About
A staggered grid; each dot's centre is evaluated as a position in the field, where two crossing sines and a little noise make a value in 0 to 1, and the pointer adds a Gaussian swell. That value sets the dot's radius (through a contrast curve) and its colour between the two dot colours. The edge is antialiased with a width derived from the cell size.
Use it when
- A SaaS, analytics or fintech page wants a calm, printed texture.
- A design studio wants a halftone look.
- A report or a data page wants motion without noise.
Skip it when
- The brand is organic and soft.
- Text must sit over the biggest dots.
Install
- 1Add the VibeBox registry to
components.json:{ "registries": { "@vibebox": "https://motion.vibeboxph.com/r/{name}.json" } } - 2Add the component with the shadcn CLI:
npx shadcn@latest add @vibebox/dot-waves - 3Use it:
import { DotWaves } from "@/components/vibebox/dot-waves"; <DotWaves preset="ink" className="min-h-[560px] rounded-xl"> <div className="p-12 text-white"> <h1 className="text-4xl font-semibold">Numbers, in motion.</h1> </div> </DotWaves>
Code
3 filescomponents/vibebox/dot-waves/dot-waves.client.tsx
/**
* VibeBox Motion · Dot Waves
* Copyright (c) 2026 VibeBox. Licensed under the VibeBox Motion Free License:
* https://motion.vibeboxph.com/license
* Use it in unlimited personal, commercial and client projects.
* Do not sell or redistribute it as a component, kit, template or builder.
*/
"use client";
import type { ReactNode } from "react";
import { BackdropCanvas, type PosterSpec } from "@/lib/vibebox/backdrop-canvas";
import { dotWavesPiece, presets, type DotWavesPreset } from "./dot-waves.shader";
export type DotWavesColor = "paperD" | "dotA" | "dotB";
export type DotWavesValue = "cellsD" | "wave" | "contrast";
export type DotWavesProps = {
/** What sits on the scene: a heading, a call to action, a whole section. */
children?: ReactNode;
/** A named look: `ink`, `cyan`, `slate`, `rose`, `paper`. */
preset?: DotWavesPreset;
/** Overrides single palette colours with any CSS colour. */
colors?: Partial<Record<DotWavesColor, string>>;
/** Multiplies the preset's speed (1 keeps it, 0 holds the scene still). */
speed?: number;
/** Multiplies the preset's brightness. */
intensity?: number;
/** The pointer and touch move the scene. */
interactive?: boolean;
/** Accessible name; leave it out when the scene is only a background. */
label?: string;
/** Hold one still frame until this is false (for a gallery card). */
still?: boolean;
className?: string;
} & Partial<Record<DotWavesValue, number>>;
const POSTER: PosterSpec = { type: "linear", from: "paperD", to: "paperD", angle: 180, blobs: [{ color: "dotA", at: [30, 60], size: 50 }, { color: "dotB", at: [72, 35], size: 40 }] };
export function DotWaves({ children, preset, colors, speed, intensity, interactive = true, label, still, className, cellsD, wave, contrast }: DotWavesProps) {
return (
<BackdropCanvas
slug="dot-waves"
piece={dotWavesPiece}
presets={presets}
fallback="ink"
preset={preset}
colors={colors}
values={{ cellsD, wave, contrast }}
speed={speed}
intensity={intensity}
poster={POSTER}
scale={0.5}
stillTime={3}
still={still}
interactive={interactive}
label={label}
className={className}
>
{children}
</BackdropCanvas>
);
}components/vibebox/dot-waves/dot-waves.shader.ts
/**
* VibeBox Motion · Dot Waves
* Copyright (c) 2026 VibeBox. Licensed under the VibeBox Motion Free License:
* https://motion.vibeboxph.com/license
* Use it in unlimited personal, commercial and client projects.
* Do not sell or redistribute it as a component, kit, template or builder.
*/
import { compose, createScenePiece, type ScenePreset } from "@/lib/vibebox/engine/backdrops";
/*
* A halftone field: a grid of dots whose size follows a travelling wave, with the colour running
* from one end of the palette to the other along the wave. It reads as a printed gradient that
* breathes. The pointer drops a swell in the field.
*/
const SCENE = /* glsl */ `
uniform vec3 uPaperD;
uniform vec3 uDotA;
uniform vec3 uDotB;
uniform float uCellsD;
uniform float uWave;
uniform float uContrast;
uniform float uSpeed;
uniform float uIntensity;
float T;
void main() {
vec2 uv = centred(gl_FragCoord.xy);
T = uTime * uSpeed;
float aspect = uResolution.x / uResolution.y;
vec2 pu = vec2((uPointer.x - 0.5) * aspect, uPointer.y - 0.5);
float cells = uCellsD * 36.0;
vec2 g = uv * cells;
// A staggered grid reads smoother than a square one.
g.x += mod(floor(g.y), 2.0) * 0.5;
vec2 id = floor(g);
vec2 f = fract(g) - 0.5;
vec2 centre = (id + 0.5 - vec2(mod(id.y, 2.0) * 0.5, 0.0)) / cells;
// The wave: two crossing swells and a slow drift of noise, with the pointer's swell on top.
