Introduction
ASCII art isn't just about creating simple pictures with text—it's a versatile medium that can enhance user interfaces, add character to documentation, create engaging game elements, and more. In this guide, we'll explore innovative ways to use ASCII art in your creative projects.
UI Design Elements
Buttons and Controls
// Simple Button ┏━━━━━━┓ ┃SUBMIT┃ ┗━━━━━━┛ // Rounded Button ╭──────╮ │SELECT│ ╰──────╯ // Double-Line Button ╔══════╗ ║CANCEL║ ╚══════╝ // Block Button ▛▀▀▀▀▀▜ ▌START▐ ▙▄▄▄▄▄▟ // Basic Button ┌──────┐ │OPTION│ └──────┘ // Fancy Button ╓──────╖ ║CHOOSE║ ╙──────╜
Progress Bars
Loading: [█████░░░░░] 50%
Progress: ▰▰▰▰▱▱▱▱ 50%
Status: ════════▶ 75%
Menu Designs
╔═══════════════════╗
║ MENU ║
╠═══════════════════╣
║ 1. New Game ║
║ 2. Load Game ║
║ 3. Settings ║
║ 4. Exit ║
╚═══════════════════╝
Game Design Elements
Game Characters
╭━━━╮ Player ◓█▇▆▅▄ Enemy
┃^_^┃
╰━━━╯ ╘(<_>)╛ Boss
┌─┐
└┼┘ Simple
─┴─ Character =|==|=> Sword
Game Map Elements
░░░░░░░░░░ Ground ╔══╗ Door
▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ Wall ┣══┫ Gate
≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ Water ▲△▼▽ Mountains
♠♣♣♠♣♠♣♠♣ Forest ⌂⌂⌂⌂ Houses
Inventory/Status Bars
Health: [♥][♥][♥][♡][♡]
Mana: [⬙][⬙][⬙][⬡][⬡]
XP: [⬢][⬢][⬢][⬡][⬡]
Decorative Elements
Borders and Frames
╔══════════════════════════════╗
║ Elegant Double-Line Frame ║
╚══════════════════════════════╝
┌────────────────────────────┐
│ Simple Single Frame │
└────────────────────────────┘
▛▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▜
▌ Block Style Frame ▐
▙▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▟
Dividers and Separators
•︎ ═══════════════════════ •︎
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█▇▆▅▄▃▂▁
°°°·.°·..·°¯°·._.·°°°
Decorative Corners
╭────╮ ╭───────╮
│ │ Simple │ Fancy │
╰────╯ ╰∽∽∽∽∽∽∽╯
⌜────⌝ ╓──══──╖
│ │ Block ║ Royal║
⌞────⌟ ╙──══──╜
Advanced ASCII Art Projects
Terminal Dashboard
╔════════ System Status ═════════╗
║ CPU: [▰▰▰▱▱] 57% ║
║ RAM: [▰▰▱▱▱] 35% ║
║ DISK: [▰▰▰▰▱] 82% ║
╠════════════════════════════════╣
║ Network: ▂▃▅▇█ ║
║ Uptime: 24:00:00 ║
╚════════════════════════════════╝
Calendar View
┌──── March 2024 ────-┐
│ Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa│
│ 1 2 3 4 5 6│
│ 7 8 9 10 11 12 13│
│ 14 15 16 17 18 19 20│
│ 21 22 23 24 25 26 27│
│ 28 29 30 31 │
└────────────────────-┘
Creative Applications
- • Use in README files for project documentation
- • Create text-based user interfaces (TUI)
- • Design retro-style game elements
- • Add character to error messages
- • Create unique email signatures
- • Design command-line tool interfaces
Design Tips
- 1. Maintain consistent style within a project
- 2. Consider the display environment (terminal, web, etc.)
- 3. Test in different fonts and sizes
- 4. Keep backups of complex designs
- 5. Document character sets used for future reference