Group Paint 🎨

A simple collaborative drawing application where multiple users can draw on a shared canvas in real-time.

Features

• Anonymous Login: Join with any name or stay anonymous
• Real-time Collaboration: See others' drawings instantly
• Persistent Canvas: New users see the current canvas state, not a blank canvas
• Drawing Tools: Adjustable brush size and color picker
• Draw Only Mode: No eraser - all drawings are permanent
• Mobile Support: Works on touch devices
• User List: See who's currently online

Setup & Run

1. Create Virtual Environment

python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate

2. Install Dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

3. Run the Application

python app.py

4. Access the App

Open your browser and go to:

• Local: http://localhost:5000
• Network: http://YOUR_IP:5000 (share this with your class)

Usage

1. Enter a name or leave blank to join as "Anonymous"
2. Click "Start Drawing"
3. You'll see the current canvas with all existing drawings
4. Select a color and brush size
5. Draw on the canvas - everyone sees your strokes in real-time
6. All drawings are permanent with no way to clear

Technical Stack

• Backend: Flask + Flask-SocketIO (WebSocket server)
• Frontend: HTML5 Canvas + Socket.IO client
• Real-time Sync: WebSocket protocol for instant updates

Current Status

✅ Fully functional collaborative drawing app ✅ Real-time synchronization with persistent canvas state ✅ New users see existing canvas drawings ✅ Anonymous login system ✅ Mobile-friendly interface ✅ Draw-only mode - all drawings are permanent

Preview