Moving ASCII art

Ocean Wave

A scrolling row of tildes that reads like water rolling sideways.

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^
4 frames · 6 fps

About the animation

What it is

A scrolling row of tildes that reads like water rolling sideways.

A calm animated divider for a bio, a chat header or the top of a documentation page.

Motion guide

How the ocean wave animation works

Alternating tildes and carets shift by one character, creating the illusion that peaks are travelling sideways. The pattern loops seamlessly because its first and last states share the same rhythm.

Implementation tip

Replace one line at six frames per second with a carriage return. Use a monospace font and keep the line length unchanged to avoid a visible jump at the end of the loop.

Best uses

  • 01

    Calm loading dividers

  • 02

    Ocean-themed bot messages

  • 03

    Animated documentation headers

Use the frames

How to run the ocean wave animation

  1. 01

    Copy the frame set

    Copy all 4 frames at once, or take individual frames from the reference list below.

  2. 02

    Display them in order

    Use a timer in your script or bot to advance through the frames at about 6 frames per second.

  3. 03

    Replace the previous frame

    Replace one line at six frames per second with a carriage return. Use a monospace font and keep the line length unchanged to avoid a visible jump at the end of the loop.

Frame by frame

Every frame

Frame 1
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^
Frame 2
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
Frame 3
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^
Frame 4
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~

Common questions

About this ASCII animation

What is the ocean wave ASCII animation?

A scrolling row of tildes that reads like water rolling sideways. Alternating tildes and carets shift by one character, creating the illusion that peaks are travelling sideways. The pattern loops seamlessly because its first and last states share the same rhythm.

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. Replace one line at six frames per second with a carriage return. Use a monospace font and keep the line length unchanged to avoid a visible jump at the end of the loop.

Can I change the playback speed?

Yes. The preview uses 6 fps as a readable starting point. A shorter delay feels faster, while a longer delay makes each frame easier to inspect.

Where does the ocean wave animation fit?

A calm animated divider for a bio, a chat header or the top of a documentation page. It suits calm loading dividers, ocean-themed bot messages, animated documentation headers.

Also known as

ascii wave animationmoving water asciiscrolling ascii divider

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