The language issue...

Virtual Reality (vrprj@department-computer-studies.napier.ac.uk)
Fri, 15 Jul 94 11:39:07 BST

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I agree - the use of C/C++ and other languages of this sort is simply
too complex, both for interpreting and allowing for general use. However,
perhaps the use of Lisp is also too complex to learn, though interpreting
this is *easy*. Having said that I want to have some sort of control
structure which supports selection and iteration. This will let me do
someting like the following.

If I've got some object and want to make it spin in 5 degree steps until it
reaches 180 degrees, then go back again I might right seomething like this:
(ignoring the finer details of the syntax)

for ever do
for count = 1 to 180 / 5 do
rotate(x, -5);
rotate(y, -5);
rotate(z, -5);
endfor
for count = 1 to 180 / 5 do
rotate(x, 5);
rotate(y, 5);
rotate(z, 5);
endfor
endfor

Of course a behaviour like this would run indefinitly and concurrently with
the rest of the stuff in the Virtual World.

I believe that if all the processing is done on the local client and the server
only sends the client the World description and behaviour code, the client
*will* have the performance to process the graphics. Perhaps the best
approach would be to parse the language into some internal p-code like
representation that can be *quickly* executed, somewhat how REND386 compiles
its animation scripts.

So what da ya think? Is this syntax too complex?

Cheers,

Peter Johnson

================================================================================

Virtual World Design Project
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_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ Department of Computer Science
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Email: vrprj@uk.ac.napier.dcs

"If you give an infinite number of monkeys an infinite number of graphic design
tools, they will produce something infinitely ugly" (Ben Elton 1993)

================================================================================

Cheers,

Peter Johnson

================================================================================

Email: vrprj@uk.ac.napier.dcs

"If you give an infinite number of monkeys an infinite number of graphic design
tools, they will produce something infinitely ugly" (Ben Elton 1993)

================================================================================

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