« on: June 02, 2008, 04:25:25 AM »
I got this email just now:
Dear Friends of GenePool...
Please check out GenePool version 6 - Beta version. It is now available
for the Mac as well as Windows. You can get it here...
http://www.swimbots.com/betaVersion6.html
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Mailing List
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Many of you have corresponded with me over the years regarding Darwin
Pond and the various updates of Gene Pool. Thank you so much for your
suggestions, bug reports, and encouragement. I decided to collect all
your emails into one big pile and send out this notice. If you do not
want to be included in the Gene Pool mailing list, please let me know.
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What's new in version 6?
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* Most important - yet invisible - is the fact that the entire codebase
was re-written from scratch in C++, and the bulk of development was
shifted over to the Mac. From there I make periodic ports to my Windows
version - which is easy thanks to an API that I built (which, by the way
should make it easier to make a Linux version some day). Please know
that this fundamental re-write will help me add the various features you
have been requesting over the years. So, while you may not see your
requested feature, it should be easier to add now.
* Genetic engineering - you can open up the genes of a swimbot and tweak
them in real-time (don't expect it to be intuitive. Hey - it could be
worse - you could be working for Craig Venter).
* More genetic diversity - richer swimbot colors, and more phase-shifty
motions.
* Improved user interface - no longer looks like it was drawn with a
crayon.
* "Freeze Time" - move stuff around while the clock is stopped.
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Known Bugs
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* Sometimes it crashes on Windows for no apparent reason. Fixing this is
my top priority right now. If you have access to a Mac, try it on that -
I (think) it's more stable.
* The new swimbots are more diverse, but a tad sensitive, so the
population dies out more often than in version 5. I will be carefully
tweaking parameters to try to keep populations surviving longer.
* Great Walls not finished yet. (Important? Leave out? Suggests welcome).
* Files incompatible with version 5. If this is important to you, I can
look into this - otherwise, I'd rather not - it's a headache. Also, pool
files don't appear to be working between Mac and Windows - for some
reason. This will be fixed.
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Unknown Bugs
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I'm sure there are bugs and design flaws I haven't noticed yet. Please
let me know if anything weird or annoying happens while running GenePool.
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New Features Still Pending
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The MANY features you have requested are stashed away in my various
emails, in lists, and in my head. I'll try to add a few cool features
from the long list over the next year.
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Open Source?
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At some point in the future, a few select components of GenePool will be
opened for others to contribute code. This might be accompanied by
making Swimbot DNA human-readable and possibly adding a scripting API.
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Fixes During Beta
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Periodic fixes and updates will occur during Beta. Before the year ends,
GenePool 6 will be announced done. I hope we can have some productive
feedback during that time. I will set up a blog to facilitate
discussion. Thanks for your help!
JJ Ventrella
http://www.swimbots.com/betaVersion6.html
http://www.ventrella.com
« Last Edit: June 02, 2008, 04:25:59 AM by Numsgil »
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