news.volyx.in

So you think you know box shadows? (dgerrells.com)

774 points by yohannesk · 750 days ago · 117 comments on HN

Article summary

The article explores the creative possibilities of using box shadows in CSS, demonstrating how they can be layered and manipulated to create complex visuals. The author experiments with various techniques, including animating thousands of box shadows to create 3D-like effects and projecting points onto surfaces. The article also touches on performance considerations and the limitations of using box shadows. The author shares interactive examples and code snippets to illustrate their points.

Main themes

  • CSS box shadows
  • Creative coding
  • Performance optimization
  • 3D visualization
  • Interactive design

What commenters say

  • The article's examples run smoothly on various devices, including older hardware, thanks to efficient rendering and styling.
  • Some users experienced performance issues, such as freezing or slow scrolling, on certain devices or browsers, particularly Safari.
  • The use of transparent colors can significantly impact performance due to the need for specific drawing orders and blending.
  • The article's experiments with box shadows are impressive, but using such techniques in production websites could cause significant lag and performance issues.
  • The author's approach to creating 3D-like effects with box shadows is innovative and visually striking, but may not be suitable for all use cases.
  • Different browsers and devices handle the article's examples with varying degrees of success, highlighting the importance of cross-browser and cross-device testing.