Datamosh effect for images and motion
Datamosh reuses the previous frame block by block. Each square macroblock pulls its content from where it was a moment ago along a motion vector, so the picture keeps smearing through its own past instead of refreshing, like a video stream that lost its keyframes.
Drift, Swirl, and Turbulence supply motion for still images, so a single photograph blooms into blocky trails during playback. Estimated measures motion between frames of moving input instead. Keyframe interval periodically snaps the image back to clean before it starts smearing again.
Creative applications
- Turn a still portrait or poster into a looping, melting motion piece.
- Add compression-style block smearing to a music visual or title card.
- Build a clean-to-moshed rhythm by timing keyframes against the edit.
Starting workflow
- Open the demo, choose a PNG, JPG, or WebP, and add Datamosh. Press play: the effect builds over time and needs playback to move.
- Pick a Motion field. Turbulence gives organic blooms, Swirl twists around the center, and Drift pushes blocks along Drift angle.
- Raise Strength for faster smearing and Block size for chunkier macroblocks, then set Keyframe interval to decide how long each smear lasts before resetting.
Key controls
- Motion
Choose the motion field. Estimated follows real movement between frames; on a still image it stays nearly clean.
Default: Turbulence · Choices: Drift, Swirl, Turbulence, Estimated
- Strength
Increase how far blocks travel each second. For Estimated, the default reproduces measured motion one to one.
Default: 0.12 · Range: 0 to 0.5
- Block size
Enlarge the macroblocks for coarser, more obviously digital smears.
Default: 3.5% · Range: 1% to 12%
- Drift angle
Set the direction blocks travel when Motion is Drift.
Default: 20deg · Range: 0deg to 360deg
- Keyframe interval
Set how many seconds pass between clean keyframes. Zero never refreshes, so the smear keeps building.
Default: 4s · Range: 0s to 10s
- Residual
Let a little of the current image bleed back in each frame so the smear stays readable.
Default: 3% · Range: 0% to 50%
- Evolution
Change how quickly the Turbulence field shifts over time.
Default: 0.25Hz · Range: 0Hz to 2Hz
Practical tips
- Datamosh accumulates during playback. Scrub or reset to restart from a clean frame.
- Keep Residual low for long trails; raise it when the subject should stay recognizable.
- Stack RGB Split or Macroblock after Datamosh for a harsher compressed-video look.
Limitations
- The effect needs playback: a paused first frame shows the clean image.
- Estimated motion uses coarse block matching between the previous and current frame, not dense optical flow, and it does not decode or corrupt video files.
