IrisBackgroundsAurora Veil
Aurora Veil
A curtain of luminous cyan reeds hanging from the top edge, surging under a dragged hand.
Aurora Veil
Tall cyan spikes hang from the top edge over a near-black ground, their lengths wandering like a slow spectrum analyser, with aqua pooling along the side edges and a wash of green where the light meets the frame.
Drag across the field and the reeds under the cursor surge downward and flare, as if a hand were drawn down the fabric. The cyan/green set lives nowhere in the token ramp, so the CSS floor carries the colour.
Install
No installation needed — self-contained, paste-in code.
Usage
Drop it straight into a page.
import { AuroraVeil } from "./AuroraVeil";
export default function Example() {
return (
// Fills its nearest positioned ancestor (it renders itself `absolute
// inset-0`) — give it a sized, relatively positioned box.
<div className="relative isolate h-[32rem] w-full overflow-hidden rounded-2xl">
<AuroraVeil />
</div>
);
}Component
The real source, exactly as it ships — multiple files, kept together.
"use client";
import { useEffect, useRef } from "react";
import { mountShaderSurface } from "@/lib/shader-surface";
/**
* A live WebGL curtain of luminous reeds — tall cyan spikes hanging from the
* top edge over a near-black ground, their lengths wandering like a slow
* spectrum analyser, with aqua pooling along the side edges and a wash of
* green where the light meets the frame. The pointer is real: drag across
* the field and the reeds under the cursor surge downward and flare, as if a
* hand were drawn down the fabric.
*
* Drop it into any `position: relative`/`isolate` parent — it fills the box.
* Built on `lib/shader-surface.ts`, so every degradation path is already
* handled: no WebGL, a blocked or lost context, a hidden tab, or
* `prefers-reduced-motion` all leave the CSS `.iris-veilfield__floor`
* underneath visible (a still composed frame in the same palette, never a
* blank box).
*
* Like `TileField` (and unlike `SilkField`), the palette is a fixed
* cyan/green set passed as uniforms rather than read from the token ramp —
* these hues live nowhere in the token set, so the CSS floor is the
* degradation fallback instead of a live token read.
*
* Reading guard: when `guardSelector` resolves to an element, the field
* measures that block every frame and clamps its own luminance under a
* ceiling inside that region (hue and saturation untouched), so copy laid
* over the field holds WCAG AA with no overlay layer. `null` (the default)
* turns the guard off — for decorative use where nothing sits on top.
*/
/* Palette, sRGB 0–1. Uniforms, not tokens — see the note above. */
const PALETTE: Record<string, [number, number, number]> = {
u_deep: [0.019, 0.031, 0.048],
u_aqua: [0.243, 0.855, 0.933],
u_pale: [0.741, 0.933, 0.98],
u_moss: [0.404, 0.851, 0.541],
};
const FRAG = `
uniform vec2 u_res;
uniform float u_time;
uniform float u_scale;
uniform vec3 u_pointer; /* x, y (0 bottom .. 1 top), presence 0..1 */
uniform vec3 u_deep; /* the near-black ground behind the veil */
uniform vec3 u_aqua; /* the cyan the reeds are lit in */
uniform vec3 u_pale; /* pale blue-white, the hot core toward the top */
uniform vec3 u_moss; /* the green that pools along the side edges */
/* Reading region for the contrast guard: xy = centre (uv, y up),
zw = half-extent. Measured from the live copy block every frame.
