lifeviewer bug

[I6_I6]

I'm pretty sure this is a known bug (since it happens quite often for me), but I couldn't find it in this thread. If you add bounded grid specifications after an alternating rulestring, it works just fine. But if you go to Settings > Pattern > Change Rule, the bounded grid suffix appears after both rules that are being alternated. Trying to apply the rule makes LifeViewer think the rule is alternating between RuleLoader rules, so it says "Alternating RuleLoader rules are not supported".

For example, when applying the rule "B1/S2|B3/S4:T6,6", it works normally when running it, but when you go to Change Rule, it shows "B1/S2:T6,6|B3/S4:T6,6". The suffix is automatically added to both subrules, which LifeViewer doesn't accept. It raises the error if you press OK in the popup unless you manually remove the first suffix.

Also, if both subrules of an alternating rule are the same, LifeViewer automatically changes it into a non-alternating rule. But if such an alternating rule has a bounded grid suffix, that suffix is applied twice to the autocorrected rule. For example, "B3/S23|B3/S23:T16,16" becomes "B3/S23:T16,16:T16,16". Attempting to use this rule raises "Illegal character in survival specification".

I don't really think this would be that hard to fix, though.

[rowett]

If you add bounded grid specifications after an alternating rulestring, it works just fine. But if you go to Settings > Pattern > Change Rule, the bounded grid suffix appears after both rules that are being alternated.

Thanks for the report. Fixed in build 1384.

[I6_I6]

(This isn't a bug, but rather a suggestion/request. I couldn't find a thread for that, so I'm posting here.)
Is there a way to make autofit smoother? It snaps to fit every generation, which looks very rickety, especially for patterns with rapidly changing bounding boxes.

For example, here's a TL:

Code: Select all

x = 7, y = 7, rule = B3/S23
2b3o2$o5bo$o5bo$o5bo2$2b3o!
[[ AUTOFIT ]]

Pentadecathlon looks even more cursed:

Code: Select all

x = 10, y = 3, rule = B3/S23
2bo4bo$2ob4ob2o$2bo4bo!
[[ AUTOFIT ]]

I can tell it doesn't instantaneously snap right into position every generation...

Code: Select all

x = 1, y = 1, rule = B3/S23
o!
[[ AUTOFIT GRID PASTET 1 PASTE 2o$2o!  0 20 ]]

...but I still think it could be made smoother.

EDIT to avoid doublepost:
Crossposting from Golly Bugs thread:

This is also a problem in LifeViewer.
In @TABLE in a .rule file, if I name a variable "var", and use it at the start of a transition line, it doesn't behave as expected.
For example, this rule should be B2/S012345678:

Code: Select all

x = 0, y = 0, rule = test
!
@RULE test
@TABLE
n_states:2
neighborhood:Moore
symmetries:permute
var var={0,1}
var,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,1

But it behaves like B/S012345678 instead.
Simply renaming the variable to something else fixes this:

Code: Select all

x = 0, y = 0, rule = test
!
@RULE test
@TABLE
n_states:2
neighborhood:Moore
symmetries:permute
var a={0,1}
a,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,1

I think it's because Golly treats any line in @TABLE that starts with "var" as a variable definition line. I don't know why anyone would name a variable "var", but I think it should still be fixed.

[Citation needed]

The "Symbiosis" rule table crashed.

[rowett]

The "Symbiosis" rule table crashed.

Please post an example pattern that crashes.

[Citation needed]

The "Symbiosis" rule table crashed.

Please post an example pattern that crashes.

That seemed to be just a temporary crash.

[squareroot12621]

The photosensitivity warning in LifeViewer says the display will only update once every 400 milliseconds. However, this can be changed to 200 milliseconds, because:

a flash or rapidly changing image sequence is below the threshold (i.e., content passes) if any of the following are true:

• there are no more than three general flashes and / or no more than three red flashes within any one-second period; […]

where:

• A general flash is defined as a pair of opposing changes in relative luminance of 10% or more of the maximum relative luminance (1.0) where the relative luminance of the darker image is below 0.80; and where "a pair of opposing changes" is an increase followed by a decrease, or a decrease followed by an increase, and
• A red flash is defined as any pair of opposing transitions involving a saturated red

(colored text mine)
In other words, it takes 2 generations—one to turn on a cell, and the other to turn it off—to count as a flash. This means the maximum number of display updates per second is 6 (3 flashes of 2 generations each), so the time between updates is should be at least 167 milliseconds.
Although the minimum time between updates is 167 milliseconds, I’m recommending that it should be changed to 200 milliseconds. 200 is a round number, unlike 167, and it’s a neat halving of the original limit. (I think the limit was set at 400 milliseconds under the assumption that the display could only update 3 times a second, rather than 6.)

Edit: Looks like the relevant code is line 85 of lifeview.js.

[otismo]

something seems a bit "off" with the latest forum build of LV

[COMPARE Trioscillon here in forum with same at cgol art using older build]

Thank You for LV !

<3

[b-engine]

On my Android phone, the window shrinks instead of filling up the entire page when maximized.
Screenshot_20251111-065711.png
Screenshot_20251111-065943.png

This issue was never fixed since you don't have a small enough device to reproduce it.
Could there be an option to disable the maximize button?

[rowett]

The photosensitivity warning in LifeViewer says the display will only update once every 400 milliseconds. However, this can be changed to 200 milliseconds...

LifeViewer is deliberately more cautious than the required legal limits. Being below the legal limit does not mean there is zero risk, it just dramatically reduces the risk.

