Pattern viewer for forum threads

[rowett]

I've run into trouble sometimes, though not right now for some reason, getting to any lazyslug.no-ip.biz URL without triggering some kind of "this site may be a source of malware" warning...

When I was updating the website some weeks ago to use SSL I changed the redirect mechanism from lazyslug.com -> lazyslug.no-ip.biz. This could be why it's no longer triggering the warning.

[rowett]

Build 436 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 tab position on scaled window for error messages
• remove focus from embedded Viewer after [[ THUMBLAUNCH ]]
• fixed resizing bounding box after some editor actions

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

Comments, feedback, suggestions and bug reports welcome!

[muzik]

Will range-2 von Neumann isotropic non-totalistic rules be supported by LifeViewer? It seems as though the Feb 24th notation is pretty much agreed upon to be the official notation now, so that's what could be used, unless it is found to conflict with other notations and needs modification.

I'm also encountering a weird bug right now where LifeViewer only visually updates and evolves patterns when the page is scrolling. Honestly right now I think your best option is to have LifeViewer display a large, vulgar error message if it detects that it's running on iOS, given that iOS seems to be breaking everything it tries to load in extremely irritating ways that would take ages to fix were I to list everything i've found that the iOS update has broken so far.

[rowett]

Will range-2 von Neumann isotropic non-totalistic rules be supported by LifeViewer? It seems as though the Feb 24th notation is pretty much agreed upon to be the official notation now, so that's what could be used, unless it is found to conflict with other notations and needs modification.

Possibly but there's a lot on the backlog so it won't be soon.

I'm also encountering a weird bug right now where LifeViewer only visually updates and evolves patterns when the page is scrolling. Honestly right now I think your best option is to have LifeViewer display a large, vulgar error message if it detects that it's running on iOS, given that iOS seems to be breaking everything it tries to load in extremely irritating ways that would take ages to fix were I to list everything i've found that the iOS update has broken so far.

Do you know which build that behaviour started? Which version of iOS are you using? I don't have an iPad so my iOS testing is on an iPhone 6 and I don't see the problem you're describing.

[muzik]

I'd hazard a guess of build 419, but I'm more sure it's iOS at fault since I wasn't noticing this issue to my knowledge before the update. I also can't reproduce the effect consistently either, which isn't fun.

[muzik]

Extremely minor and insignificant bug: the red X to close button in the settings menu seems to be slightly higher up in position than the play pattern backwards button.

[toroidalet]

Can you fix the bug where only state 1 shows up for patterns in invalid rules, or is that one of those "me bugs"?

[rowett]

Can you fix the bug where only state 1 shows up for patterns in invalid rules, or is that one of those "me bugs"?

Please post an example.

[muzik]

Can you fix the bug where only state 1 shows up for patterns in invalid rules, or is that one of those "me bugs"?

Isn't that the result of an intentional feature so that stuff like Margolus rules that use multiple states in Golly can be run using the one state in LV?

[rowett]

Build 437 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 Oscillator and Spaceship period detection
  • toggle with Settings->Pattern->Identify (hotkey F6)
  • once enabled just run the pattern (at any STEP speed)
  • will detect oscillators and spaceships up to a period of 2^20 generations
  • Help->Info->Identify shows last search result

Fixes since the last released build:

• adjusted position of Close Window button
• multi-state patterns with invalid rules were displaying as 2-state

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

Comments, feedback, suggestions and bug reports welcome!

[muzik]

That's awesome.

It doesn't work for spaceships in 1D rules, though, due to their representation.

Code: Select all

 x = 1, y = 50, rule = W2
o!

Could it be made to also calculate the mod of patterns, as well as provide simplified speeds alongside the unsimplified speeds?

Code: Select all

x = 6, y = 5, rule = B3/S23
3bo$bo3bo$o$o4bo$5o!

[rowett]

It doesn't work for spaceships in 1D rules, though, due to their representation.

No and it won't.

Could it be made to also calculate the mod of patterns, as well as provide simplified speeds alongside the unsimplified speeds?

Possibly to the first, and yes to the second.

