This is an A* Pathfinding algorithm implementation and visualization using Java and Swing. I created this personal project for fun, but I also wanted to practice building a creative GUI and implementing pathfinding algorithms and data structures. Though this project is finished for the most part, I will be adding more features and making improvements such as updating the controls GUI, adding more algorithms, trying different heuristics, and more.
A* is an optimal and complete algorithm that utilizes heuristic functions to guide its search, making it more efficient in comparison to Dijkstra's algorithm and others.
Currently, there are two GUI files: Frame.java and FrameV2.java Frame.java is a simpler GUI implementation, whereas in FrameV2, I took some creative liberties to have fun with different themes in the visualization.
- The first click on a tile sets a starting point
- The second click on a tile sets an end point
- Dragging the mouse creates walls/obstacles
- Press the Start button to begin the pathfinding.
- NOTE: the animation speed can be sped up, but was reduced for demonstration purposes
FrameV2.java contains fun themes I've added to my project. I experimented with using the animation timers to interact with the circular linked lists (containing color palettes) to create different visual effects with color patterns, gradients, and light flashes.
