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Ups and Downs
Feb. 23rd, 2010 07:12 pmThe euphoria of yesterday was spawned, mainly, by success in adding some graphics algorithms to the package I'm assembling. The routines I wrote yesterday can take the output of my earlier work and transform it into a picture of the paths as they snake around the polyhedra. This lets me visually check the results, which is satisfying, plus it's just cool. ("Give me the geodesic beginning on this edge of this deltahedron, using that generator." "Yes, master!" and it blooms in red and blue on my screen.)
The fly in the ointment is the fact that you can't draw a path on a polyhedron if you can't draw the polyhedron itself. The calculations necessary to do this can get a little on the hairy side, although the practiced eye can thread through, gaining ground in easy stages. (I've done them by hand for most of the deltahedra on my list, but even the icosahedron would be trouble, let alone W's 48-sided construction.) Trying to transfer that eye to the computer is a daunting task, but I need that speed if I'm to look at anything more complicated than I've already done.
I spent much of today beating my head against that particular wall. I've pretty much decided that the entire approach I was taking needs to be scrapped, in favor of... well, I don't quite know yet. I have an idea or two, but implementing them will be tricky.
The fly in the ointment is the fact that you can't draw a path on a polyhedron if you can't draw the polyhedron itself. The calculations necessary to do this can get a little on the hairy side, although the practiced eye can thread through, gaining ground in easy stages. (I've done them by hand for most of the deltahedra on my list, but even the icosahedron would be trouble, let alone W's 48-sided construction.) Trying to transfer that eye to the computer is a daunting task, but I need that speed if I'm to look at anything more complicated than I've already done.
I spent much of today beating my head against that particular wall. I've pretty much decided that the entire approach I was taking needs to be scrapped, in favor of... well, I don't quite know yet. I have an idea or two, but implementing them will be tricky.
