Method

Each plate is a function of one integer. Give the generator the same seed and it returns byte for byte the same SVG, on any machine, forever. The seed is printed under every plate and the algorithm is described on its page in plain language.

Why a local random generator

The generator does not use PHP's built in mt_rand. That function is seedable, but its output has changed between PHP versions before. Relying on it would mean a routine server upgrade silently rewriting every existing plate. A small xorshift written into lib/gen.php means a seed renders identically regardless of what the host does.

One detail worth stating because it is a real trap: an xorshift seeded with zero stays at zero forever and outputs a blank plate. The constructor substitutes a fixed non zero state if a seed reduces to zero.

What is not happening here

There is no model, no training data and no prompt. These are not AI generated images in the sense that phrase usually carries. They are a few hundred lines of geometry: sine fields, rejection sampling, recursive splits, and two ring families interfering with each other.

Nothing is retouched afterwards. What the algorithm emits is what is on the wall, including the parts that are not flattering.

Reproduce any plate

Every plate is served as a real SVG at /plate/<name>.svg, and accepts an optional ?seed= parameter. Changing the seed gives you a different plate from the same algorithm, which is the honest way to see how much of a piece is the method and how much is the particular number.

On provenance

These plates are not scarce. They are generated on request, there is no edition size, nothing is minted, and no claim is made that any of it is an asset. If that ever changes it will be stated here first, with a date.