TODEPOND TIMES: Creating Connection

Hello everyone! It's that time again. Time for the weekly...

🐸 TODEPOND TIMES 🐸

What's new this week?

Creating

I've been building an engine called Arroost for the next video. This week, I added the ability to create new shapes, which will serve as the building blocks for how your program runs.

I want them to feel like real tangible objects, so I've made it so you can chuck them across the screen. They have a bit of weight to them, and can slide around the place.

I did the same thing for CellPond! I don't want the interfaces of my programs to feel like 'computer menus'. I want it to feel like you're playing with some physical objects - some toys. As if you're building with Lego bricks. Or interacting with an odd-looking Bop It.

And I made the camera work in the same way. When you zoom in or out, it moves smoothly, and glides a bit before stopping.

Point

I should probably actually explain how Arroost is going to work. It's all about 'pointing'.

In the engine, there are various different types of arrow. And all of these arrows can 'fire' in their own way. For example, some of them fire when you click on them. Some of them fire when they move in a cellular automata grid.

When an arrow fires, it *does something*. For example, some arrows make a noise. Some arrows create more arrows.

When an arrow fires, it also fires anything else that it points to. It could point to just one other arrow, or many, or even itself.

This 'firing' happens instantly. An arrow fires on the same beat as what it points to.

But you can change the connection, and make it fire one beat *later* instead. This lets you set up chains of events. One arrow fires, then the next, then the next. You can make loops with this quite easily. Just point an arrow back to itself at some point.

Here's the fun bit: Just like you can make an arrow fire one beat *later*, you can also make it fire one beat *earlier*. An arrow in the future can make an arrow fire in the past. This seems to break the rules of causation! But it doesn't, and it's possible, and I'm really excited about it.

Thank you for reading my little weekly update! And thank you so much for your support. It really means the world to me. I hope you have a great week, wherever you are in the world. 🐸👉👉

Days since tode fell asleep: 101 days
Days since bot went missing: 66 days