Moving ASCII art
Beating Heart
An ASCII heart that swells and shrinks like a heartbeat across three frames.
,d8b,
88888888
`888888'
`88'
`' About the animation
What it is
An ASCII heart that swells and shrinks like a heartbeat across three frames.
Drop it in a love-letter README, a terminal splash screen or a Discord bot that edits its message on a timer.
Motion guide
How the beating heart animation works
The heart expands across wider rows, returns to its normal size and briefly contracts. Repeating the normal frame between extremes creates a readable pulse rather than a harsh size switch.
Implementation tip
Three frames per second produces a relaxed beat. Keep every frame inside a fixed-width box and clear all five previous lines before drawing the next heart to prevent leftover characters at the edges.
Best uses
- 01
Love-themed terminal projects
- 02
Health or uptime demos
- 03
Animated greetings in text-capable bots
Use the frames
How to run the beating heart animation
- 01
Copy the frame set
Copy all 4 frames at once, or take individual frames from the reference list below.
- 02
Display them in order
Use a timer in your script or bot to advance through the frames at about 3 frames per second.
- 03
Replace the previous frame
Three frames per second produces a relaxed beat. Keep every frame inside a fixed-width box and clear all five previous lines before drawing the next heart to prevent leftover characters at the edges.
Frame by frame
Every frame
,d8b,
88888888
`888888'
`88'
`' ,d8888b,
888888888
`8888888'
`888'
`' ,d8b,
88888888
`888888'
`88'
`' ,db,
888888
`8888'
`88'
`' Common questions
About this ASCII animation
What is the beating heart ASCII animation?
An ASCII heart that swells and shrinks like a heartbeat across three frames. The heart expands across wider rows, returns to its normal size and briefly contracts. Repeating the normal frame between extremes creates a readable pulse rather than a harsh size switch.
Does copying the frames make them animate?
No. The copied text contains each of the 4 drawings, while your terminal, app or bot supplies the timer and replaces one frame with the next. Three frames per second produces a relaxed beat. Keep every frame inside a fixed-width box and clear all five previous lines before drawing the next heart to prevent leftover characters at the edges.
Can I change the playback speed?
Yes. The preview uses 3 fps as a readable starting point. A shorter delay feels faster, while a longer delay makes each frame easier to inspect.
Where does the beating heart animation fit?
Drop it in a love-letter README, a terminal splash screen or a Discord bot that edits its message on a timer. It suits love-themed terminal projects, health or uptime demos, animated greetings in text-capable bots.
Also known as
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