Siticone Fluid Canvas

The SiticoneFluidCanvas is a high-performance, GPU-accelerated visualization control designed to render complex particle systems, fluid simulations, and interactive backgrounds. It simulates physics properties like gravity, viscosity, and turbulence to create organic, flowing visuals suitable for modern dashboard backgrounds, splash screens, or interactive data visualizations.

Visualization Styles

Control the fundamental visual behavior of the particle system.

Property	Type	Description
`VisualizationStyle`	Enum	Determines the rendering mode: `Liquid`: Smooth, connected particles with trails. `Plasma`: High-intensity glowing cores with additive blending. `Particles`: Discrete, simple geometry for high performance. `Nebula`: Soft, large gaseous clouds with deep glow. `Electric`: Jagged, arcing connections between points. `Organic`: Web-like structures that connect nearby nodes.
`AnimationPreset`	Enum	Pre-configured physics sets: `Calm`, `Energetic`, `Chaotic`, `Rhythmic`, `Breathing`, `Flowing`.
`ColorBlendMode`	Enum	Controls how overlapping particles mix colors (e.g., `Additive` for glowing lights, `Multiply` for ink effects).

Physics & Particles

Fine-tune the simulation engine to create everything from thick oil to airy smoke.

Property	Type	Description & Usage Example
`Gravity`	PointF	fluid.Gravity = new PointF(0, 9.8f); Constant force applied to all particles. X=Horizontal, Y=Vertical.
`Viscosity`	float	fluid.Viscosity = 0.05f; Resistance to flow. Higher values make the fluid appear thicker (like honey).
`Turbulence`	float	fluid.Turbulence = 0.2f; Amount of random chaotic movement added to particles.
`MaxParticles`	int	fluid.MaxParticles = 500; Limit on active particles. Higher values look better but cost CPU/GPU.
`EmissionRate`	float	fluid.EmissionRate = 20f; Number of new particles spawned per second.

User Interaction

Configure how the fluid reacts to the mouse cursor.

Property	Type	Description & Usage Example
`EnableMouseInteraction`	bool	fluid.EnableMouseInteraction = true;
`InteractionMode`	Enum	Defines the force applied by the cursor: `Attract`: Pulls particles toward mouse. `Repel`: Pushes particles away (Force Field). `Ripple`: Creates water-like waves on click. `Vortex`: Spins particles around the cursor.
`InteractionRadius`	float	fluid.InteractionRadius = 100f; Distance in pixels where the mouse force is effective.
`InteractionStrength`	float	fluid.InteractionStrength = 50f; Magnitude of the force applied.

Methods

Programmatic control to trigger effects or modify the simulation.

CreateExplosion(PointF, float)

// Triggers a particle burst at a specific location.
// Useful for click feedback or game effects.
var center = new PointF(this.Width / 2, this.Height / 2);
fluidCanvas1.CreateExplosion(center, 150.0f);

AddForceField(PointF, Type, Strength, Radius)

// Adds a persistent force field to the simulation.
// Example: A black hole in the center of the screen.
fluidCanvas1.AddForceField(
                new PointF(100, 100), 
                FluidInteractionMode.Attract, 
    80.0f, // Strength
    200.0f // Radius
);

ClearAllParticles()

// Instantly removes all active particles and ripples.
fluidCanvas1.ClearAllParticles();

Events

Event	Description
`FluidInteraction`	Fired when the user interacts with the fluid (mouse move/click). Contains data about position and affected particles.
`ParticleCreated`	Fired when a new particle spawns. Useful for syncing external audio/visuals.
`RippleCreated`	Fired when a ripple effect is triggered.

Detailed Usage Examples

Example 1: Interactive Background

Setup for a login screen background with a calming "Nebula" effect that reacts to the mouse.

C# - Nebula Background

public void SetupLoginBackground()
{
    fluidCanvas1.Dock = DockStyle.Fill;
    
                // Style
    fluidCanvas1.VisualizationStyle = FluidVisualizationStyle.Nebula;
    fluidCanvas1.AnimationPreset = FluidAnimationPreset.Breathing;
    
                // Colors
    fluidCanvas1.PrimaryFluidColor = Color.FromArgb(100, 100, 200, 255); // Transparent Blue
    fluidCanvas1.SecondaryFluidColor = Color.FromArgb(80, 200, 100, 255); // Purple tint
    fluidCanvas1.BackgroundGradientStart = Color.FromArgb(10, 10, 30);
    fluidCanvas1.BackgroundGradientEnd = Color.Black;
    
                // Interaction
    fluidCanvas1.EnableMouseInteraction = true;
    fluidCanvas1.InteractionMode = FluidInteractionMode.Repel; // Push smoke away
    fluidCanvas1.InteractionRadius = 150f;
    
                // Physics
    fluidCanvas1.Viscosity = 0.05f; // Slower movement
    fluidCanvas1.EnableGlow = true;
}

Example 2: Electric Storm Effect

Creates a high-energy "Electric" visualization with rapid movement and additive color blending.

C# - Electric Storm

private void ActivateStormMode()
{
    fluidCanvas1.VisualizationStyle = FluidVisualizationStyle.Electric;
    fluidCanvas1.ColorBlendMode = FluidColorBlendMode.Additive;
    
                // High Energy Settings
    fluidCanvas1.MaxParticles = 400;
    fluidCanvas1.ParticleSpeed = 100f;
    fluidCanvas1.Turbulence = 0.5f;
    fluidCanvas1.TrailLength = 15;
    
                // Interaction
    fluidCanvas1.InteractionMode = FluidInteractionMode.Attract;
    fluidCanvas1.InteractionStrength = 200f;
    
                // Colors
    fluidCanvas1.PrimaryFluidColor = Color.Cyan;
    fluidCanvas1.SecondaryFluidColor = Color.White;
}

Example 3: Dynamic Interaction Handling

Using the FluidInteraction event to trigger sound effects or UI changes.

C# - Event Handling

private void fluidCanvas1_FluidInteraction(object sender, FluidInteractionEventArgs e)
{
                // Only trigger if particles were actually affected
                if (e.AffectedParticles > 5)
    {
                // Example: Play a sound based on interaction intensity
                if (e.InteractionType == FluidInteractionMode.Ripple)
        {
                SoundPlayer player = new SoundPlayer("splash.wav");
            player.Play();
        }
        
                Console.WriteLine($"Interaction at {e.Position} hit {e.AffectedParticles} particles.");
    }
}

Example 4: Performance Optimization

Automatically adjusting quality settings for lower-end devices.

C# - Performance Mode

public void OptimizeForLowSpec()
{
                // Enable the built-in performance mode
    fluidCanvas1.EnablePerformanceMode = true;
    
                // Manual overrides for maximum FPS
    fluidCanvas1.MaxParticles = 100;       // Limit count
    fluidCanvas1.EnableGlow = false;       // Disable expensive glow
    fluidCanvas1.EnableParticleTrails = false; // Disable trail rendering
    fluidCanvas1.RenderQuality = 1;        // Low quality (High performance)
    fluidCanvas1.FrameRate = 30;           // Cap at 30 FPS
}