[pifricted]

It Saturday, June 20, 2026 at 14:07 now, but:

Fig 1.PNG (23.18 KiB) Viewed 2872 times

[rowett]

It Saturday, June 20, 2026 at 14:07 now, but

This is now fixed.

[islptng]

I copied this to my clipboard.

Code: Select all

x = 0, y = 0, rule = LogiTopia5
16ADBA$$ADBAAADBAADCCCBDCBA!

Trying to paste this into LifeViewer results into nothing. Maybe it's just that the X and Y aren't correct, but here's a BUG:

When I selected some area and clicked Clipboard>Paste to Seln. Lifeviewer immediately freezes, and after a while, the whole tab is frozen.

[rowett]

Trying to paste this into LifeViewer results into nothing. Maybe it's just that the X and Y aren't correct, but here's a BUG:

When I selected some area and clicked Clipboard>Paste to Seln. Lifeviewer immediately freezes, and after a while, the whole tab is frozen.

Thanks for the report. Fixed in build 1387.

[hkoenig]

I've noticed some glitchiness in the resizing of the LifeView in forum postings when the enclosing window is resized.

I'm running Safari on a Mac with the latest OS version and have a second screen. On the primary screen, the LifeView will resize in proportion to the enclosing window until the height of the window approaches the screen height. Then the view jumps in size so that most of the buttons on the bottom are obscured, and resizing stops.

When a window gets dragged onto the secondary screen, LifeView will stay the same size until an attempt to resize the window is made. Then LifeView jumps in size to what seems to be a minimum, and does not respond to any size changes at that point, and stays at the same location relative to the left size.

I noticed this behavior starting a few weeks ago when I updated to the latest OS version. It had been well over a year since my last update, so I don't know who or what caused the change, but don't remember this behavior before that.

[Rhombicubocta]

It kept going until I woke up this morning, where I noticed that it had finally stopped identifying at generation 217232803617, without giving any actual results.

No idea if I've hit some sort of upper time limit in Identify, or something else ended up happening.

Analysis:

• There's no time limit.
• The generation number 217232803617 is well within range (Javascript integers can go up to 2^53 and that's around 2^38).
• The buffer was 80% full at the last snapshot.
• Identify stops without results if a) the buffer gets full or b) the pattern dies

From that I suspect the buffer got full. In which case it will have displayed a notification which likely was gone by the time you checked.

Side note: LifeViewer doesn't currently load the Identify snapshot. That's on the backlog.

Is this why life viewer fails to identify white whales period?

Code: Select all

x = 29, y = 19, rule = B345/S5
9bobobobobobo$7bobobobobobobobo$8bobobobobobobo$6bo5bobo7bo$6bo5bobo7b
o$4bo7bobo9bo$4bo19bo$2bo23bo$2bo23bo$o27bo$o27bo$2bo5bobo17bo$2bobobo
bobo17bo$4bobobobo15bo$4bobobobo15bo$6bobobo13bo$6bobobobobobobobobobo
$7bobobobobobobobobo$7bobobobobobobobobo!

It kept going well beyond 170,000,000 and it's period is only 160,000,346 according to the wiki.

[rowett]

Is this why life viewer fails to identify white whales period?

It kept going well beyond 170,000,000 and it's period is only 160,000,346 according to the wiki.

You will need to run it further for Identify (typically at least 2x the period, sometimes more).

identify.png (89.87 KiB) Viewed 306 times

[8than888]

On this phone I had a problem with the lifeviewer buttons glitchingly blinking before but now I can't move in the lifeviewer anymore with 2 fingers, so now I can only zoom, by pressing the zoom button. At least the lifeviewer in catalogue and my other phone still works.

[NNlk05]

I don’t have this problem on my iPhone 7 on Safari.

[Wngks Life]

When I look at the Life Viewer on this forum, everyone is set to 21x speed. Even the pattern I posted. Even though I don’t know how to change the start speed. Why did this happen? Help me, please.
Edit: Thank you.

[rowett]

When I look at the Life Viewer on this forum, everyone is set to 21x speed. Even the pattern I posted. Even though I don’t know how to change the start speed. Why did this happen? Help me, please.

LifeViewer has a feature where you can save the current playback speed and then use it as the default.

You save the current speed using Settings>Playback>Save Speed (Ctrl+E) and toggle using it as the default with Settings>Playback>Used Saved (Shift+E).

Sounds like you have this switched on so just go to Settings>Playback and click Use Saved which will toggle it off.

[atanisaduts]

merged by hotdogPi

here

I can't even get to 60 it just goes 59 then 61

in new thread, moved here

I have to manually set it instead of using the slider becuase for whatever reason it just goes 59× then 61x

[hotdogPi]

- and = keys to move by one at a time

[atanisaduts]

i'm mobile

[squareroot12621]

LifeViewer ignores the y-coordinate in #P lines. Here, the dot is at (27, 0) instead of (27, 63):

Code: Select all

#P 27 63
x = 1, y = 1, rule = B3/S23
o!

Edit: Adding [[ XOFFSET ]] and/or [[ YOFFSET ]] breaks copying and pasting. Specifically, an extra two times the offset is applied to the cells inside the paste preview, and any cells that get pushed outside the preview box get clipped. (Edit 2: The offset is also applied to the preview box itself.)

Code: Select all

x = 7, y = 3, rule = B3/S23
o3b3o$3o2bo$bo!
[[ XOFFSET 1 ]]