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Dec 12, 2002, 4:14pm

Greetings again fellow AW users,
Thanks for helping me better understand lag for building. I was wondering
once again. In some of my builds, I get cracks in them small enough so that
even ctrl+shift cannot fix them. Yes, I am also aware that if you use shifts
during building it can set a pattern off. But I remember being told a while
back that on lesser comps, a small small decimal point is off, therefore
causing cracks. I happen to have a cruddy computer. So I was wondering if
there is anyway to reduce cracks, any setting I can use or just tricks I
don't know of. Once again, I do understand the basics such as not to use
shifts when your building too often. So please no 'learn how to build
n00bie' replies. Thanks guys!
-Seiya Faye

Dec 12, 2002, 4:55pm

if i remember correctly some of the older objects are a bit off size and
dont line up perfectly.... happens to my "not so lesser" computer too ;o)

Dec 12, 2002, 7:42pm

Yes, there is a way, if you do it when you start the build.

Select your starter object and then press the "5" key on the numeric keypad (Snap to Grid) and then hold the Ctrl (control) key and press the "5" key on the numeric keypad again (Reset Rotation). Then close the Object Properties dialog box to send your changes to the world server, and when you reselect the object you'll be ready to go. :)

TechnoZeus


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Dec 12, 2002, 7:48pm

Decemal points?

AW is based on 2 integers combined into a long...

For example 1n isnt 1.000.. its 1000 ^_^

- Me
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Dec 12, 2002, 8:27pm

Since the output of a transister is read as one of a limited number (2 or 3) of "states" all digital computers work exclusively with integers at the lowest level. How those integers are represented to the outside world depends on the software that gets to decide how to convert, translate, or interpret them for us. For example, a floating poing number can be represented internally by a signed integer mantissa multiplied by a signed integer power of 2, and a signed integer can be represented by an unsigned integer acting as the positive part, added to the product of a single bit (0 or 1) and a fixed negative number. Letters and symbols are also represented internally by unsigned integers.... in fact, everything is. Even a floating point co-processor or the floating point unit of a modern microprocessor deals "internally" only with numeric values that can be represented by base 2 numbers consisting of strings of the digits 1 and 0 and nothing else.

That out of the way, here's how it works in Active Worlds. The integers used for the positioning of objects represent centimeters from ground zero. A single click moves an object 0.5 meters, which is 50 centimeters or 0.05 dekameters... and yes there is a decimal point in the number, if I represent the distance in units larger than centimeters or not evenly divisable by a centimeter. Anyway, holding the Shift key allows you to move an object only 5 centimeters, and if you rotate an object, you can move if approximately 5 centimeters in a non-orthagonal direction. For example an object rotated one click or 150 internal rotation units (tenths of a degree) or in other words, 15 degrees from North, and then moved forward a single shift click (about 5 centimeters) at a direction of North plus 15 degrees, "should" actually be moved about 4.8296 centimeters North and about 1.294 centimeters West, but when you place the object these numbers have to be rounded to whole centimeters so some accuracy is lost there. Notice that this object would then have mover 1 centimeter West, which is smaller than the 5cm distance of a shift click. Notice also that if they made it possible to move a single centimeter at such an angle much more accuracy would be lost. Top that off with the fact that the rotation units used internally are tenths of a degree, so there are 3600 of them in a full circle of arc, and I think it's pretty easy to see why such small gaps can happen if you don't at least reset the initial object's rotation before you start.

TechnoZeus

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Dec 12, 2002, 8:43pm

I think it was probabaly a metaphor Mark.

Dec 12, 2002, 9:04pm

Sooooo, how come the database is integer based?

- Mark

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Dec 12, 2002, 11:09pm

As I said, the database holds your position in centimeters North from ground Zero, centimeters West from ground zero, and centimeters Up from ground zero, and your orientation in tenths of a degree from facing North... all as integers.

TechnoZeus

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Dec 14, 2002, 3:44am

Thanks for the lesson on bits and bytes. I'm surprised you didn't go into
invigorating topic of the mantissa.

Call me small minded but I think most of that was obvious.... :-)

-J

--






~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jeremy Booker - Owner
JTech Web Systems
www.JTechWebSystems.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for
tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day
has enough trouble of its own." -Mathew 5:34
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Dec 14, 2002, 6:35am

I thought so too, until the question "Sooooo, how come the database is integer based?" was asked... So I answered it. Would anyone like a lesson on mantissas now? :)

Seriously though, sometimes someone can have knowledge of something but just not have the perspective necessary to apply that knowledge, and sometimes someone can have the perspective but be missing some key piece of knowledge. Also, if one person gets up the guts to ask something, they're rarely the only person wondering about it... so I tried to give a response that covers the topic accurately and in enough detail to answer a few unasked questions along with the one that had been asked.

Different topics come more naturally to different people, and most people tend to learn those topics that do come naturally much more quickly if they're not affraid to ask questions. Some day when another topic is being discussed, it may be your turn to ask... or maybe my turn. :)

TechnoZeus

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