u_guard is 0 when the guard is off. */
uniform vec4 u_readA;
uniform float u_guard;
/* 1 for the default cyan/green pooling at the left and right edges, 0 to
keep the ground flat there — for placements that already sit on their
own edge treatment and don't need the veil's. */
uniform float u_edgeGlow;
/* How many luminous reeds span the width. One line to retune density. */
const float REEDS = 40.0;
void main() {
vec2 res = u_res / u_scale;
vec2 uv = gl_FragCoord.xy / u_scale / res; /* 0..1, y up */
float aspect = res.x / res.y;
/* ---- per-reed frame --------------------------------------------- */
float slot = uv.x * REEDS;
float cid = floor(slot);
float within = fract(slot) - 0.5; /* -0.5..0.5 across one reed */
/* the whole curtain leans and breathes, slowly */
float sway = fbm(vec2(cid * 0.16, u_time * 0.045));
within += sway * 0.16;
float r1 = dotHash(vec2(cid, 3.0));
float r2 = dotHash(vec2(cid, 17.0));
/* the pointer works on the column, not a point: reeds under the cursor
surge downward and flare, like a hand drawn down the fabric */
float colDist = abs(uv.x - u_pointer.x);
float near = u_pointer.z * exp(-colDist * colDist * 30.0);
/* spike tip: hangs from the top edge, its length wandering like a slow
spectrum analyser; the cursor pulls the nearest tips further down */
float beat = fbm(vec2(cid * 0.55, u_time * 0.24 + r1 * 12.0));
float tipY = 0.36 + 0.50 * (0.5 + 0.5 * beat);
tipY -= near * 0.40;
/* bright from the top edge down to the tip, pointed at the tip: the reed
narrows as it descends, so the bottom is a fine luminous needle and the
gaps between reeds stay black */
float taper = smoothstep(1.02, tipY - 0.10, uv.y); /* 1 at top .. 0 at tip */
float halfW = mix(0.055, 0.20, taper) * (0.8 + 0.5 * r2 + near * 0.7);
float reed = smoothstep(halfW, halfW * 0.18, abs(within));
float body = smoothstep(tipY - 0.02, tipY + 0.18, uv.y);
float spike = reed * body;
/* a faint full-height thread so the lower field keeps its vertical grain */
float thread = smoothstep(0.055, 0.010, abs(within))
* (0.04 + 0.09 * r2)
* smoothstep(-0.05, 0.5, uv.y);
/* ---- ground + edges -------------------------------------------- */
float edgeX = abs(uv.x - 0.5) * 2.0; /* 0 centre .. 1 edge */
float edgeGlow = smoothstep(0.48, 1.0, edgeX);
float midBand = smoothstep(0.05, 0.42, uv.y) * smoothstep(0.95, 0.45, uv.y);
vec3 col = u_deep;
col = mix(col, u_aqua * 0.5, edgeGlow * 0.72 * u_edgeGlow);
col = mix(col, u_moss, edgeGlow * midBand * 0.6 * u_edgeGlow);
col = mix(col, u_pale, smoothstep(0.84, 1.0, edgeX) * 0.62 * u_edgeGlow);
/* ---- the veil ------------------------------------------------- */
vec3 spikeCol = mix(u_aqua, u_pale, smoothstep(0.70, 1.04, uv.y) * 0.55);
col += spikeCol * spike * (0.85 + 0.45 * r1);
col += u_aqua * thread;
/* pointer bloom: the touched reeds go hot, plus a soft aqua wash */
col += u_pale * spike * near * 1.15;
vec2 P = (uv - 0.5) * vec2(aspect, 1.0);
vec2 ptr = (u_pointer.xy - 0.5) * vec2(aspect, 1.0);
col += u_aqua * u_pointer.z * exp(-dot(P - ptr, P - ptr) * 16.0) * 0.24;
/* vertical vignette — the field is brightest through the reeds and settles
toward a deep base, but never all the way to black, so it still reads at
a short landscape crop (the marquee card) as well as a tall one */
col *= 0.52 + 0.44 * smoothstep(0.04, 0.94, uv.y) + 0.05 * smoothstep(0.2, 0.0, uv.y);
col = max(col, 0.0);
/* ---- the reading guard (see TileField for the full rationale) - */
vec2 rd = abs(uv - u_readA.xy) / max(u_readA.zw, vec2(0.02));
float m = mix(max(rd.x, rd.y), length(rd), 0.4);
float guardBand = 1.0 - smoothstep(0.72, 2.1, m);
col = mix(col, holdUnder(col, 0.09), guardBand * u_guard);
col += (bayer8(gl_FragCoord.xy) - 0.5) * (2.2 / 255.0);
gl_FragColor = vec4(col, 1.0);
}
`;
export interface AuroraVeilProps {
className?: string;
/**
* CSS selector for the block the reading guard should keep readable,
* resolved within the nearest `.iris-hero` (falling back to the
* document). `null` (the default) turns the guard off.
*/
guardSelector?: string | null;
/**
* The cyan/green pooling along the left and right edges. On by default;
* set `false` where the field already sits inside another edge treatment
* and the veil's own pooling would just double up on it.
