Starfish Crawling On Glass

Russell · 02-21-2002, 12:13 AM

Are there plans to program the starfish to actually crawl up onto the glass? I still notice in v1.1, after watching for 20min with the lights down and in wireframe mode, that the starfish still 'teleports' up onto the glass.

Another note about the starfish (not a critique, just a question): Do they really move that fast in real life? I've never observed one for very long in real life and all you fish people must know if they really are that active.

feldon34 · 02-21-2002, 12:28 AM

The starfish moves about 2 times normal speed. Everyone complained about how slow it moved before.

Solution to the starfish climbing up on the glass looking unrealistic with wireframe on? Don't turn wireframe on.

Seriously, Jim slaved for 2 weeks trying to get the darn thing up on the glass gracefully. It's hard enough to animate that in an animation program like 3D Studio Max where you are certain exactly where and when it will climb up. Imagine trying to make it climb up smoothly regardless of where it is in the tank...

If there's hope that it will be fixed, that hope lies in the 3D background version of the Aquarium which will have totally new collision detection. Right now, the gravel floor is an imaginary curved shape. In the future, it will be a real object with a gravel texture on it. Much easier to make sure the starfish is in the right place.

Enigma · 02-21-2002, 12:31 AM

Has there been any talk of having the starfish climb onto the coral in the background?

Jim Sachs · 02-21-2002, 12:39 AM

Yes, there has been discussion.

pipeta · 02-21-2002, 06:38 AM

...And???... What were the ideas. What are your plans?

Jim Sachs · 02-21-2002, 10:08 AM

Maybe.

pipeta · 02-21-2002, 10:52 AM

Do the foreground lights change less in this version? I notice the aquarium is not dark half the time and the starfish seldom climbs on the glass.

By the way, I hope a different feature for foreground and background automatic lights will be added in the next version

PITA · 02-21-2002, 10:14 PM

Somehow I lost the starfish. It's was there in the lower left of the screen and now it's gone. I've switched to wire frame to see if it's hidden somewhere, but no luck...

Jav400 · 02-21-2002, 10:18 PM

pita,

Someone else said the same thing. Try deleting the program, run the registry cleaner and reinstall to see if that would fix it. Since the location of the starfish is saved on exit now, just closing the program won't change it any.

PITA · 02-21-2002, 10:26 PM

Thanks for the quick response. I re-installed and the starfish is back!

Thanks again,

Jav400 · 02-21-2002, 10:33 PM

pita,

What Operating System are you running?

PITA · 02-21-2002, 10:39 PM

Michael,

I'm running XP.

Jim Sachs · 02-21-2002, 11:43 PM

Haven't heard of this before. The starfish has always stayed within bounds on my systems, but I'll look into it.

Tiny Turtle · 02-22-2002, 03:10 AM

Pita, do you remember if you had the starfish allowed on the glass when it went out of bounds?

/Tiny Escapee

rlx · 02-22-2002, 10:01 AM

same thing happens here as i have read somewhere in this thread, that is, when i returned to the computer the starfish was gone. i deleted the position with regedit, then all was ok again. seems to happen only when he is not allowed on the glass (not quite sure about that - maybe i insulted him with not letting him up).
otherwise version 1.1 works perfect for me. the lionfish is a great job, looks perfectly natural, and even behaves like in real life. no other animal simulation seen on pc gives you the same degree of realism. keep up the good work!

rlx

patscarr · 02-22-2002, 10:44 AM

Here's the deal. I was just sitting here watching my virtual aquarium and I wanted to see the starfish float down to the bottom after unchecking the allow on glass box. It worked and was really cool to watch, but then after a few more minutes, the lights were changing and when it got to the usual darkness where the starfish makes its jump onto the glass, I saw it's dark silluette very quickly climb up the back of the aquarium, all the way to the top and out of site. After that I couldn't get him back again no matter what I did. I will now try uninstalling and reinstalling, but I thought this might help Jim nail down the problem. Hope it helps.

Jim Sachs · 02-22-2002, 12:27 PM

Thanks, Patrick - that does help indeed.

patscarr · 02-22-2002, 01:08 PM

Wow! I actually helped! I'm so psyched! After all this time, I was finally able to give something back!

Your welcome Jim, anytime.

codgio · 02-22-2002, 04:20 PM

I've just witnessed, this disapearing starfish phenomenon. It's quite bizzare to watch happening and almost spooky to see a many limbed shadowy creature darting up the screen.

I'm also running Win XP.

I've just had a thought. Is this actually a "Feature" for those weird people who might not want the starfish.

Jim Sachs · 02-22-2002, 04:23 PM

Found the bug. Fixing.

02-21-2002, 12:13 AM	#1
Russell Registered Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Edmonton Posts: 4	Starfish Crawling On Glass Are there plans to program the starfish to actually crawl up onto the glass? I still notice in v1.1, after watching for 20min with the lights down and in wireframe mode, that the starfish still 'teleports' up onto the glass. Another note about the starfish (not a critique, just a question): Do they really move that fast in real life? I've never observed one for very long in real life and all you fish people must know if they really are that active.

