Original Usenet thread from alt.ascii-art, started 4 Sep 2001.
_ _ _ _ _ _ | | | |___ ___ _ __ ___| |_ / \ _ __ ___| |__ (_)_ _____ | | | / __|/ _ \ '_ \ / _ \ __| / _ \ | '__/ __| '_ \| \ \ / / _ \ | |_| \__ \ __/ | | | __/ |_ / ___ \| | | (__| | | | |\ V / __/ \___/|___/\___|_| |_|\___|\__| /_/ \_\_| \___|_| |_|_| \_/ \___|
How to draw ASCII shapes - Tutorial
alt.ascii-art
· 1 message · 4 Sep 2001
[Lines]
Lines in general are made by putting characters with different "height"
next to each other in a way that simulates a line.
Most characters suitable for creating a line fall in 4 heightcategories.
For some heights there are a choice between different characters.
It's important to choose a character for your height with a form and
position that seems to match the line.
Suitable characters are :
High : ` ' "
Middle : - =
Low : . ,
Bottom : _
You might think that ~ would be a good character too, but since ~ can
be displayed very differently from system to system it is best not to
use it when drawing lines
Some of theese are best for lines slanting ..
.. right :
_,.-'"
and some for slanting ..
.. left :
"`-._
And then there are / and \ and | .. all characters which forms restrict
their usability to lines to closely resembles their shape.
The best characthers are entirely a personal preference.
Here are some different types of lines.. which do you like the best ?
| | / .' .-' _.-'
| .' / .' .-' _.-'
| | / .' .-' _.-' __..--""
| .' / .' .-' _.-' __..--""
| | / .' .-' .-' __..--"" _______________
| | / ,' _,' _,-'
| ,' / ,' _,' _,-'
| | / ,' _,' _,-' __..--'"
| ,' / ,' _,' _,-' __..--'"
| | / ,' ,' ,-' __..--'" _______________
| | ; ," ,-" _.-"
| ; ; ," ,-" _.-"
| | ; ," ,-" _.-" __..--'"
| ; ; ," ,-" _.-" __..--'"
| | ; ," ,-" .-" __..--'" _______________
Here are some people's favourite linestyles :
3/1 2/1 1/1 2/3 1/2
| | / / .' .'
| | | / / .'
| / / / .' .' 1/3
| | | / / .' .-'
| | / / .' .' .-'
| / | / / .' .-' 1/4
| | / / .' .' .-' _.-'
| | | / / .' .-' _.-' 1/5
| / / / .' .' .-' _.-' _.--'
| | | / / .' .-' _.-' _.--' 1/6
| | / / .' .' .-' _.-' _.--' __.--' 1/7
| | | / / .' .-' _.-' _.--' __.--' __..--'
_.-' _.--' __.--' __..--' 1/8
_.--' __.--' __..--' __..--''
__.--' __..--' __..--''
__..--' __..--''
__..--''
[VK] -------------------------- 0
6/1 3/1 2/1 1/1 2/3 1/2
| J J J / .' .'
| J | F / / .'
| | F J / .' .' 1/3
| | J F / / .' .-'
| F | J / .' .' .-'
| F F F / / .' .-' 1/4
| J J J / .' .' .-' _.-'
| J | F / / .' .-' _.-' 1/5
| | F J / .' .' .-' _.-' _.--'
| | J F / / .' .-' _.-' _.--' 1/6
| F | J / .' .' .-' _.-' _.--' __.--' 1/7
| F F F / / .' .-' _.-' _.--' __.--' __..--'
_.-' _.--' __.--' __..--' 1/8
_.--' __.--' __..--' __..--''
__.--' __..--' __..--''
__..--' __..--''
__..--''
[HS] -------------------------- 0
...and if the line slopes the other way use L instead of F.
