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Powers-of-ten ruler
A horizontal ruler of powers of ten that slides under a fixed cursor, with named references that pass by, for sizes and distances spanning decades.
- Version
- 1.0.0
- Added
- 23 October 2026
- Films
- Not used in a film yet
Parameters
| Name | Type | Default | Range | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| value (Can change over time) | number | 12000 | 1e-24 to 1000000000000 | the value under the cursor, in the unit (over 0); give a follower of the counter, (v) => v, to slide with the filmCan change over time |
| unit | text | m | – to 12 | the unit written after the value and on the decades (m, g, s, J, W ...); empty for none |
| references | text | 1.7 You; 30 Blue whale; 8849 Everest; 384400000 The Moon | – to 200 | named references: a value then a name, separated by semicolons (up to 8) |
| label | text | DISTANCE | – to 40 | a word over the value; empty for none |
| labels | choice | auto | auto, powers, numbers, prefixed | the decades: auto, 10³ (powers), 1,000 (numbers) or 1 km (prefixed, with the unit) |
| minor | choice | twofive | twofive, all, none | minor ticks between the decades: at 2 and 5, at every digit, or none |
| decimals | integer | 1 | 0 to 4 | up to this many decimal places of the value (trailing zeros dropped) |
| format | choice | grouped | grouped, plain, compact, scientific | how numbers are written: 12,500 / 12500 / 12.5k / 1.25×10⁴ |
| decade | number | 0.25 | 0.12 to 0.7 | the length of one power of ten, a share of the frame’s height |
| width | number | 0.6 | 0.3 to 1 | the ruler’s width, a share of the frame’s width, centred on the cursor |
| at | vec2 | 0.5, 0.86 | 0 to 1 | the cursor and the ruler line: across and down the frame |
| size | number | 0.028 | 0.015 to 0.06 | the height of its words and numbers, a share of the frame’s height |
| ink | color | #f3f0e8 | – | ticks, words and numbers |
| accent | color | #4fb8e8 | – | the live value and what has been reached |
| font | choice | sans | sans, serif, mono | the face of its words and numbers |
| backing | number | 0.35 | 0 to 1 | how dark the soft panel behind it is; 0 for none |
| reveal | number | 0.8 | 0 to 5 s | how long it takes to draw in; 0 shows it at once |
Use it in a film
film.js
elements: { 'log-ruler': { value: 12000, unit: 'm' } }Use it from your agent
Ask your agent to put it in a film. It finds the element by name.