*/
edgeGlow?: boolean;
}
export function AuroraVeil({
className,
guardSelector = null,
edgeGlow = true,
}: AuroraVeilProps) {
const canvasRef = useRef<HTMLCanvasElement>(null);
useEffect(() => {
const canvas = canvasRef.current;
if (!canvas) return;
const guardOn = guardSelector != null;
/* The block the reading guard protects. Looked up once, lazily. */
let guardEl: Element | null | undefined;
const readGuardEl = () => {
if (guardEl === undefined) {
guardEl = guardOn
? (canvas.closest(".iris-hero") ?? document).querySelector(
guardSelector as string
)
: null;
}
return guardEl;
};
return mountShaderSurface(canvas, {
fragment: FRAG,
uniforms: [...Object.keys(PALETTE), "u_readA", "u_guard", "u_edgeGlow"],
onInit: (gl, u) => {
for (const name of Object.keys(PALETTE)) {
if (u[name]) gl.uniform3fv(u[name], PALETTE[name]);
}
if (u.u_readA) gl.uniform4f(u.u_readA, 0.5, 0.5, 0.44, 0.32);
if (u.u_guard) gl.uniform1f(u.u_guard, guardOn ? 1 : 0);
if (u.u_edgeGlow) gl.uniform1f(u.u_edgeGlow, edgeGlow ? 1 : 0);
},
onFrame: (gl, u, s) => {
if (!guardOn || !u.u_readA) return;
let cx = 0.5, cy = 0.5, hw = 0.44, hh = 0.32;
const el = readGuardEl();
const { rect } = s;
if (el && rect.width > 0 && rect.height > 0) {
const r = el.getBoundingClientRect();
const padX = rect.width * 0.09;
const padY = rect.height * 0.11;
cx = (r.left + r.width / 2 - rect.left) / rect.width;
cy = 1 - (r.top + r.height / 2 - rect.top) / rect.height;
hw = (r.width / 2 + padX) / rect.width;
hh = (r.height / 2 + padY) / rect.height;
}
gl.uniform4f(u.u_readA, cx, cy, hw, hh);
},
onPainted: () => canvas.setAttribute("data-shader", "on"),
/* No onIdle — same contract as SilkField: once painted, the last frame
stays on screen while the surface is parked off-view, so scrolling
away and back does not crossfade to the static floor. A lost context
still clears it below. */
onLost: () => canvas.removeAttribute("data-shader"),
maxPixels: 2_200_000,
dprCap: 1.5,
});
}, [guardSelector, edgeGlow]);
return (
<div
className={`absolute inset-0 overflow-hidden${className ? ` ${className}` : ""}`}
aria-hidden="true"
>
<div className="absolute inset-0 [background:radial-gradient(_62%_96%_at_0%_50%,oklch(0.9_0.13_202)_0%,transparent_60%_),radial-gradient(_62%_96%_at_100%_50%,oklch(0.9_0.13_202)_0%,transparent_60%_),radial-gradient(_38%_48%_at_0%_58%,oklch(0.84_0.17_152)_0%,transparent_72%_),radial-gradient(_38%_48%_at_100%_58%,oklch(0.84_0.17_152)_0%,transparent_72%_),radial-gradient(_96%_78%_at_50%_40%,oklch(0.11_0.03_235)_0%,transparent_76%_),oklch(0.12_0.03_235)] after:content-[''] after:absolute after:inset-0 after:[background:repeating-linear-gradient(_90deg,transparent_0_17px,oklch(0.86_0.13_202_/_0.26)_17px_19px_)] after:[-webkit-mask-image:linear-gradient(_180deg,#000_0_6%,oklch(0_0_0_/_0.3)_52%,transparent_90%_)] after:[mask-image:linear-gradient(_180deg,#000_0_6%,oklch(0_0_0_/_0.3)_52%,transparent_90%_)] [.iris-cta\_\_bg_&]:[background:radial-gradient(96%_78%_at_50%_40%,oklch(0.11_0.03_235)_0%,transparent_76%),oklch(0.12_0.03_235)]" />
<canvas ref={canvasRef} className="absolute inset-0 w-full h-full opacity-0 transition-opacity duration-[--duration-slow] ease-[--ease-standard] data-[shader=on]:opacity-100" />
</div>
);
}Custom work
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