2\1 3\2 1\1 1\2 1\3 12infinity
`. `. \ \ | |
`. \ \ | | |
3\1 `. `. \ \ \ |
`-. `. \ \ | | |
`-. `. `. \ \ | |
4\1 `-. `. \ \ | \ |
`-._ `-. `. `. \ \ | |
5\1 `-._ `-. `. \ \ | | |
`--._ `-._ `-. `. `. \ \ \ |
6\1 `--._ `-._ `-. `. \ \ | ||
7\1 `--.__ `--._ `-._ `-. `. `. \ \ ||
`--..__ `--.__ `--._ `-._ `-. `. \ \ | ||
8\1 `--..__ `--.__ `--._ `-._ _=_
``--..__ `--..__ `--.__ `--._ q(-_-)p
``--..__ `--..__ `--.__ '_) (_`
``--..__ `--..__ /__/ \
``--..__ _(<_ _/)_
infinity21 ----------------------- (__\_\_|_/__) [mic]
[Sun of directions]
My "Sun of directions"
It show my (CeeJay) favourite linestyles
The first number is the change in the X value.
The second number is the change in the Y value.
Note that the lines in the upper half of the sun
differs from the ones in the lower half.
I prefer the ones in the upper half but there are
different lines for different occasions.
1/3 | 1/3
1/2 | | | 1/2
1/1 | | | | | 1/1
3/2 \ `. `. | ,' ,' / 3/2
2/1 \ \ | | | | | / / 2/1
. `. \ `. | | | ,' / ,' ,
3/1 `. \ \ | `. | ,' | / / ," 3/1
. `. `. \ `. | | | ,' / ,' ," ,
4/1 `-. `. \ \ | | | | | / / ," ,-" 4/1
-._ `-. `. `. \ `. `.|,' ,' / ,' ," ,-" _.-
5/1 `-._ `-. `. \ \ | ||| | / / ," ,-" _.-" 5/1
`--._ `-._ `-. `. `. \ `. ||| ,' / ,' ," ,-" _.-" _.--"
6/1.__ `--._ `-._ `-. `. \ / ," ,-" _.-" _.--" __.6/1
`--.__ `--._ `-._` _____ "_.-" _.--" __.--"
7/1 `--..__ `--.__ `--._ .-' `-. _.--" __.--" __..--" 7/1
--..__ `--..__ `--.__ ,' `. __.--" __..--" __..--
8/1 ``--..__ `--..__ / _ _ \ __..--" __..--'" 8/1
``--..__ ; (_) (_) : __..--'"
----------------------- | | ------------------------
..--''"" : | | ; ""``--..
8/1 ..--''"" .--''"" \ `.___.' / ""``--. ""``--.. 8/1
--''"" .--''"" .--'"" `. ,' ""`--. ""``--. ""``--
7/1 .--''"" .--'"" ,--' `-._____.-' CJ ``--. ""`--. ""``--. 7/1
.--'"" ,--'" _,-". . `-._ ``--. ""`--.
6/1'"" ,--'" _,-" .-' ,' / \ `. `-. `-._ ``--. ""`6/1
,--'" _,-" .-' ,' .' / .' ||| `. \ `. `. `-. `-._ ``--.
5/1" _,-" .-' ,' / / | ||| | \ \ `. `-. `-._ 5/1
,-" .-' ,' .' / .' .'|`. `. \ `. `. `-. `-.
4/1 .-' ,' / / | | | | | \ \ `. `-. 4/1
' ,' .' / .' | | | `. \ `. `. `
3/1 ,' / / | .' | `. | \ \ `. 3/1
' .' / .' | | | `. \ `. `
2/1 / / | | | | | \ \ 2/1
3/2 / .' .' | `. `. \ 3/2
1/1 | | | | | 1/1
1/2 | | | 1/2
1/3 | 1/3
[Special purpose lines & steps]
,8 ;" _| ,;' .oO |
,8' ;" _| ,;' .o0008 __|
,8' ;" _| ,;' .o0008888 |
,8' ;" | ,;' .o0008888888 |
98b 080 d8P .o0P'
98b 080 d8P .oOP'
98b 080 d8P .o0P'
98b 080 d8P .o0P'
98b 080 d8P .o0P'
_|| _(
_||" _(
_||" _(
||" (
[Circular shapes]
_____ __
.-' `-. ,dP""Yb,
,' `. ,d" "b,
/ \ d' _ `Y,
__ ; : 8 8 `b
__ ,'" "`. | | `b,_,aP P
__ ,' `. / \ : ; """" d'
,' `. : | | | \ / ,P"
_ | | | ; \ / `. ,' a,.__,aP"
. o (_) `.__.' `.__.' `.____.' `-._____.-' `"""''
_______
.-'"" ""`-.
.-' `-.
,' `.
,' `.
