Pathfinding Visualizer
Interactive visualization of A* and Dijkstra pathfinding algorithms
Demo coming soon
Overview
The pathfinding visualizer is an educational tool that helps understand how different pathfinding algorithms explore a maze. Users can draw custom mazes, set start and end points, then watch the algorithm explore the space and find the optimal path. The visualization clearly shows which cells have been explored vs. which are part of the final path.
Architecture
The application uses a React frontend for interactivity and Canvas API for high-performance rendering of the grid and pathfinding visualization. Each algorithm is implemented independently with a common interface. The state management tracks grid cells, obstacles, algorithm progress, and updates in real-time as the pathfinding algorithm executes.
Key Challenges
- •Rendering large grids smoothly at 60fps
- •Pausing and resuming algorithm execution
- •Providing clear visual feedback for algorithm progress
- •Making the UI intuitive for drawing custom mazes
What I Learned
- •Canvas API performance optimization and rendering patterns
- •Algorithm visualization techniques and presentation
- •Interactive React components with complex state management
- •UX design for algorithmic tools
Future Improvements
- •Add more algorithms (Jump Point Search, Theta*)
- •Implement bi-directional search
- •Add maze generation algorithms
- •Create preset maze templates