7th annual scene.org awards nominees

I have not really checked out any kick ass demos since late 2007. If you don’t know what demos are, you should check it out here.

I’m downloading them right now.

Also, I checked out the crowd rendering demo on ATI’s page — their little Frogblin demo. It is very cool. But, I’m not sure since they are using a continuum based method for global behavior. They also use a local search method which is based on packing objects into little bins. Actually, I had an idea very similar to theirs, but it was not well developed; it is just that I didn’t really delve deeper into what happens when you over-flow the bins. I guess, if it overflows, you would just “miss” some objects around you.

I don’t quite understand it yet, but is it still possible to have local interaction. I.e.: a combination of continuum based behavior with agent based behavior for local interaction?

…

I’ve also been reading up on cellular automatas. My initial idea for using CA’s, is to use them to simulate global dynamics such as pressure waves from explosions and fire spread dynamics. Then, just now, I have an idea about implementing cellular automata A.I, and life–such that you, the player, interacts with these CA based life-form in a sandbox environment (I mean, I have to admit, I’m not sure how fun just killing 1000’s of zombies is–for entertainment and for sanity and for the well-being of my soul). Each CA’s evolution does not have to directly correspond to an entity; that is, a grid element does not have to represent some physical entity in the world. Instead, they can represent global-mind-behavior-state of an entity in the world. Somehow, we can try to map the computations done with CA’s into behaviors of agents. The point to all of this is to have a game –or scenario. We’re hoping to modularize, to allow various game scenarios– where the player interact with these “weird” creatures– creatures that exhibit behaviors bordering on the edge of Order and Chaos! (No–I do not have A CLUE on what I just said, either.)

Effective C++ blurb:

I finally went out and got one of “the” c++ book that every c++ programmer should have on their desks. C++ as a language is unforgiving; it’s the language that allows the programmer to easily shoot one’s self in the foot, due to the myriad ways of doing things, and the kaleidoscopic amount of options. Effective C++ effectively helps the intermediate C++ user to safely navigate the jungle and trap is the powerful and dangerous computer language known as C++.

Thank god there is effective c++ for a noob such as myself. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve programmed my share of C++ programs , and read my C++ references, but I’ve yet to truly master it, since C++ is so difficult. The purview of effective C++ is a collection of best practices for someone who is comfortable with all the features and syntax of the language, but who yearns to be a true master. The book is divided into a series of items, with each items examining a particular aspect of c++, and it’s connections to other “items” of c++.

Going over the items in the content, I recognize many, plus quite a few that I’m not too familiar with. To effectively recognize some of these items one should have gotten it by learning the language, or from “doing” the language. However, the point of interest for me is not that I recognize the items but that I truly master and wholly comprehend the content of these items. To have someone who is is both knowledgeable (i.e. PH.D) and experienced (a master) to put their mastering of a subject beautifully laid out and written on a page, is to help one get closer to achieving the goal of becoming a master. That is, the book’s items bring to the forefront those things that you may vaguely be aware of (with respect to the programming language) and uses but in a way that fully analyzes these concepts in glorious and rigorous detail. And many of the concepts presented in the book one should have some exposure to in a course on Programming Languages taken in college, but the book effectively brings them forward in the light of the concreteness of C++. If not that, it’s a GOOD review!

I truly want to master the art of programming. I view it something that is art which is framed in the frame work of rigorous math and engineering. (In other words I probably need to get a girlfriend, lol). I like to think myself as both a master craftsman and a master artist similar to those of time long past (oookkkayy). And to put it into Eastern philosophical terms, I want to feel the Tao and Zen (my gawd you are stretching it today bud) of programming. But what I really want to do is to make programs that DON’T FREAKING CRASH and is easy to maintain. So Effective C++ effectively brings me one step closer to this goal (and some may argue one step closer towards total insanity.) (Another way to describe it is … it’s Science. It’s something that has a definite set of rules, yet these rules have a myriad of exceptions…So one have to constant experiment, to constantly update one’s purview of the world, to improve!!!)

Effective C++ is a piece to a giant puzzle, the art and craft that is applied Computer Science (by applied CS I mean doing a job that people are paying you for), in the sense that it helps one to master one particular aspect of that trade, namely C++. Together with say study of algorithms, discrete math, (speaking of which, I think I need to buy Art of Programming by Knuth) plus software engineering, combined to form the key which solves this huge yet interesting piece of machinery. (I realllllllyyyyyy need a girlfriend, HAHA. Let’s also see how you feel after 30 years in the field).

I wholly recommend the book.

(Seriously. Maybe many of the things I said above is BS. But really it IS ART. There are the rules, the theories, and then there is reality. The reality is that you have to take in each moment at hand and try to apply everything you’ve experienced up to this moment, in order to “live” in the moment. But you can’t ‘over think it,’ because the moment is so brief, so if you try to ‘chase’ after it you will never get it. So you just have to be yourself and give it all you got! I’m a ZEN master baby… Not.)