Pattern viewer for forum threads

[rowett]

Will higher-range Margolus rules be supported?

I'll put them on the backlog for investigation.

Also, since this is just an early build: will these ever display like true block cellular automata do?

Please give me an example.

[muzik]

Also, since this is just an early build: will these ever display like true block cellular automata do?

Please give me an example.

I think there would be two gridmajors, which would become dominantly visible in differing generations.

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Can a box of some sort be added that allows you to paste in an rle to load a new pattern, much like the one that allows you to change rule?

I'm also now having trouble scrolling through the list of aliases on a mobile device.

M0,2,8,3,1,5,6,7,4,9,10,11,12,13,14,15 could be added to the list with the alias MargSingRot.

[muzik]

I found an odd bug, hard to reproduce though:

Code: Select all

x = 2, y = 12, rule = M0,0,0,15,0,15,0,0,0,0,15,0,15,0,0,0
2o$2o$2o$2o$2o$2o$2o$2o$2o$2o$2o$2o!

Turn on grid to make it easier to see what you're doing. Run the pattern, rewind back, and then go along from the top rightmost cell of the pattern, and then draw a vertical line of four cells such that the top of the line and the top right cell of the original block have four dead cells between them. Run the pattern, and there will be four cells in the original block that oscillate between dead and alive.

[rowett]

Build 394 is now live on the Forums and LifeWiki

Please note: you will need to refresh your browser to use the new build (Ctrl-F5 on Chrome)

Enhancements since the last released build:

• added new Margolus THEME
• added new Margolus alias

Fixes since the last released build:

• fixed a tile boundary issue with Margolus rules

The updated hotkey map detailing the LifeViewer keyboard controls is here.

Comments, feedback, suggestions and bug reports welcome!

[rowett]

Can a box of some sort be added that allows you to paste in an rle to load a new pattern, much like the one that allows you to change rule?

I'm looking into it. That's why currently there's a textarea on the viewer.html page with a View button.

I'm also now having trouble scrolling through the list of aliases on a mobile device.

I'll take a look. Thanks for reporting!

[muzik]

Can the customization of the Margolus grid be made more in-depth than it is currently? I'm thinking we could introduce these parameters (rename at will):

- MARGGRIDEVENMAJOR: On even generations, this is the set of grid lines that appear brighter.

- MARGGRIDEVENMINOR: On even generations, this is the set of grid lines that appear darker.

- MARGGRIDODDMAJOR: On odd generations, this is the set of grid lines that appear brighter.

- MARGGRIDODDMINOR: On odd generations, this is the set of grid lines that appear darker.


Also, since they're 2-state rules, I personally would have preferred that Margolus rules kept the Blues theme by default, but that's not really my decision to make. If we're keeping the margolus theme for these, though, can the grid be on by default?

[rowett]

Build 395 is now live on the Forums and LifeWiki

Please note: you will need to refresh your browser to use the new build (Ctrl-F5 on Chrome)

Enhancements since the last released build:

• removed close UI button from PopUp Viewer now window close button works
• switch to Pan mode when Population Graph is turned on (since it's not visible in Draw or Select mode)

Fixes since the last released build:

• improved touch event handling
• fixed scrolling help list on mobile devices

The updated hotkey map detailing the LifeViewer keyboard controls is here.

Comments, feedback, suggestions and bug reports welcome!

[muzik]

There's some weird stuff going on with generations, try increasing the amount of layers in the first pattern of this page and note what happens with the rightmost stuff:

http://lazyslug.com/lifeview/plugin/generationsbug.html

[rowett]

Can the customization of the Margolus grid be made more in-depth than it is currently?

Not sure I see the need. The Margolus grid defaults to an interval of 2 and tracks the odd/even generations. As long as the interval is 2 any custom grid colours will also track the odd/even generations.

Also, since they're 2-state rules, I personally would have preferred that Margolus rules kept the Blues theme by default, but that's not really my decision to make.

I considered this but decided they are a different family because the neighbourhood is so different so they warrant their own Theme.

If we're keeping the margolus theme for these, though, can the grid be on by default?

I've been thinking about making GRID settings per Theme.

I'm also planning on having an "AutoGrid" feature that switches the grid on for Draw and Select modes, and then to the Theme default for Pan. The thought here is I almost always want the grid on for editing, but not for playback.

[rowett]

There's some weird stuff going on with generations, try increasing the amount of layers in the first pattern of this page and note what happens with the rightmost stuff

No that's correct.

Layers are designed so that cells that are alive longer appear in higher layers. Generations now respects that.

[muzik]

There's some weird stuff going on with generations, try increasing the amount of layers in the first pattern of this page and note what happens with the rightmost stuff

No that's correct.

Layers are designed so that cells that are alive longer appear in higher layers. Generations now respects that.

Ah that makes sense now.

[muzik]

Can the customization of the Margolus grid be made more in-depth than it is currently?

Not sure I see the need. The Margolus grid defaults to an interval of 2 and tracks the odd/even generations. As long as the interval is 2 any custom grid colours will also track the odd/even generations.

Not neccesarily. The desired effect may be to have both of the grids be different colours, as in this wiki example, while still having the appropriate grids highlighted on the corresponding generations. I think it's also worth pointing out that the margolus neighbourhood isn't necessarily always 2x2 if you're generalising it upwards (assuming I'm actually understanding Margolus correctly), and as such can be 4x4, 6x6, etc, so I personally think that it would be better if the gridmajor was always made to be 2 regardless of theme if a margolus rule is running (at least until we get higher-range margolus-like rules, if we get them).

