Code center > Suggestions

how about some demo settings?

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Griz:
a suggestion.

how about including a start.settings file with a new version ...
one that will adjust the settings to those that are not skewed to one end
or the other of the spectrum ... settings that take a middle-of-the-road
approach if you will ... settings that give the new user unfamiliar with all
the controls a chance of starting a sim that is going to function with a
minimum of problems?

it's all well and good for those of you who program the physics and controls
and know what they do and how they affect the performance of bots to just
wing it ...
but that doesn't do much to help the new user coming into this cold ...
who hasn't had a chance to explore the controls, or have any idea yet of
how they work or affect the bots and the simulation.
what many of you take for granted ... or as obvious ...
may not appear to be that at all to someone unfamiliar with the program.

these settings could consist of a particular enviorinment and include a bot or
two to give a decent demo of how DB should function ...
nothing flash or fancy ...
just a little starter kit, if you will ...
that one would not have to tweak just to get working.

I can tell you from my own experience, and observing the problems that
other new users encounter even trying to get it to run out of the box ...
that DB is not at all user friendly ...
not to someone just coming in with no clue as to what NOT to have the
controls set to.
it is indeed a complicated sim with many controls ...
and that's good ... IF one knows what they do and how they function.
otherwise it's pretty overwelming ...
esp when the functions seem to change with every update. ;)

in fact, why not include a few demo sets ...
ones known to you to work? ...
to give the newbie a fighting chance without having to reinvent the
wheel just to get it to run.
once it works, then the user can begin to tweak some of the settings to
explore futher.
 
so I'm only asking those of you who are 'in the know' ...
to put yourself into the shoes of someone coming in cold ...
and take them into consideration ...
to make an effort to make things a little more user friendly.
if you want to bring more folks onboard ...
and support your cause ...
how about giving them a foot up getting started?

is this an unreasonable request?
I know I would have appreciated such a thing ...
still would in fact ... ;)
 
thanks

shvarz:
Finally we are getting somewhere.  The first meaningful post from Griz!

Yes, we need that.  Actually the default settings work more or less OK, although they have a boring bot (T-perseverance), but they work.  Having more fun (and diverse) settings files would be a big plus.

I'm going to start working on that.

Numsgil:
I've wanted to do this for a while, but it's really alot more complicated than it seems.  What sorts of bots do you include?  What's the first simulation you want people to run?

If someone can put together an actual directory (with program, text files, read me's, sample bots, simulations, and settings) that they think should be a main install, I'll post it on the FTP.

shvarz:
I'll just choose some bots arbitrarily, start sim, make sure it runs OK with cycles and such and then save the sim.  This way all people would need is a saved sim, no need for folders, bots etc...  Then I'll add the description files for those sims.  That should get any sane person going :)

Griz:

--- Quote ---What's the first simulation you want people to run?
--- End quote ---

nothing exotic ...
just one that that has reasonable settings and is stable ...
a demo that works for a lot of cycles without an error ...
a benchmark, some standard to measure against.
then the tweaks and alterations and experimenting can begin ...
and if an error/bug then crops up ...
we have a reasonable idea of what setting changes may have led to it.
just a place to start.

and of course ...
then there can be interesting settings/environments/environments ...
that people discover along the way ...
that lead to interesting behaviors or bot relationships ...
and a place to share those ...
see if others can duplicate them or what variations they discover.
make it a DB lab.

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