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Developer tools · #p5js
A practical decision guide for p5.js architecture: when to use global vs instance mode, P2D vs WEBGL renderer, and how to validate your choice with concrete benchmarks and migration checks.
Learn how p5.js preload() guarantees that images, sounds, fonts, and data are fully loaded before setup() runs, eliminating race conditions and simplifying asset‑management in creative‑coding sketches.
Global mode is fine for demos, but on real pages it pollutes the namespace and leaks animation loops. Here's why p5.js instance mode — with a worked example and cleanup pattern — is the practical default.
A step‑by‑step guide to diagnose why p5.js preload() leaves assets undefined, covering URL errors, CORS, function placement, network issues, and local file restrictions.
p5.js Instance Mode lets you run multiple independent sketches on one page without global namespace pollution. Each sketch gets its own canvas, animation loop, and event handlers — essential for React/Vue integration and dashboard-style visualizations.
Two global-mode p5.js sketches share one window.setup — and one silently wins. Instance mode gives each sketch its own scope for the price of a p. prefix.
Learn how p5.js createLoop() provides a fixed‑interval update step separate from the render loop, enabling deterministic timing for animations, audio, or simulations.
Learn how to keep a p5.js canvas filling the browser window while preserving a fixed aspect ratio using the windowResized() callback and createCanvas().
Learn how to create and use a p5.Graphics off‑screen buffer in p5.js for layered drawing, reduced redraw cost, and isolated pixel manipulation.
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