Insights from the The Coding Train episode “What the font?!?!”, published March 30, 2026.
In "What the font?!?!" (The Coding Train, March 2026), daniel Shiffman demonstrates how p5.js 2.0 evolves typography from flat text into fully extrudable 3D geometry. This update introduces native support for variable fonts and contour data, streamlining the creation of complex generative text effects directly in the…
In "What the font?!?!", A modern font format that allows multiple variations (like weight, width, and slant) to be stored in a single file. In this episode, it matters because it enables the `textWeight` function to dynamically change font thickness via code. This implies that designers can create fluid, responsive…
In "What the font?!?!", The use of `async` and `await` keywords to load fonts directly from URLs without blocking the rest of the script. This matters because it simplifies the workflow of using web fonts, such as those from Google Fonts. For the listener, it means cleaner code and fewer steps in the HTML setup.
In "What the font?!?!", A function that extracts the vector path data of a font as a series of points and nested arrays. It matters here because it provides the mathematical foundation for tracing letterforms for animation or particle systems. It changes the listener's workflow by providing an 'angle' property for…
Daniel Shiffman demonstrates how p5.js 2.0 evolves typography from flat text into fully extrudable 3D geometry. This update introduces native support for variable fonts and contour data, streamlining the creation of complex generative text effects directly in the script.
Topics: p5js, GenerativeArt, CreativeCoding
