versions.txt

动态模拟飞鸟的群体行为

          static controls.
        - Fixed a slight bug which caused a crash when full screen mode was
          repeatedly and rapidly activated in Win98.

v0.52     Start Date: 23/01/2000   Finish Date: 31/01/2000
        - Added extra functionality to enable the states of the boids to be
          saved or loaded to/from a configuration file (.ini).  The file is
          produced in a human readable form, so that settings can be manually
          adjusted.
        - Created an icon for the application.
        - Set the window's client area background brush to a hollow type.
          This helps to prevent overlapping windows erasing the graphics.
        - Added a new dialog box to allow some flyer attributes to be adjusted.

v0.51     Start Date: 24/12/1999   Finish Date: 23/01/2000
        - Re-designed and re-implemented the simulation's multitasking to become
          more responsive and optimized for Windows2000 and NT in general.
          This is considered to be the best approach to take, because of the
          long term shift towards NT based operating systems from Microsoft.
          Doing this helps to ensure the application's longevity.
        - Fixed a slight problem with Windows2000, added code to make the
          display dialog box always appear as the topmost window.
        - Implemented gradual change over of the boids meshes.  This prevents
          the simulation from locking up when changing to a large mesh.
        - Changed from using the MFC timer to using the system clock.  This
          increases accuracy, especially in Windows2000 which didn't work
          properly.
        - Added some code to stop the boids wings from flapping when they are
          prevented from moving by overloading.
        - Added options for the colouring of the solid landscape.  Included an
          option to set the land to a chequered black and white style.
        - Added options for setting the colours of the flyers.  This is needed
          for contrasting the colours to the chequered landscape colours.

v0.5      Start Date: 02/12/1999   Finish Date: 24/12/1999
        - Added a simple pointed brown tower to the landscape, for testing the
          boids new collision avoidance AI to be implemented.
        - Enhanced the accuracy of the landscape collision detection by using
          the correct mathematical 3D plane equations.
        - Added some preliminary landscape tower avoidance AI.
        - Added a proper rectangular tower to the landscape.
        - Tested in Windows 2000 RC2 and found that the thread priorities are
          very different.  But there is no problem in 98 and NT4, therefore
          I have decided to wait for a newer version of Win2000 for testing.
        - Fixed a minor bug with adding too many extra boids via the keyboard.
        - Added a new constant UPWARD_ANGLE_FROM_COLLISION for last resort
          collision avoidance behaviour.
        - Added a new constant SIDE_CLEARANCE_ANGLE for giving the boids some
          very basic side clearance around the towers.

v0.498    Start Date: 11/11/1999   Finish Date: 02/12/1999
        - Added code to prevent the simulation changing the mesh to a type that
          is already in use.
        - Added code to allow the landscape to have a wireframe overlay.
        - Changed the camera menu item from 'From Boid' to 'To Boid'.
        - Added a new constant called MAXIMUM_TIMESPAN to prevent the boids from
          jumping when then next update is delayed.  This improvement also stops
          the boids from being interfered with when their meshes are changed.
        - Set the optimum priority for the rendering thread in NT4 to be
          THREAD_PRIORITY_BELOW_NORMAL, found that one this works the best.
        - Changed the select full screen mode dialog to have the default button
          as Activate mode.  Seems more appropriate and intuitive.
        - Added code to prevent the 'To Boid' camera view from going inside
          the boid.

v0.497    Start Date: 26/10/1999   Finish Date: 11/11/1999
        - Experimented and investigated ways of increasing the responsiveness of
          the user interface sliders.  Decided to place a limit on the minimum
          frame rate to prevent any slow down and crashing.  When the limit is
          exceeded the number of boids will become restricted.
        - Implemented some features to prevent user overloading the simulation.
        - Fixed a bug when adding boids to the scene, have to stop the rendering
          thread while doing this.
        - Added code to destroy the menu when in full screen mode.
        - Added code to re-style the window as a POPUP when in full screen mode.

v0.496    Start Date: 23/10/1999   Finish Date: 26/10/1999
        - Fixed a bug with the update of the static control showing the number
          of flyers active.
        - Added a dialog box that allows the user to select and activate
          available display modes.
        - Tested the display modes in NT4.  Found that low resolution modes were
          a little unstable concerning the restoration of the windowed mode.
        - Tested the display modes dialog in Windows 2000 beta3.  Found that
          the dialog was not properly presented when first created.  It remained
          hidden under the main window.
        - Added menu options and accelerator keys to set the size of the window.

