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Old 10-08-2004, 01:25 PM   #81
klyntun
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Jim, how about putting them all on hold and working on the Butterfly Screensaver? >>Clint ducks and runs for cover<<
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Old 10-08-2004, 03:12 PM   #82
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BANG ......................... I got him Jim.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
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Old 10-08-2004, 03:20 PM   #83
Jim Sachs
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Thanks, Ed.
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Old 10-08-2004, 03:23 PM   #84
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Noooooooooooooooooo problem
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
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Old 10-08-2004, 03:57 PM   #85
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Some suggestions (feel free to ignore):
(1) Movement -
(i) Have "places of interest", which might be static or mobile and have fish move towards them. (Static - bit of weed, fish feeder. Dynamic - perhaps just have a moving spot on glass, etc.)
(ii) Have idle path for fish to swim where choose a dir and head in it. Or could have a pattern (chosen from a number of different ones) that projects from fish's current position and size for space, with limit to turn angle allowed.
(iii) If fish near another fish then have chance will follow nearly the same path if same type of fish (chance depends on type).
(iv) also have a density calc that will choose new fish course if an area is getting crowded.
(I could do a longer version, but it's late and I'm tired and a bit ill.)
(2) Collisions -
Extend a rod from front of fish and any other moving objects to a distance proportional to speed. When that rod intersects another object's rod (or a non-moving object) one or both must take avoiding action unless target is collision (like fish+something edible).
Bonus personal view - the current background is naff and looks very naff on many LCDs. I was hoping it would get upgraded.
Anyway, just a contribution...
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Old 10-08-2004, 04:20 PM   #86
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P.S. Conversion - personally I'd try every 3D program on the market to see if there's one that would do the conversion u want then see how well u can import a lightwave object into it. Would be worth looking at what games producers are using as well as 3DMax.
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Old 10-08-2004, 05:00 PM   #87
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Lightwave is a well-documented format. So this is just a case of throwing mental muscles at the problem.

And to feed into my off-topicness, yes, I love Wallace & Gromit. I wore a W&G t-shirt to Poland and have done quite a few VERY short claymations. My living space prohibits me from setting up the "studio" but I'd like to get it set back up someday. And I would shoot it all with a digital camera so that I'd be shooting in 1280 x 720 high definition to plan for the future.
"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
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Old 10-08-2004, 11:21 PM   #88
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jleslie - Thanks for the suggestions, the movement items are all planned.

Collision - this is the single most difficult piece of programming. The "extended rod" system you talk about is basically what I use now, but it has serious flaws. In predicting collisions, it assumes that the target fish will continue along the same trajectory until the subject fish would collide with it. But the fish can turn or change speed at any time - once the program starts they are free agents, for all practical purposes. In turning the subject fish away from that potential collision, it's just as likely that I'll turn it toward another conflict since I don't know what any of the other fish are going to do next. I'm not the only one with this problem - I've never seen another aquarium program without its share of pass-throughs.

Regarding the background, I'll have to look up "naff". If it means less than optimum, then I totally agree. Hence the plan for the 3D background.
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Old 10-09-2004, 03:35 AM   #89
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Did I mention I loved the art in DoC? Even though got squashed on the PAL version, rather than re-drawn, I think I fancied Katharine (I was young).

For collisions the rod approach is pretty much how real life works, people (and creatures) do vector maths in their heads (to a varying degree - drive round the M25 (London ring road) sometime for examples - not recommended!). When odd things happen, like a planned change of direction results in an unexpected conflict, people (and I think fish) tend to stop, look a bit surprised, and then continue.

People tend to have a zone around them they are conscious of other people entering, perhaps something like that? Maybe the fish need a speed control based on local density of fish and whether they are likely to change direction (or significant direction change likelihood should be based on local fish density and fish speed, um that's saying a Fish moving quickly will tend to turn only if in lots of open space, else will slow down), again I think that's a bit like real life. Could extend to make turn direction choice based on fish density in that direction.

On top of that could have a linked direction thing, where individuals have small individual fluctustions around their shared directions for schoals. Probably needs 3 directions - global, local and individual, with decreasing degrees of coarseness, so bits of the shoal can move around the main one to a degree. Okay, this is too complex and my brain now has an essay building up in it, plus the tank is a bit small for a very big bunch of fish, so I'll stop before I bore people rigid. I hope it makes sense, some bits could perhaps be explained better in a list.
Plus I haven't had breakfast - which means no coffee yet this morning. Could be fatal.
If any use do whatever you want with this, I have no problems with everybody ignoring it either.
It's John, BTW.
P.S. Essential language guide for people who want to claim to speak English rather than American:
http://www.jet.org/FLJETAA/CONFREP.htm
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Old 10-09-2004, 10:19 AM   #90
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Thanks, but I think I'm too old to learn a new language
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Old 10-09-2004, 12:06 PM   #91
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It is never late
Sincerely,
Sergio.
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Old 10-09-2004, 02:43 PM   #92
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Ha-ha. Thanks John. That footnote clears up a few loose ends for me.


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Old 10-11-2004, 02:13 PM   #93
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Language notes (it's late, I'm bored, sue me):
Usually would say "sod it" not sod - but swearing!
Don't think Blimey has had much use since the 50s.
Tosser is very rude - you might get in trouble for using it.
"And Bob’s your uncle!" - I'd say more that this means you've got where you are going or you're done, e.g. might put at end of directions or assembly instructions. Not that common though.
Rest are very common.
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Old 10-11-2004, 02:20 PM   #94
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I just figured out what WIP means.

WORK IN PROGRESS


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Old 10-12-2004, 09:05 AM   #95
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Thanks John. I've heard sod used here on the forum once and had to look it up in the dictionary to see what it meant and yes it was used in a cursing context. Thanks for the warning about tosser. would never have thot that was a foul word to call someone. seemed harmless enuf. if not for your note, would have thot it was someone who barfed his lunch or something..


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Old 11-30-2004, 08:23 AM   #96
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On the subject of the English language, this amused all of us (on this side of the pond):

http://www.todossantos.cc/revocation.htm

...your mileage may vary (as the Americans tend to say).

:-)

P.S. (Going on-topic briefly, wow) I did buy Serenescreen (back in May 02) thinking that the current background (that I think does spoil the effect somewhat) was going to go 3D fairly soon, from my reading of this forum. I do think I'd watch it more often if this did happen.

P.P.S. Of course what I'd really really like is a background with a solid mass of Pulsing Xenias covering one of the rocks!
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Old 11-30-2004, 11:14 AM   #97
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Old 11-30-2004, 11:21 AM   #98
Marian Nichols
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[quote]Originally posted by jleslie
[b]On the subject of the English language, this amused all of us (on this side of the pond):

http://www.todossantos.cc/revocation.htm

...your mileage may vary (as the Americans tend to say).

:-)



I am not amused
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Old 11-30-2004, 11:37 AM   #99
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Don't worry about it Marian, we sent them packing the last time they got grandoise ideas, I'm not worried.
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Old 11-30-2004, 11:50 AM   #100
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See, - you don't even know how to use the edit button!

We were VERY amused!
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