Gyroid Lab visualizes the gyroid — a triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) discovered by Alan Schoen in 1970. The gyroid has zero mean curvature everywhere, divides space into two interlocking labyrinths, and contains no straight lines or planar symmetry. It appears naturally in butterfly wing scales, block copolymers, and biological lipid membranes.
The gyroid is defined by the elegant implicit equation: sin(x)·cos(y) + sin(y)·cos(z) + sin(z)·cos(x) = 0. The shader evaluates this function per-pixel with raymarching to render the 3D surface with proper lighting and depth. Cross-section slicing reveals the internal labyrinth structure, and the surface can be thickened to create the solid shell forms used in 3D printing and architectural design.
Interactive parameters include frequency (unit cell size), shell thickness, cross-section plane position, rotation, and surface material properties.