"Bald Eagle" <cre### [at] netscapenet> wrote:
> "Kenneth" <kdw### [at] gmailcom> wrote:
>
> Kenneth, this is coming along really well!

Thanks! Every new change that I make leads to another idea that I want to try.
>
> I think Bill Pragnell already mentioned adding a mechanism by which to cluster
> groups of similar-sized buildings - if you use a color-coded map to do
> something like that, you could detail things like high-rises, small
> residential houses, shopping areas with large parking lots, etc - but you
> could also then add in landscape features like trees, rivers, parks, etc.

Hmm, that could take awhile. I wonder how many years I have left to live! :-P I
do LIKE the ideas, though. Not sure about the residental houses and shopping
malls, though; older megalopolis cities (like Manhattan) have such expensive
real-estate that almost everything needs to be built vertically, with
multi-storeys, and crammed together. (I wonder if there is a *one*-storey
building to be found anywhere on that island!)
>
>
> I'm always interested in your approach to handling this - and I'me sure new
> users would be interested in seeing some of the magic behind making something
> like this work, and others would find it easier to solve problems / suggest
> improvements if they had an idea of what your [pseudo]code is.

I originally thought I could put the basic 'single building' SDL code into a
macro, to be duplicated (and easily explained!) Perhaps that's still possible,
but the scene has gotten more and more complex (along with what seems like a
limitation in how POV-Ray's image_pattern works-- a very important part of the
code that I can't seem to simplify.) So right now, it's more like an organic
living 'thing'-- that even *I* don't fully understand, ha. Later on, I *might*
be able to explain the approach I used in a simplified and abstract way; but I'm
still working it all out.

>
> How large can you make this?

Up to the limit of a computer's RAM and hard drive! ;-) I only need to change
one number-- from the current 450 (buildings) up to, say, 10,000, etc. Of
course, the *parse* time is going to increase mightily.

By the way, POV-Ray's 3.7xx 'clockless animation/real-time-raytracing'
experimental feature has come in REALLY handy, for doing quick camera-animation
flyovers of this city scene. It saves SO much extra parsing time. Highly
recommended ;-) (I hope the developers find some way to SAVE the animation
renders as actual image files; currently the fast animation just renders
on-screen.)

> This almost begs one to take on the challenge of a "world-building" scene
> like a video game such as minecraft, etc.
> (I have no idea how so much gets generated and handled with just a tablet or
> cell phone)...

Although I don't know much at all about graphics processing units (GPUs), I
think such seemingly 'infinite' worlds are generated in there, for the most
part. (I'm out of my league with this topic!)
>
> Along those lines, perhaps add in "under construction" as a building type.
>
I like it!!  Didn't think of that. Then it will give me a chance to build some
tall construction cranes too.
>
> Maybe think about doing an old / odd building or two to serve as theaters /
> museums / concert halls, etc.

Yes indeed, if time permits (well, if my patience holds out, ha); the city
definitely needs some 'variety'-- at least some building shapes that aren't just
glorified boxes.

And I'm *still* considering replacing the box shapes with heightfield slabs.

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