v0.4952   Start Date: 03/10/1999   Finish Date: 23/10/1999
        - Added a Boolean data member to the window class for full screen mode.
        - Added a flag to determine whether the simulation starts up in a window
          or full screen mode.
        - Changed the name of the function OnStop to OnStartStop.
        - Added a menu item to start or stop the simulation.
        - Tested full screen mode in NT5 beta3 and found that if the mouse is
          displayed it interferes with the smoothness of the rendering.  NT4 was
          fine with the mouse present.
        - Added a flag to the main window to state whether to shutdown or not.
        - Added menu items to allow the user to change the display mode.
        - Added code to return the focus back to the main window when one of the
          control panel controls has been used.  This allows the user to press
          the ESC key, especially when in full screen mode.
        - Added code to allow the user to change to full screen mode via the
          menu.
        - Added code to allow the user to change back to windowed mode from full
          screen mode, by pressing the ESC key.
        - Added a colour data member to the flyer boid.
        - Changed the background colour from light grey to a sky light blue.
        - Added a little ambient light to the scene.
        - Fixed a bug when starting up in full screen mode and later changing
          back to windowed mode via the menu.  The restore size of the window
          was invalid.
        - Added the option of making the control panel hide / show via the
          menu bar.
        - Also added the option of showing the control panel on startup via the
          default constants.
        - Improved and experimented with the boid camera views code.
        - Added a new size data member to the flyer class.
        - Added a new getSize member function to the flyer class and updated
          other parts of program code to use it.
        - Fixed the bug when the window is maximised and full screen is set, and
          then windowed is restored to fill the whole screen.
        - Tried to implement ALT + ENTER keyboard command via the GetKeyState
          function but it failed to work properly.
        - Added Accelerator keys and also replaced the previous keyboard event
          handler.
        - Added keyboard control for the slider controls.
        - Changed the parameter on the add & remove flyers methods to the amount
          to add or remove.
        - Added code to stop the simulation while changing the boid's meshes.
        - Fixed a bug with the camera position slider in the NSEW views (a zero
          value).
        - Added code to make the camera rotation slider wrap around smoothly.
        - Added a menu item and keyboard command to centre the camera rotation.
        - Added code to refresh the whole viewport every second, to
          clear up junk.
        - Added code to repaint all the control panel controls every second, to
          clear up junk.

v0.4951   Start Date: 29/09/1999   Finish Date: 03/10/1999
        - Changed the mode of operation to a full screen mode application.
        - Added keyboard functionality to allow the user to press the escape key
          to exit the application.

v0.495    Start Date: 25/09/1999   Finish Date: 29/09/1999
        - Added extra boid mesh shape options that can be activated by the menu.
        - Added animated flapping wings to a selectable boid mesh.
        - Experimented with increasing the precision of the maths to prevent any
          juddering when viewed from a boid camera position.  But found that the
          best improvement was to run the simulation in Windows NT for great
          smoothness.  Therefore I left the maths precision as it was
          previously.
        - Changed name from BoidsObj to BoidsFlyer.
        - Improved land collision detection, by performing a coordinate check on
          the selected patch.
        - Improved collision avoidance with the landscape by increasing the rate
          of change of velocity of the boids.  This allows them to turn faster.
        - Added a new constant to the flyer boid for the acceleration rate.
        - Added another new constant for the flying boids clearance distance
          from the landscape.

v0.4944   Start Date: 14/09/1999   Finish Date: 25/09/1999
        - Implemented a second thread for the D3D rendering and GUI update.
          This solves the problem of the about box erasing the rendered image,
          also the disruption and timing interference when manipulating the
          window.  This addition works very well in Windows 2000 which is good
          for future usage.
        - Found that also using the onIdle function to render in addition to the
          rendering thread, can increase the frame rates in Windows 98.
          No problems encountered with this in all the other versions of
          Windows.
        - Fixed the problems of using the camera on a boid with zero
          boids in use.
        - Fixed the problem of using the GUID, by including the proper library.
        - Cleaned up and sorted the header files and libraries used.
        - Fixed a shutdown bug in Windows 98, concerning waiting for the
          rendering thread to finish properly.
        - Changed the menu item called Render to Objects.
        - Changed the static label from number of objects to number of flyers.
        - Added an extra slider that controls the rotation of the camera views.
        - Added a button to quickly centre the camera rotation slider.
        - Added a stop/restart button.