
                         Ant - Walk
                         ==========

                          Freeware


                   1994 (C) Eero Tamminen
                    (t150315@cc.tut.fi)



FILES
        Ant.acc         Ant accessory (or prg) with AES output
        Ant_2.rsc       resource for the above
        Antti.prg       Ant application with VDI output
        Antti.rsc       resource for the above
        Ant.txt         This text


DESCRIPTION (more about ant.acc)

This is a simulation of an imaginary Ant walking on a grid. A square
will change it's value (k = k + 1 modulo n) when the Ant passes over
it. From the main dialog you can select the size of the grid where
Ant will walk and the sequence of movements that ant will repeat.

You can change movement arrows by clicking on them. Arrows represent
the sequence of movements (move to the cell on the left or right)
of the Ant.

Selected arrow indicates how much of the sequence is to be used
(from the leftmost one up to selected one). This will also dictate
the modulo value n in the 'Chaotic' mode. In the normal mode n
will be eight.

If Ant bumbs into a border while 'Boundary' option is set, it
first tries to turn to another side and if it doesn't work,
it changes it's direction.

In 'Chaotic' mode Ant's movement will be extracted from the movement
sequence position k. In a normal mode movement is extracted from the
movement sequence position given by modulo n of the movement counter.

You can use either colors or rasters to indicate values of the
squares.

I don't recommend on using the 'Hidden' option (calculate Ant's
movements when it's window isn't on top) with 'Fast' option (mayby
not with the 'Medium' option either) as then Ant will respond very
badly to GEM events (top window, redraw) due to the outrageous
frequency of timer events....


There are two programs for 'doing the Ant walk': 'Ant' - which I
have described above + 'Antti' - a version that doesn't conform to
GEM guidelines as well as 'Ant', but is *much* faster and grid can
be as small or large as you can fit on your screen. Antti's resource
should also be more 'low-resolution friendly' than Ant's. You might
try eg. LRRLL (6) sequence, it's a one that expands remarkably slow.

----------------------------------------------------------------------


These programs were programmed with Gfa Basic 3.5. Ant.acc should not use
anything other that AES functions (not even VDI). Therefore I believe
that program to be quite compatible. It works both as an accessory and
as a normal application. There's a resource supplied for ST-monochrome.
On other resolutions you probably have to modify configuration and help
dialogs so that all the objects will finely fit into it. You could also
just rename ant_2.rsc to ant_x.rsc, x being the number that xbios(4)
returns on the resolution you use (you'll see it from the Ant alertbox),
but then the forementioned dialogboxes will look quite ugly.

Standard disclaimers apply ie. Programmer isn't responsible for any
damages, loss of money, sleep etc. caused by the presence or the
proper or improper use of these programs.

This software is provided in a belief that it will produce amusement,
but that isn't guaranteed ;-).

For more info on the subject of Chaotic 'Ant' walks, read
'The Mathematical Intelligencer' journal volume 16.

PS. Version numbers refer to the number of full days spent on the
program ;-).


        - Eero -        2.5.1994