[rowett]

The desired effect may be to have both of the grids be different colours, as in this wiki example

In that wiki example there are just two grid line colours: red and (kind of) green. The grid lines are static and don't move with odd/even generations.

In LifeViewer for Margolus rules there are also two colours: GRIDMAJOR and GRID. They're currently two different shades of blue but can be anything you like with the COLOR command.

LifeViewer moves the GRIDMAJOR lines each generation so they are always highlighting the current 2x2 blocks.
If you want it not to move I can make that an option.

[muzik]

I'm having a bit of difficulty trying to convey what I'm getting at here, but basically what I'm saying is that the grid that comes with Margolus rules should be considered a completely separate thing from the grid that comes with other rule families that LifeViewer supports so far. So, for example, the Blues theme could have these grid colours specifically for Margolus rules:

Code: Select all

# Type or paste RLE data into this box and click on the View button.
x = 9, y = 5, rule = MargSingRot
$bo3b3o$b3o2bo$2bo!
[[ GRID GRIDMAJOR 2 COLOR GRID 0 63 63 COLOR GRIDMAJOR 0 127 127 COLOR ALIVE 0 255 255 COLOR ALIVERAMP 255 255 255 COLOR BACKGROUND 0 0 0 COLOR DEAD 0 0 255 COLOR DEADRAMP 0 0 127 ]]

...while the grid that normally comes with the Blues theme stays as is.

I'm also trying to say that the Margolus grid should always have a gridmajor of 2, no matter what, since it's integral to these rules being actual Margolus rules. It shouldn't be an arbitrary decision like gridmajor is for other rule families.

[muzik]

I've got one new isotropic alias ready to be added to LifeViewer: https://gitlab.com/apgoucher/catagolue/ ... a4c67ae6c2

Is range>1 2-state 1D rule support planned at all?

[rowett]

Build 396 is now live on the Forums and LifeWiki

Please note: you will need to refresh your browser to use the new build (Ctrl-F5 on Chrome)

Enhancements since the last released build:

• the PopUp Viewer Close button is back and now has a red background
• Margolus patterns now use GRIDMAJOR 2 for all Themes except Custom
• added a new alias

Fixes since the last released build:

• LifeViewer was broken on IE
• fixed Margolus even generation tile issue

The updated hotkey map detailing the LifeViewer keyboard controls is here.

Comments, feedback, suggestions and bug reports welcome!

[rowett]

I've got one new isotropic alias ready to be added to LifeViewer: https://gitlab.com/apgoucher/catagolue/ ... a4c67ae6c2

Added, thanks.

Is range>1 2-state 1D rule support planned at all?

It's on the backlog for investigation.

[muzik]

Stupid nitpick number 13: some errors aren't capitalized properly.

Code: Select all

x = 12, y = 11, rule = Brew5s
3.2B5.2C$.A.2B3.B.2C$BAB4.CBC$.A6.B4$3.2D$.C.2D3.D$DCD5.D$.C6.D!

I've also noticed that multistate patterns get converted into 2-state patterns when a 2-state rule is specified, I assume this is for compatibility with the old MargSingRot posts?

Code: Select all

x = 12, y = 11, rule = Life
3.2B5.2C$.A.2B3.B.2C$BAB4.CBC$.A6.B4$3.2D$.C.2D3.D$DCD5.D$.C6.D!

Also, could "old Generations" (as it currently is in Golly) be added as a theme?

[rowett]

Stupid nitpick number 13: some errors aren't capitalized properly.

Fixed, thanks.

I've also noticed that multistate patterns get converted into 2-state patterns when a 2-state rule is specified, I assume this is for compatibility with the old MargSingRot posts?

Not specifically. LifeViewer will collapse multi-state patterns into 2-state when given a 2-state rule.

Also, could "old Generations" (as it currently is in Golly) be added as a theme?

No I think it's wrong in Golly.

[rowett]

Build 397 is now live on the Forums and LifeWiki

Please note: you will need to refresh your browser to use the new build (Ctrl-F5 on Chrome)

Fixes since the last released build:

• fixed capitalisation on error messages
• fixed crash on attempting to load patterns that are too big

The updated hotkey map detailing the LifeViewer keyboard controls is here.

Comments, feedback, suggestions and bug reports welcome!

[muzik]

When using the T button, can borders of some description be put around the boxes that show up so you know where they end?

[rowett]

Build 398 is now live on the Forums and LifeWiki

Please note: you will need to refresh your browser to use the new build (Ctrl-F5 on Chrome)

Fixes since the last released build:

• fixed an issue where sometimes touch events were deferring clicks

The updated hotkey map detailing the LifeViewer keyboard controls is here.

Comments, feedback, suggestions and bug reports welcome!

[rowett]

When using the T button, can borders of some description be put around the boxes that show up so you know where they end?

I find it less intrusive not to have the boxes.

[rowett]

Build 399 is now live on the Forums and LifeWiki

Please note: you will need to refresh your browser to use the new build (Ctrl-F5 on Chrome)

Enhancements since the last released build:

• Settings menu now has Pattern section
  • Rule (hotkey Alt+"R") prompts for a new rule
  • Save (hotkey Ctrl+"S") saves the current pattern as RLE to the source document node
  • Load (hotkey Ctrt+"O") loads the last saved pattern from the source document node

The updated hotkey map detailing the LifeViewer keyboard controls is here.

Comments, feedback, suggestions and bug reports welcome!

[muzik]

Since all the settings and options are split off into their own sorts of pages now, and since there's more room as a result, could the button names be expanded a bit so they're more descriptive of what they do?

e.g. InfoBar --> Display info bar