Software galaxies

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

An interactive “software galaxies” map visualizes package ecosystems like npm, Rust crates, and Homebrew as 3D starfields, where each dot is a project and proximity reflects dependency relationships. Commenters praise the aesthetic impact and WebGL performance, and note how it highlights the sheer scale and structure of modern software, but many find the 3D, motion-driven controls—especially on mobile—confusing or unusable compared with simpler 2D graphs. Others point out gaps or outdated data in some ecosystems and speculate about extensions such as timelines, richer metadata, or new datasets like Maven Central, Nix, and research papers.

Controls & UX

  • Many find navigation hard, especially on mobile: device-tilt controls feel jittery, touch selection is imprecise, and standard gestures (pinch-zoom, drag) often don’t work as expected.
  • Some enjoy the gyroscope view, describing the phone as a “window” into another world, but others dislike being forced to rotate the device (awkward on public transport, stands, disabilities).
  • Desktop controls (WASD + arrow keys) are widely reported as much better and even “fun,” though sensitivity is high when zoomed in.
  • Several users request alternative control schemes: gamepad-style, drag-to-rotate with finger, more discoverable controls, and generally more mobile-friendly design.

3D vs 2D Visualization

  • Many praise the visualization as beautiful, artistic, and “cool.”
  • Some argue a 2D version would be more practical and readable (e.g., dot size vs camera distance, easier interpretation of clusters).
  • Others defend 3D as intentionally whimsical and engaging, differentiating it from the many existing 2D code graphs.
  • Comparisons are made to earlier 3D UIs (file browsers, VR productivity tools, Doom/NetWars interfaces) that were visually striking but often impractical.

Data, Layout & Coverage

  • Distance between nodes is driven by a clustering/layout algorithm and is described as somewhat arbitrary; users note odd, tiny distant constellations and separated islands.
  • Some ecosystems appear incomplete or outdated (Go, R, Rust, Elm, Rubygems), with missing popular packages and defunct link sources (e.g., Go packages pointing to casino ads).
  • Requests for additional ecosystems: Maven Central / JVM, p2, Hackage, Nixpkgs, CPAN, Quicklisp, vcpkg, Conan, MacPorts, pkgsrc.

Use Cases & Value

  • One commenter explicitly says there is no practical use; others see limited but real value: navigation on large touchscreens, writing ecosystem guides by cluster, understanding package “neighborhoods,” and appreciating the human effort behind each dot.
  • Some treat it primarily as art and an exploratory toy rather than a production tool.

Performance & Related Work

  • Performance on low-end machines is noted as impressively smooth (suspected WebGL/particle shader).
  • Related visualizations are mentioned: Git repo visualizers, Reddit and GitHub maps, and other “software as galaxies” or “activity” animations.