pouët.net

Boxplorer: an interactive intro ;-)

category: gfx [glöplog]
@psionice, @svo: I'd like to make it run on OSX, but have no means to debug it - if you could help, please do. Platform-specific code is only in shader_procs.h.
added on the 2010-09-08 09:38:02 by rrrola rrrola
I'll take a look. Need to get it to compile first :)
added on the 2010-09-08 11:51:51 by psonice psonice
...and it compiles and runs. Had to fuck around plenty with sdl first - the solution was to rename the main function in shadershrink.c. Otherwise it was finding duplicate _SDL_main symbols, which doesn't make much sense, but hey these things aren't logical ;)

It looks pretty glitchy / possibly broken, showing an empty black window but a mandelbox fractal shows now and then so it's obviously running the shader and outputting an image now and then. I'll have a proper look at lunch time, running this during work time might get me in trouble ;)
added on the 2010-09-08 12:16:59 by psonice psonice
Ah, now I look stupid. The black window with flashes of fractal was... me moving the mouse around, so it was randomly looking at black space or fractal. Doh!

Anyway, it runs fine on mac now. I get a respectable 1.5fps on the initial view, at 640x480 on a radeon 2400. That's pretty bottom end video card, it should be a lot faster on anything recent or decent. I'll package + upload in a bit.
added on the 2010-09-08 13:18:16 by psonice psonice
Mac port: http://www.interealtime.com/Boxplorer.dmg

It should run by just double-clicking the app, but I guess you'll need to go command line to load a config file (not tested it). And hopefully it doesn't require the sdl framework to be installed. Maybe it requires 10.6, can't remember what I set it to.

Oh, and press esc key twice to quit (I thought it'd crashed when single esc didn't work, always read the docs first etc.)
added on the 2010-09-08 13:36:25 by psonice psonice
...yep, config loading from command line works fine. If you copy the .app out of the dmg and run it, it'll save a file called last.cfg alongside the app (saves writing your own).

Also, after playing with it at 320x240 for a bit and adjusting the iteration count for speed or quality.. this rules!

Improvement suggestion: reduce the iteration count while moving, then increase it when stopped (I did this when I wrote a mandelbrot explorer a while back, but with 0.5x resolution while moving, full res + aa while stopped).
added on the 2010-09-08 14:06:23 by psonice psonice
I don't know if it's the Mac-port or not, but is it not possible to zoom in?
added on the 2010-09-08 14:21:51 by gloom gloom
it's done with the right mouse bu... oh. sorry.
added on the 2010-09-08 14:25:15 by Gargaj Gargaj
gloom: read the docs first, not last :) Should be left button to 'move' in, I think it's f+up/down arrows to actually zoom (change fov).
added on the 2010-09-08 14:28:29 by psonice psonice
shadershrink.c is a standalone utility, it doesn't have to be linked in.

Features I want to add:
  • FPS hacks. In deep zooms, high iter count is necessary, but lowering the resolution is a nice idea. I'll also try progressive rendering (the Windows port of Puls renders in 4×4 blocks and refines on edges).
  • Fractalforums guys want interpolation between saved configs (Catmull-Rom would be nice).
  • Mandelbox hybrids look awesome (each iteration has its own parameters).
added on the 2010-09-08 14:38:28 by rrrola rrrola
I'm usually moving using Alt.
added on the 2010-09-08 14:45:47 by rrrola rrrola
gargaj: the Mac has had rightclicks for... ages. :) Even the joke is getting old now.

psonice: oh, I don't mean changing FOV, I mean actually going into the structure and having it "zoom in" like a regular fractal.
added on the 2010-09-08 14:47:56 by gloom gloom
Also, judging from the comments, I should really make a HUD with controls and all the parameters.
added on the 2010-09-08 14:47:57 by rrrola rrrola
@gloom: press F to set FOV mode, then use the up arrow key to zoom in.
added on the 2010-09-08 14:49:18 by rrrola rrrola
I think alt mode should be default, but keep the 'look around while moving in straight line' using alt. A HUD would be good.

It wouldn't take much to rewrite this as a proper osx app actually, maybe I'll do that once it's stable.
added on the 2010-09-08 15:13:17 by psonice psonice
must thumb up...must thumb up...
added on the 2010-09-08 16:08:21 by auld auld
wowy..
added on the 2010-09-08 19:10:14 by 4kum4 4kum4
Anyone care to tell me how to compile boxplorer under linux? :)
added on the 2010-10-20 10:53:34 by psonice psonice
Quote:
gcc -lSDL -lGL boxplorer.c -o boxplorer
added on the 2010-10-20 11:27:53 by ringofyre ringofyre
cool, thanks :D
added on the 2010-10-20 11:34:12 by psonice psonice
Thanks go to joooo.
Wouldn't compile for me but my graphics is crap so opengl struggles. Good luck....
added on the 2010-10-20 11:56:10 by ringofyre ringofyre
It's not me trying it (I'm on mac and have a working port already :) but another guy, who was showing a nice mandelbox render he's using to test the speed of his new box. It took an hour to render :O And he has an nice new nvidia 460 card in it. Something must be done!
added on the 2010-10-20 12:17:41 by psonice psonice
running at around 20-25 FPS when inside the mandelbox @ 1920x1080 on a Radeon HD 5870
added on the 2010-10-21 03:46:35 by olivil olivil
So yeah, the Amazing Boxplorer ;-) is now on sourceforge.

Anyone wants to contribute ports|shaders|ideas|code? Psionice?
added on the 2010-12-04 15:02:49 by rrrola rrrola
rrrola never stops entertaining. i like it!
added on the 2010-12-04 15:40:49 by superplek superplek

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