In the computer programming, vector slime refers to a class of visual effects achieved by procedural deformation of geometric shapes.
The desired result is an animated geometric object behaving in a harmonic way, creating some degree of illusion of physical realism.
A traditional approach is to let the linear transformation vary as a smooth function of time minus the magnitude of the vector in question.
Applied to a spikeball (a sphere with extracted arms), the object could resemble the behaviour of a soft squid-like animal.
Interactive vector slime implementations can also eventually be found in computer games as a substitute for a more correct physical simulation algorithm.