Slots

Components use the default Blade slot unless a documented subcomponent is installed by the registry item.

Data slots

pixel-canvas

Capabilities

wcag-2.2-aa-target interactive responsive rtl darkMode localized reducedMotion

Behavior

  • Uses server-rendered Blade and semantic HTML.
  • Installs a JavaScript behavior module when the registry item includes resources/js/ui files.
  • Declares registry capability flags: a11y, interactive, responsive, rtl, darkMode, localized, reducedMotion.

Usage

previews.components.pixel-canvas.default.blade.php Blade 
<div class="relative h-56 w-full max-w-md overflow-hidden rounded-lg border border-border bg-card text-primary">
    <x-ui.pixel-canvas />
</div>

Variants

Ambient stars — idle grid + twinkle
Dense glow twinkle
Twinkle only — no resting grid
Idle grid only — hover to light
Flowing shapes — drifting metaball field
Shapes over a faint resting grid
Glow shapes
Shapes + twinkle + hover
previews.components.pixel-canvas.variants.blade.php Blade 
{{-- Opt-in props turn the cursor-reactive grid into two ambient effects, both
     default off so the cursor-only look is unchanged: idle + twinkle give a
     "pixel stars" field (uicapsule.com "background pixels"), and flow gives
     autonomous drifting organic shapes (uicapsule.com "background shapes"). --}}
<div class="grid w-full gap-6 sm:grid-cols-2">
    {{-- Ambient stars: a faint resting dot-grid (idle) with random cells twinkling
         in token palette colors (twinkle), independent of the cursor. A low speed
         lets each glint linger before fading. --}}
    <figure class="space-y-2">
        <div class="relative h-48 w-full overflow-hidden rounded-lg border border-border bg-card text-primary">
            <x-ui.pixel-canvas :gap="10" :speed="14" :idle="0.06" :twinkle="18" />
        </div>
        <figcaption class="text-xs text-muted-foreground">{{ __('Ambient stars — idle grid + twinkle') }}</figcaption>
    </figure>

    {{-- Denser, faster twinkle over a brighter resting grid, glow variant for a
         soft bloom on each lit cell. --}}
    <figure class="space-y-2">
        <div class="relative h-48 w-full overflow-hidden rounded-lg border border-border bg-card text-primary">
            <x-ui.pixel-canvas variant="glow" :gap="8" :speed="20" :idle="0.1" :twinkle="40" />
        </div>
        <figcaption class="text-xs text-muted-foreground">{{ __('Dense glow twinkle') }}</figcaption>
    </figure>

    {{-- Twinkle with no resting floor: stars glint and fade to black, no base grid. --}}
    <figure class="space-y-2">
        <div class="relative h-48 w-full overflow-hidden rounded-lg border border-border bg-card text-primary">
            <x-ui.pixel-canvas :gap="12" :speed="10" :twinkle="12" />
        </div>
        <figcaption class="text-xs text-muted-foreground">{{ __('Twinkle only — no resting grid') }}</figcaption>
    </figure>

    {{-- Idle only: a calm, always-visible dot-grid that still lights under the
         cursor (hover it), with no autonomous twinkle. --}}
    <figure class="space-y-2">
        <div class="relative h-48 w-full overflow-hidden rounded-lg border border-border bg-card text-primary">
            <x-ui.pixel-canvas :gap="10" :speed="30" :idle="0.08" />
        </div>
        <figcaption class="text-xs text-muted-foreground">{{ __('Idle grid only — hover to light') }}</figcaption>
    </figure>

    {{-- The `flow` prop turns the same grid into autonomous, drifting organic
         shapes — a metaball field sampled per cell (uicapsule.com "background
         shapes"). Reads best with a chunkier gap. --}}
    <figure class="space-y-2">
        <div class="relative h-48 w-full overflow-hidden rounded-lg border border-border bg-card text-primary">
            <x-ui.pixel-canvas :gap="14" :flow="1" />
        </div>
        <figcaption class="text-xs text-muted-foreground">{{ __('Flowing shapes — drifting metaball field') }}</figcaption>
    </figure>

    {{-- Flowing shapes over a faint resting grid (idle), so the pixels read even
         where the blobs are absent — the full "background shapes" look. --}}
    <figure class="space-y-2">
        <div class="relative h-48 w-full overflow-hidden rounded-lg border border-border bg-card text-primary">
            <x-ui.pixel-canvas :gap="16" :flow="1.4" :idle="0.05" />
        </div>
        <figcaption class="text-xs text-muted-foreground">{{ __('Shapes over a faint resting grid') }}</figcaption>
    </figure>

    {{-- Glow variant: each lit cell blooms, giving the shapes a hazy edge. --}}
    <figure class="space-y-2">
        <div class="relative h-48 w-full overflow-hidden rounded-lg border border-border bg-card text-primary">
            <x-ui.pixel-canvas variant="glow" :gap="14" :flow="1" />
        </div>
        <figcaption class="text-xs text-muted-foreground">{{ __('Glow shapes') }}</figcaption>
    </figure>

    {{-- All three layers at once: flowing shapes + ambient twinkle + cursor light
         (hover) composed over one grid. --}}
    <figure class="space-y-2">
        <div class="relative h-48 w-full overflow-hidden rounded-lg border border-border bg-card text-primary">
            <x-ui.pixel-canvas :gap="12" :flow="1.2" :twinkle="14" :idle="0.04" />
        </div>
        <figcaption class="text-xs text-muted-foreground">{{ __('Shapes + twinkle + hover') }}</figcaption>
    </figure>
</div>

Accessibility & localization

WCAG 2.2 AA RTL-ready data-slot Keyboard focus-visible Localized labels
  • Accessibility target: wcag-2.2-aa-target.
  • Uses semantic HTML and a stable data-slot attribute for styling/scripting hooks.
  • Focus-visible rings use the ring token so keyboard focus is always visible.
  • Disabled and invalid states are conveyed to assistive tech, not by color alone.
  • Targets WCAG 2.2 AA; verify contrast in light, dark, admin and customer surfaces above.
  • Labels go through __() and the component uses logical properties (ms-*, text-start, start-*) so it mirrors correctly — flip the preview to RTL to confirm.

Source

The exact, editable file ui:add writes into your app — copy it or own the whole thing. Previews render this same code; there are no preview-only components.

Changelog

Current version: v1.2.0. See the site changelog for the full release history.