instructions.txt

这个是用Visual Basic写的一个机器人程序

Instructions
------------

Botz are made up of vertices (or vertexes) and links.  Vertices
have mass and are weighed down by gravity.  Links work like springs
and they bind the vertices together. 



Let's create a simple object:
----------------------------

1) First of all, click the New button or select New from the 
   File menu to clear the scene.

2) Left click anywhere on the "playing field".  This will create  
   one vertex.

3) Move your mouse around, you will notice that a line attached
   to the newly created vertex will follow you around.

4) Click anywhere else on the playing field.  This will create
   a second vertex with a link attaching the two vertices.
   If you had right clicked here it would cancel the creation of 
   the link, Leaving one unattached vertex 

5) Make a third Vertex (attached to the second) and then click
   on the first vertex you made.  You'll notice that you now have
   a triangle with a vertex at each point.  Right-click to cancel
   a new link creation and go on to step 5.

6) Click on the simulate button.  It is the fifth from the left on
   the toolbar.  Its the one with the picture of a green arrow on
   it.

7) Play with your triangle a little,  you can grab it by its
   vertices and move it around.  When you're ready to make a new
   object or edit your current object, click the construct button.
   The construct button looks like a hammer and a wrench and is the
   fourth button from the right on the toolbar.

8) Play with the Gravity indicator, it controls how much gravity
   there is and whether the gravity pulls up or down.



Making muscles:
--------------

1) Load or create any object.

2) In construct mode, click on the middle of one of the links.  If 
   you have trouble finding it, select "Link Handles" from the view
   menu.

3) Look at the graph in the lower right hand corner of the window.
   This is the muscle simulator.  Click and drag around on this 
   window and you'll notice a peak following your cursor around.
   This peak controls during what time and how hard the muscle will
   push or pull.  
   By right clicking and dragging, you can control how gradually
   the link will reach its longest/shortest state.
   You should be able to figure this out, I realize this isn't a 
   very good explanation but it IS pretty hard to explain :)



Bells and whistles:
------------------

- The big red X button will delete a link or vertex, whatever is
  selected at the time.  Remember you must be in contruct mode to
  select things.

- The box to the left of the muscle simulator will give you extra
  info on the link or vertex thats selected.  You can type values 
  into this box as well.

- The Wheel button is next to the delete button.  Select a vertex
  and try it out.  Wheels have no friction against floors or walls
  because they spin :)

- The button that looks like a planet is the Global Variables 
  button.  With it you can change things like Gravity, 
  Air resistance, Wind, etc etc.  

- You may be wondering about that reset links button.  What that does
  is make whatever length the link is right now, the links default 
  length.  The usefullness of this won't be apparent until you go
  into construct mode and reshape your object, only to have it snap
  back to its old shape once you click Simulate.
  Hit reset links after you reshape it and everything will be dandy.

- When you wanna save your stuff hit the save button or select save
  from the drop down menu.



What do I do now?
-----------------

Play around, enjoy yourself.  See if you can make a walker.  
Also, try out sodaconstructor.  http://www.sodaplay.com
This program is based on it.  Its java and will load in your
browser.  The interface is pretty much the same but you can't
save your robots on it.  (Partly the reason I wrote this ;)



Future Stuff:
------------

Dynamic Air Resistance - This should have been in this version
          but I just couldn't get rid of the bugs.  Basically
          air resistance applies more to vertices attached to 
          links that are longer, and which are moving in a 
          certain direction.
          Anyways the point of that is that it should allow the
          creation of bird-bots.  
          (Bots that flap their wings and fly)

Terrain-  Hills, stairs, etc.  Things that botz can climb over, 
          hang from, jump over.  For some reason this code is 
          much harder to devise than the code for the walls and 
          floor.  It will be awhile, if ever.

Bot Warz- Since I started I've dreamed of having matches where 
          two bots try to knock each other over.
          In order for this to work I have to be able to prevent
          a vertex from passing through a link.  Which is harder
          to code than it sounds!



Questions/Comments?
------------------

Drop me a line at [e-mail].
Please go easy on the bug reports.  If its not a big deal and you
can get around it, or if you can't replicate it, don't tell me
about it.  Thanks :)

On the other hand if you're a programmer and you've made an 
improvement to the code, don't hesitate to let me know, I'll 
include it in my code and give you some recognition.