02-21-2002, 12:28 AM	#2
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,938	The starfish moves about 2 times normal speed. Everyone complained about how slow it moved before. Solution to the starfish climbing up on the glass looking unrealistic with wireframe on? Don't turn wireframe on. Seriously, Jim slaved for 2 weeks trying to get the darn thing up on the glass gracefully. It's hard enough to animate that in an animation program like 3D Studio Max where you are certain exactly where and when it will climb up. Imagine trying to make it climb up smoothly regardless of where it is in the tank... If there's hope that it will be fixed, that hope lies in the 3D background version of the Aquarium which will have totally new collision detection. Right now, the gravel floor is an imaginary curved shape. In the future, it will be a real object with a gravel texture on it. Much easier to make sure the starfish is in the right place. "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman

02-21-2002, 12:31 AM	#3
Enigma Registered Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Huntsville, Alabama Posts: 435	Has there been any talk of having the starfish climb onto the coral in the background? ?

02-21-2002, 12:39 AM	#4
Jim Sachs Developer Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 9,771	Yes, there has been discussion. Jim Sachs Creator of SereneScreen Aquarium

02-21-2002, 10:08 AM	#6
Jim Sachs Developer Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 9,771	Maybe. Jim Sachs Creator of SereneScreen Aquarium

02-21-2002, 06:38 AM	#5
pipeta Royal Gramma Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Israel Posts: 146	...And???... What were the ideas. What are your plans?

02-21-2002, 10:52 AM	#7
pipeta Royal Gramma Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Israel Posts: 146	Do the foreground lights change less in this version? I notice the aquarium is not dark half the time and the starfish seldom climbs on the glass. By the way, I hope a different feature for foreground and background automatic lights will be added in the next version

02-21-2002, 10:14 PM	#8
PITA Registered Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: California Posts: 3	Missing Starfish Somehow I lost the starfish. It's was there in the lower left of the screen and now it's gone. I've switched to wire frame to see if it's hidden somewhere, but no luck... -PITA

02-21-2002, 10:18 PM	#9
Jav400 Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Tennessee Posts: 9,725	pita, Someone else said the same thing. Try deleting the program, run the registry cleaner and reinstall to see if that would fix it. Since the location of the starfish is saved on exit now, just closing the program won't change it any. Michael Administrator of Inside:SereneScreen Aquarium Forum, Chatroom, Fan Site & *Gallery* DVD Collection

02-21-2002, 10:26 PM	#10
PITA Registered Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: California Posts: 3	Thanks for the quick response. I re-installed and the starfish is back! Thanks again, -PITA

02-21-2002, 10:33 PM	#11
Jav400 Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Tennessee Posts: 9,725	pita, What Operating System are you running? Michael Administrator of Inside:SereneScreen Aquarium Forum, Chatroom, Fan Site & *Gallery* DVD Collection

02-21-2002, 10:39 PM	#12
PITA Registered Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: California Posts: 3	Michael, I'm running XP. -PITA

02-21-2002, 11:43 PM	#13
Jim Sachs Developer Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 9,771	Haven't heard of this before. The starfish has always stayed within bounds on my systems, but I'll look into it. Jim Sachs Creator of SereneScreen Aquarium

02-22-2002, 03:10 AM	#14
Tiny Turtle is pleased Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Posts: 7,365	Pita, do you remember if you had the starfish allowed on the glass when it went out of bounds? /Tiny Escapee

02-22-2002, 10:01 AM	#15
rlx Registered Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Austria Posts: 1	starfish out for lunch same thing happens here as i have read somewhere in this thread, that is, when i returned to the computer the starfish was gone. i deleted the position with regedit, then all was ok again. seems to happen only when he is not allowed on the glass (not quite sure about that - maybe i insulted him with not letting him up). otherwise version 1.1 works perfect for me. the lionfish is a great job, looks perfectly natural, and even behaves like in real life. no other animal simulation seen on pc gives you the same degree of realism. keep up the good work! rlx

02-22-2002, 10:44 AM	#16
patscarr Pet Shark Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Back in Buffalo Posts: 5,454	Here's the deal. I was just sitting here watching my virtual aquarium and I wanted to see the starfish float down to the bottom after unchecking the allow on glass box. It worked and was really cool to watch, but then after a few more minutes, the lights were changing and when it got to the usual darkness where the starfish makes its jump onto the glass, I saw it's dark silluette very quickly climb up the back of the aquarium, all the way to the top and out of site. After that I couldn't get him back again no matter what I did. I will now try uninstalling and reinstalling, but I thought this might help Jim nail down the problem. Hope it helps. Patrick

02-22-2002, 12:27 PM	#17
Jim Sachs Developer Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 9,771	Thanks, Patrick - that does help indeed. Jim Sachs Creator of SereneScreen Aquarium

02-22-2002, 01:08 PM	#18
patscarr Pet Shark Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Back in Buffalo Posts: 5,454	Wow! I actually helped! I'm so psyched! After all this time, I was finally able to give something back! Your welcome Jim, anytime. Patrick

02-22-2002, 04:20 PM	#19
codgio Registered Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Glasgow, UK Posts: 109	I've just witnessed, this disapearing starfish phenomenon. It's quite bizzare to watch happening and almost spooky to see a many limbed shadowy creature darting up the screen. I'm also running Win XP. I've just had a thought. Is this actually a "Feature" for those weird people who might not want the starfish. Remember what the doormouse said...

02-22-2002, 04:23 PM	#20
Jim Sachs Developer Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 9,771	Found the bug. Fixing. Jim Sachs Creator of SereneScreen Aquarium