[toroidalet]

Rules that start with R are still displayed as 2-state rules, and patterns in invalid rules are not displayed at all at zoom levels below -1.0 (zoomed out more than 1 pixel/cell).
Test cases:

Code: Select all

x = 2, y = 1, rule = Rule
ABC!

Code: Select all

x = 2, y = 1, rule = R5B3C3
ABC!

This variant is a fringe bug of little importance (it displays all extra states as the biggest state, although that might be a palette thing):

Code: Select all

x = 2, y = 1, rule = R5,C3
ABCDE!

And the zoom bug (without the state 2 cell, it just displays it as if it's in a 1-state rule):

Code: Select all

x=1,y=1, rule = y
2555AB

[muzik]

It'd be pretty awesome if this new feature could go full-on Oscillizer, spitting out all the values that oscillizer can for patterns, and for any rule as well. Of course, that's a pretty ginormous ask, and I doubt it's something we'll be seeing soon. (Would be super useful for filling in the wiki, though!)

Can the canonical notation for 1D Wolfram rules be made to include a range parameter (which is always set to 1 for now) for the future 1D rule family you mentioned implementing earlier?

[rowett]

Build 438 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 various rendering issues for patterns with invalid rules

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

Comments, feedback, suggestions and bug reports welcome!

[rowett]

It'd be pretty awesome if this new feature could go full-on Oscillizer, spitting out all the values that oscillizer can for patterns, and for any rule as well. Of course, that's a pretty ginormous ask, and I doubt it's something we'll be seeing soon. (Would be super useful for filling in the wiki, though!)

I'll take a look.

Can the canonical notation for 1D Wolfram rules be made to include a range parameter (which is always set to 1 for now) for the future 1D rule family you mentioned implementing earlier?

Probably not because it would break old patterns and pasting between different tools.

[muzik]

On the topic of pattern analysis, could it also generate an apgcode for periodic patterns which then links to the pattern's catagolue page?

[rowett]

Build 439 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:

• Identify now adds the following metrics to Help->Info->Identify:
  • Type (Still Life [0], Oscillator [1] or Spaceship [2])
  • Cells (number of live cells) or if different:
    • Min Cells and Max Cells [1][2]
  • Bounding_box
  • Direction (Orthogonal, Diagonal or Oblique) [2]
  • Period [1][2]
  • Slope [2]
  • Speed (simplified) [2]
  • Heat [1][2]
  • Generation (the start and end generation of detection)

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

Comments, feedback, suggestions and bug reports welcome!

[muzik]

Brilliant! There's still a few things I want to see though, just so we can fill in as much of the lifewiki infobox as possible:

- Volatility
- Strict volatility
- Minimum rule and maximum rule, both outer totalistic and isotropic non totalistic
- apgcode (perhaps linking to the appropiate catagolue page?)

Also, could the information be made to be displayed while using Identify, in a sort of table, so you don't need to navigate to help to see it? Maybe opening a sort of blank page that then gets filled in with the data rather than just remaining on the pattern menu.

[rowett]

Build 440 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:

• Identify improvements:
  • automatically starts searching at full STEP speed
  • stops playback when finished
  • displays table of results
  • autofits display to result
  • clicking Settings->Pattern->Identify will now close Settings menu
  • Reset to hide table of results

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

Comments, feedback, suggestions and bug reports welcome!

[muzik]

Can it be made to report the following oblique displacements?

(2n,n) = knightwise
(3n,n) = camelwise
(4n,n) = giraffewise
(5n,n) = ibiswise
(6n,n) = flamingowise
(3n,2n) = zebrawise
(4n,3n) = antelopewise

Also, a bug: using identify on the viewer on this page reports a still life.
https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/60P312

[rowett]

Build 441 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:

• improved hash function
• fixed bounding box for oscillators
• fix Identify not working with Themes with no history

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

Comments, feedback, suggestions and bug reports welcome!

[rowett]

Also, a bug: using identify on the viewer on this page reports a still life.

Fixed, thanks for reporting!

[rowett]

Build 442 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:

• IE11 compatibility fix

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

Comments, feedback, suggestions and bug reports welcome!

[rowett]

Build 443 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 Volatility to Identify output for Oscillators

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

Comments, feedback, suggestions and bug reports welcome!