[RESOLVED] Game Of Life

[dbasnett]

Several weeks ago someone asked about this and I became intrigued. Since then I have made 3 different versions, one console, two forms. I kept the last one, and continue to work on it. It is stable, with a not very refined front end, so if anyone would like me to post it I will.

It includes about 130 automaton.

Reference - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conway's Game of Life

update - 3/18/2010 - Restart. When completed I'll post in the codebank and place a link here.

update - 2/28/2010 - Getting closer.

update 3/1/2010 - better drawing.

[formlesstree4]

I'd like to see it posted, just to see how the logic flow of the program actually works.

[dbasnett]

Just so you know, the program takes the resources and converts them to a file in my documents.

[dbasnett]

@formless - if you look at the program, you might wonder why I approached the file handling in the manner I did.

I am an old programmer, so old that I remember when memory was not abundant, and you didn't have an option to read the entire file, as lines, into memory. So I did it just to see if I still had it. It would have been easier to read the entire file.

[NickThissen]

Heh, I made one too a few days ago just for the fun of it. Posted it in the codebank. Mine doesn't include any automaton yet though, but you can save and load grids, and it supports different grid and cell sizes and it remembers the grid before you play it, so it resets when you stop it (though you can also pause it).

It's probably not the most efficient, but it works flawlessly for relatively small grids (< 100 rows/columns) and a little slow for larger grids.

http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.php?p=3731969

[dbasnett]

Well, as usual, I found some flaws after I posted. So I deleted that and added the new version here.

I'll re-post the attachment when I am happy

My PC is not the fastest, and I am seeing 30+ life changes per second with some pretty complex patterns like:

BTW - I am drawing a grid of 269 x 269 with a block size of 3 x 3 squares.

#Life 1.05

#D Rake for the Breeder

#D

#D Uses a different puffer train

#D than the other rakes.

#N

#P 7 -12

.******

*.....*

......*

*....*

..**

#P 11 -4

**

.**

**

*

.

*

**

.**

**

#P 6 -6

..*

.*

**

*.*

.*

.

.

.

.*

*.*

**

.*

..*

#P 7 8

..**

*....*

......*

*.....*

.******

#P -4 -16

..**

*....*

......*

*.....*

.******

#P -4 12

.******

*.....*

......*

*....*

..**

#P -29 -13

..*

*...*

.....*

*....*

.*****

#P -29 9

.*****

*....*

.....*

*...*

..*

#P -89 -11

..*

*...*

.....*

*....*

.*****

#P -89 7

.*****

*....*

.....*

*...*

..*

[dbasnett]

I am working on exposing world wrap and block size. If anyone is interested I'll post it when I am done.

[dbasnett]

I'll re-post the entire project when I stop changing it.

[dbasnett]

The FPS calculation is off. Will fix it, and any other errors, later.

Also working on some basic drawing.

[minitech]

What kind of format is the file stored in?

[dbasnett]

What kind of format is the file stored in?

The file is a dump of all the resources. Each resource in the file starts with Chr(0)#D
The name is next, then lines of the pattern.

[dbasnett]

The file is a dump of all the resources. Each resource in the file starts with Chr(0)#D
The name is next, then lines of the pattern.

The patterns can be in Life 1.05 or 1.06 format.

[minitech]

What is the format though? I don't know what the Life 1.05/06 formats are.

[theprodigy]

Hi I was wondering if anyone had tried to write any code for the Game of life in a console app.

[dbasnett]

Format

http://psoup.math.wisc.edu/mcell/ca_...ml#Life%201.05

basically they are text files with a few control commands starting with #.

* = on
. = off

Here is a sample named glider

***
*..
.*.

[dbasnett]

See post #1 in this thread for the latest version. Crude drawing and life birth/survival control added.

Warning, I have allowed the cell size to be 1. On my PC that is a grid of 839 x 839 (703,921 cells). It can get pretty slow at those sizes, but some beautiful patterns can be created with low birth rates.

Enjoy.

[dbasnett]

Moved to post #1

[dbasnett]

Using the CellularAutomaton Module from the screen version, here is a console application.

Module Module1

    Dim theWorld As New CellUniverse(Console.LargestWindowHeight - 16, True) 'create world wrapped
    Dim LDP As New List(Of CellXYState) 'store the states

    Sub Main()
        Console.SetWindowSize(theWorld.Size + 2, theWorld.Size + 2) 'set the window size
        Dim ptrn As New List(Of String) 'our pattern - glider
        ptrn.Add("#! -10 -10") 'non standard - global offset x y
        ptrn.Add("***")
        ptrn.Add("..*")
        ptrn.Add(".*")
        theWorld.LoadPattern(ptrn) 'load the pattern
        LDP = theWorld.GetTick() 'get all on pixels
        drawgrid() 'draw the grid
        drawpoints() 'draw the points
        Dim s As ConsoleKeyInfo
        s = Console.ReadKey 'wait for user input (Enter key)
        Do
            LDP = theWorld.NextGeneration() 'get the next generation
            drawpoints() 'draw the points
            s = Console.ReadKey 'wait for enter
        Loop While s.Key = ConsoleKey.Enter 'if not eneter key - end
    End Sub

    Sub drawpoints()
        For x As Integer = 0 To LDP.Count - 1 'loop through all the points returned
            Console.SetCursorPosition(LDP(x).X, LDP(x).Y) 'move the cursor
            If LDP(x).State Then 'check state
                'on
                Console.Write("*")
            Else
                'off
                Console.Write(".")
            End If
        Next
        Console.SetCursorPosition(0, Console.WindowHeight - 1)
    End Sub

    Sub drawgrid() 'draw grid representing worlds
        Console.Clear()
        For y As Integer = 0 To theWorld.Size
            For x As Integer = 0 To theWorld.Size
                Console.SetCursorPosition(x, y)
                Console.Write(".")
            Next
        Next
        Console.SetCursorPosition(0, Console.WindowHeight - 1)
    End Sub
End Module

[dbasnett]

1. This should be moved to the Code Bank

2. Just when you think all is well you find

#D Replicator - Nathan Thompson
#R 23/36
#P -2 -2
.OOO
 O...
 O...
 O...

I think I have it fixed, but ....

[dbasnett]

See post #1 for updates.