🌊 Coding an Animated Plasma Effect in Roblox

📋 What You'll Learn

• How to create a grid-based visual system
• Understanding sine wave mathematics for patterns
• Animating colors over time
• Optimizing performance with update rates
• Using SurfaceGuis for 2D effects in 3D space

🎯 Step 1: Setting Up the Base Part

Download the complete file here plasma.rbxl or follow the steps below.

First, we need to create a physical part in the workspace that will display our plasma effect.

local Workspace = game:GetService("Workspace")
local RunService = game:GetService("RunService")

-- Configuration
local GRID_SIZE = 32  -- Resolution of plasma
local PLANE_SIZE = 50 -- Size in studs

-- Create the base part
local basePart = Instance.new("Part")
basePart.Name = "PlasmaPlane"
basePart.Size = Vector3.new(PLANE_SIZE, 0.5, PLANE_SIZE)
basePart.Position = Vector3.new(0, 5, 0)
basePart.Anchored = true
basePart.Material = Enum.Material.Neon
basePart.Parent = Workspace

🖼️ Step 2: Creating the SurfaceGui

A SurfaceGui allows us to display 2D interface elements on a 3D surface. This is perfect for our pixel grid.

-- Create SurfaceGui for the plasma effect
local surfaceGui = Instance.new("SurfaceGui")
surfaceGui.Face = Enum.NormalId.Top
surfaceGui.Brightness = 2
surfaceGui.LightInfluence = 0  -- Ignore lighting
surfaceGui.Parent = basePart

local frame = Instance.new("Frame")
frame.Size = UDim2.new(1, 0, 1, 0)
frame.BackgroundTransparency = 1
frame.Parent = surfaceGui

🔲 Step 3: Building the Pixel Grid

Now we'll create a grid of small Frame objects that act as individual pixels we can color.

-- Create grid of pixels
local pixels = {}
local pixelSize = 1 / GRID_SIZE

for y = 0, GRID_SIZE - 1 do
    pixels[y] = {}
    for x = 0, GRID_SIZE - 1 do
        local pixel = Instance.new("Frame")
        pixel.BorderSizePixel = 0
        pixel.Size = UDim2.new(pixelSize, 0, pixelSize, 0)
        pixel.Position = UDim2.new(x * pixelSize, 0, y * pixelSize, 0)
        pixel.Parent = frame
        pixels[y][x] = pixel
    end
end

🌊 Step 4: The Plasma Algorithm

This is where the magic happens! We use overlapping sine waves to create organic, flowing patterns.

-- Plasma generation function
local function plasma(x, y, time)
    local value = math.sin(x * 0.1 + time)
    value = value + math.sin(y * 0.1 + time * 1.3)
    value = value + math.sin((x + y) * 0.1 + time * 0.7)
    value = value + math.sin(math.sqrt(x * x + y * y) * 0.1 + time * 1.1)
    return value / 4
end

🔍 Breaking Down the Math:

• Line 1: Horizontal wave that moves right
• Line 2: Vertical wave that moves down (faster with 1.3)
• Line 3: Diagonal wave moving at a different speed
• Line 4: Circular wave radiating from center
• Return: Average all waves (divide by 4) to get value between -1 and 1

🎨 Step 5: Converting Values to Colors

Now we need to turn our plasma values (-1 to 1) into beautiful colors.

-- Convert plasma value to color
local function valueToColor(value)
    local normalized = (value + 1) / 2  -- Convert [-1,1] to [0,1]
    
    -- Create smooth color transitions
    local r = math.sin(normalized * math.pi * 2) * 0.5 + 0.5
    local g = math.sin(normalized * math.pi * 2 + 2) * 0.5 + 0.5
    local b = math.sin(normalized * math.pi * 2 + 4) * 0.5 + 0.5
    
    return Color3.new(r, g, b)
end

⚡ Step 6: The Animation Loop

Finally, we animate everything using RunService.Heartbeat, which runs every frame.

local time = 0
local UPDATE_RATE = 0.03  -- Update every 0.03 seconds
local lastUpdate = 0

RunService.Heartbeat:Connect(function(dt)
    time = time + dt
    lastUpdate = lastUpdate + dt
    
    if lastUpdate >= UPDATE_RATE then
        lastUpdate = 0
        
        for y = 0, GRID_SIZE - 1 do
            for x = 0, GRID_SIZE - 1 do
                -- Center coordinates
                local cx = x - GRID_SIZE / 2
                local cy = y - GRID_SIZE / 2
                
                -- Calculate plasma value
                local value = plasma(cx, cy, time)
                
                -- Set pixel color
                pixels[y][x].BackgroundColor3 = valueToColor(value)
            end
        end
    end
end)

🚀 How to Use Your Script

1. Open Roblox Studio
2. Insert a Script in ServerScriptService
3. Paste the complete code
4. Click Play to see your plasma effect!

🎛️ Customization Ideas

Change the Speed:

Modify the time multipliers in the plasma function:

-- Slower animation
value = value + math.sin(y * 0.1 + time * 0.5)

-- Faster animation
value = value + math.sin(y * 0.1 + time * 3.0)

Different Color Schemes:

-- Fire colors (red/orange/yellow)
local r = normalized
local g = normalized * 0.5
local b = 0

-- Ocean colors (blue/cyan/green)
local r = 0
local g = normalized * 0.7 + 0.3
local b = normalized

Larger Waves:

-- Change 0.1 to smaller values for bigger waves
local value = math.sin(x * 0.05 + time)  -- Bigger waves!

Next Roblox article:

3d particle constellations