float w = 0.5 + 0.5 * sin(centre.x * 3.2 * uWave + T * 0.6 + sin(centre.y * 2.0 + T * 0.3) * 1.2);
w = w * 0.6 + 0.4 * (0.5 + 0.5 * sin(centre.y * 5.0 * uWave - T * 0.5 + centre.x * 2.0));
w += 0.35 * (fbm3(centre * 2.0 + vec2(T * 0.05, 0.0)) - 0.5);
float d = length(centre - pu);
w += uHover * 0.5 * exp(-d * d * 8.0);
w = clamp(w, 0.0, 1.0);
float radius = mix(0.04, 0.46, pow(w, uContrast));
float dist = length(f);
float aa = 1.5 / (uResolution.y / cells);
float dotMask = smoothstep(radius + aa, radius - aa, dist);
vec3 col = lin(uPaperD);
col = mix(col, mix(lin(uDotA), lin(uDotB), w), dotMask);
col *= uIntensity;
col *= 1.0 - 0.2 * smoothstep(0.6, 1.2, length(uv * vec2(0.85, 1.1)));
fragColor = vec4(finish(col, gl_FragCoord.xy), 1.0);
}
`;
export const fragment = compose(SCENE);
export const PRESET_NAMES = ["ink", "cyan", "slate", "rose", "paper"] as const;
export type DotWavesPreset = (typeof PRESET_NAMES)[number];
export const presets: Record<DotWavesPreset, ScenePreset> = {
ink: {
colors: { paperD: "#070610", dotA: "#3a2a8a", dotB: "#b9a6ff" },
values: { cellsD: 1, wave: 1, contrast: 1.2, speed: 0.8, intensity: 1.1 },
},
cyan: {
colors: { paperD: "#03121a", dotA: "#0d6a8a", dotB: "#6fffe0" },
values: { cellsD: 1, wave: 1, contrast: 1.1, speed: 0.9, intensity: 1.1 },
},
slate: {
colors: { paperD: "#0e1118", dotA: "#3a4458", dotB: "#cfd6e6" },
values: { cellsD: 0.9, wave: 0.9, contrast: 1.3, speed: 0.6, intensity: 1.05 },
},
rose: {
colors: { paperD: "#14060d", dotA: "#8a1f4a", dotB: "#ffb3cf" },
values: { cellsD: 1, wave: 1.1, contrast: 1.2, speed: 0.8, intensity: 1.1 },
},
paper: {
colors: { paperD: "#f4efe6", dotA: "#c9442a", dotB: "#1b1b1b" },
values: { cellsD: 0.95, wave: 1, contrast: 1.2, speed: 0.6, intensity: 1 },
},
};
export const dotWavesPiece = createScenePiece("dot-waves", fragment);components/vibebox/dot-waves/index.tsx
/**
* VibeBox Motion · Dot Waves
* Copyright (c) 2026 VibeBox. Licensed under the VibeBox Motion Free License:
* https://motion.vibeboxph.com/license
* Use it in unlimited personal, commercial and client projects.
* Do not sell or redistribute it as a component, kit, template or builder.
*/
export { DotWaves, type DotWavesProps, type DotWavesColor, type DotWavesValue } from "./dot-waves.client";
export { PRESET_NAMES as DOT_WAVES_PRESETS, presets as dotWavesPresets, type DotWavesPreset } from "./dot-waves.shader";Props
| Prop | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| children | ReactNode | — | What sits on the scene: a heading, a call to action, a whole section. |
| preset | "ink" | "cyan" | "slate" | "rose" | "paper" | "ink" | The look: ink, cyan, slate, rose, paper. |
| colors | { paperD?: string; dotA?: string; dotB?: string } | — | Overrides single palette colours with any CSS colour: paperD (the paper), dotA (the dots where the wave is low), dotB (the dots where the wave is high). |
| speed | number | 1 | Multiplies the preset's speed; 0 holds the scene still. |
| intensity | number | 1 | Multiplies the preset's brightness, 0.5 to 1.4. |
| cellsD | number | 1 | How fine the dot grid is (0.5 to 1.8; each look sets its own). |
| wave | number | 1 | How many swells cross the frame (0.4 to 2; each look sets its own). |
| contrast | number | 1.2 | How much dot sizes differ (0.7 to 2; each look sets its own). |
| interactive | boolean | true | The pointer drops a swell in the field. |
| label | string | — | Accessible name; leave it out when the scene is only a background. |
| still | boolean | false | Hold one composed frame until false (a gallery card that plays on hover). |
| className | string | — | Merged with cn(); give it a size and a radius. |
Accessibility and motion
- Keyboard
- Not focusable; content on it keeps its own focus order.
- Screen readers
- Decorative by default; with
labelit is an image with that name. - Touch
- A finger moves the scene like the cursor does; scrolling is never blocked.
- Reduced motion
- One still frame of the field; the wave does not travel.
Edge cases and limits
- Paper is a print look and needs dark text.
- Very high
contrastmakes the small dots vanish. - Fine grids (
cellsDover 1.4) shimmer on low-resolution canvases.
Related

Flow Lines
FreeDozens of thin lines of light riding one slow wave, bunching where they cross, with a glow that follows the pointer.
Backgrounds · WebGL2

Grid Horizon
FreeA glowing grid running to a striped sun and a ridge of mountains, banked by the pointer.
Backgrounds · WebGL2

Aurora
FreeCurtains of northern light over a night sky and a mountain ridge, drawn toward the pointer.
Backgrounds · WebGL2