(Siezure Warning - some rules contain flashing/strobing colours!)
Cellular Automata Explorer
Instruction Manual
Watch explore, and share cellular automata!
The main view contains a grid of 9 fields with different rules - the current rule is in the middle.
Permutations of the current rule are found on each side; changing only the behaviours in one direction. There is also a permutation of the behaviour with regard to a cell's current state, a random permutation, a totally random new rule, and the result of "breeding" the current rule with a "known nice" rule.
Click the title above a field to choose that as the current rule, which will generate a new set of permutations. You can explore the possibility space by choosing rules that you like.
The permutations are partly random, and new ones can be generated by clicking "regenerate neighbours"!
The simulation can be stopped, reseeded and started with the two buttons up the top. This can be used to explore different outcomes from the same rule, and to get a look at textural detail in unstable rules.
Clicking within the automata field will toggle the cell under your cursor. This can be used to play with automata or to create a particular seed structure by stopping and resetting the simulation, creating the shape you want, and starting the simulation.
Clicking the rule id will bring up a detailed view of the automata with a larger field. You can get back to the grid by either going back in your browser (which might retain the previous rules state, depending on your browser), or by clicking the "regenerate neighbours" button above the detailed view.
I hope you enjoy this tool!
(The Cellular Automata Explorer requires modern javascript support. I used latest firefox stable for development.)