geometryrake

Geometryrake is a fictional geometric transformation described in puzzle design and indie games to characterize a rake-like rearrangement of planar points. It is not a standard mathematical concept, but a stylized tool used to create angular, spoke-like distortions of shapes for visual and gameplay effects.

Definition and mechanism

Geometryrake operates around a chosen center point and a set of equally spaced rays (or rake lines) emanating from that center. For each point in a shape, the transformation assigns the point to the nearest rake line by comparing the point’s angle relative to the center. In the simplest form, the radial distance to the center is preserved, and the point is projected onto that nearest ray. In a variant, the radial distance is quantized or adjusted in fixed steps, creating a lattice of rings along each ray. The result is a polygon or point set whose vertices lie on a discrete angular grid, giving a stylized, faceted silhouette.

Variants and properties

Variants include angular rake (restricting movement to angular bins), radial rake (altering distance while fixing angle), and smooth rake (interpolating between rays to reduce harsh discontinuities). The transformation is generally non-invertible, since multiple original points can map to the same rake line. It is typically non-linear and preserves some global structure (like center distance along rays) while introducing pronounced angular quantization.

Applications

Geometryrake is used primarily for artistic stylization, puzzle mechanics, and procedural content generation. It can create distinctive silhouettes for game art, stylized maps, or geometry-based puzzles where players infer original shapes from angularly raked versions.

History

The term originated in informal design discussions and has appeared in hobbyist and indie development circles as a descriptive label for this class of angular, rake-like transformations. It is not part of formal geometry literature.