/ \
/ \
; :
: :
| |
: :
: ;
\ /
\ /
`. ,'
`. ,'
`-. ,-'
`-.,,_______,,.-'
( An example of what you can achive by using
curves from ever smaller/bigger circles - A spiral )
_______
.-'"" ""`-.
.-" `-.
," `.
," `.
/ \
/ \
; _ :
: ,'" "`. ;
| ( , \ |
; `' | ;
\ /
`. ,"
`-.,_____,.-"
( .. and in this case a seashell)
_______
.-'"" ""`-.
.-" `-.
," `.
," `.
/ \
/ \
; _ :
: ,'" "`. :
| ( , \ |
; `' | |
\ / |
`. ," :
`-.,_____,.-" ;
,' `. /
/ \ /
; : /
| | /
| | ,"
| | ,"
: : ,-"
\ / _,-"
`. ," _.--" CJ
`""---'"
[Sentence drawing] - ( Drawing with characters aligned so they actually spell
something! )
ught i
ca n
m a
' ... t
I . . i
! m
! ! e
p !pool
l
e
h
[Geometric figures]
( Mirrored cubes )
|
_______ | _______
/\ \ | / /\
/ \ \ | / / \
/ \______\ | /______/ \
/ / / | \ \ \
\ / / | \ \ /
\ / / | \ \ /
\/______/ | \______\/
_________________|___________________
_______ | _______
/\ \ | / /\
/ \ \ | / / \
/ \ \ | / / \
\ \______\ | /______/ /
\ / / | \ \ /
\ / / | \ \ /
\/______/ | \______\/
|
| CJ
(Pyramid)
___________________________
/\__\/\__\/\__\/\__\/\__\\\\\
\/\__\/\__\/\__\/\__\/__/_\\\\
\/\__\/\__\/\__\/\__\__\__\\\\
\/\__\/\__\/\__\/__/__/__/_\\\
\/\__\/\__\/\__\__\__\__\__\\\
\/\__\/\__\/__/__/__/__/__/_\\
\/\__\/\__\__\__\__\__\__\__\\
\/\__\/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/_\
\/\__\__\__\__\__\__\__\__\__\
CJ \/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/
If you keep at it long enough you can create
some pretty amazing and sometimes confusing stuff.
( Two very similar drawings with very different
illusions of depth )
_________
/ ___ /\
/ /__/\ / \
/ \__\/ / ___\
/________/ /__/\\
\ ___ \ \__\//
\ /__/\ \ /
\ \__\/ \ /
\________\/
_________
/ ___ /\
/ /\__\ / \
/ \/__/ / ___\
/________/ /\__\\
\ ___ \ \/__//
\ /\__\ \ /
\ \/__/ \ /
\________\/
And sometimes ... REALLY confusing stuff.
Here f.x is a Escher-style geometric form ..
Dont look too long trying to figure it out.
It's an impossible form .. it cannot not exist in RealLife(tm)
______________
/\ __________ \
/ \ \______ /\ \
/ /\ \ \ / / \ \
/ / /\ \ \ / / /\ \ \
/ / / \ \ \/ / / \ \ \
/ / / \ \ \/_/____\_\ \
/ / / \ \____________ \
/ / /______/_\ ___________ /
\ \ _________/ / / / /
\ \ \_______ \ \ / / /
\ \ \ / / /\ \ \ / / /
\ \ / / / \ \ \ / / /
\ V / /____\_\ / / /
\ / /_________\/ /
\______________/ lgbeard/KPB/ap
Another variation .. an endless staircase
"Slinky Heaven" _______
by CeeJay _\|/_____/\ \
______=/\= \ \ ____\__
/\ =\ \ \ \/\ \
/ \ = \ \______\/ \ ____\__
/ \______\/ / \/\ \
/ / _____/_ / / \ ____\__
/ / /\ \ / / ___\/\_ \
/ / / \ \ / __/__\_ \ \
\ / / \______\____\_ \ \_____\
\ / / / _____/_ \ \_____\ /
\/_/ / /\ \ \_____\ / /
/ / / \ \_____\ / / /
/ / / \______\ / / / /
\ / / / / / / / /
\ / / / / / / / /
\/_/ / / / / / /
/ / / / / /___/CJ
/ / / / /___/
\ / / /___/
\ / /___/
\/______/
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