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Pathfinding Algorithm Visualizer (JavaFX)

A desktop JavaFX application that visualizes classic pathfinding algorithms on a 2D grid.
You can place walls, generate a random maze, optionally display edge weights, and run algorithms step-by-step with adjustable animation speed.

Features

  • Interactive grid
    • Click to toggle walls
    • (Optional) Shift + Click to cycle terrain (if enabled in your build)
  • Algorithms
    • BFS (Breadth-First Search)
    • DFS (Depth-First Search)
    • Dijkstra (weighted shortest path)
    • A* (A-star) with Manhattan heuristic
  • Visualization
    • Highlights open set, closed set, and final path
    • Displays path cost and number of steps when done
  • Tools
    • Generate Maze (random walls ~30%)
    • Show/Hide Weights
    • Reset Grid

How it works (short)

  • The grid is modeled as a graph:
    • Nodes = cells (row, col)
    • Directed edges to the 4 neighbors (up/down/left/right)
    • Each directed edge gets a random weight in [1, 9]
  • Algorithms run in step-by-step mode (one iteration per tick) using a JavaFX Timeline.

Requirements

  • Java: 17+ recommended
  • JavaFX: compatible with your Java version
  • IDE: IntelliJ / Eclipse / VS Code (any)

Project structure


src/
controllers/
MainController.java
models/
Grid.java
Cell.java
Edge.java
Pathfinding.java
BFS.java
DFS.java
Dijkstra.java
Astar.java
views/
PathApp.java

Run the project

Option A — From IDE

  1. Open the project in your IDE.
  2. Make sure JavaFX is configured in your project settings.
  3. Run the main entry point:
    • controllers.MainController
      (or run views.PathApp if your setup allows it)

Option B — From command line (generic)

If you use JavaFX SDK locally, run with module path (adjust paths and version):

java --module-path /path/to/javafx/lib --add-modules javafx.controls,javafx.fxml -cp out/production/YourProject controllers.MainController

If you're using Maven/Gradle, your run command depends on your build file.

Usage

  1. Set Start and Goal coordinates using the format:

    • row,col (example: 0,0)

  2. Click on cells to add/remove walls.

  3. Choose an algorithm:

    • Run BFS / DFS / Dijkstra / A*

  4. Adjust the animation speed with the slider.

  5. Optional:

    • Generate a maze
    • Show/hide weights
    • Reset the grid

Notes / Limitations

  • Dijkstra and A* currently use a linear scan over the open set (not a heap-based priority queue), so performance may drop on very large grids.