Over The Top

Welcome back to another weekly rendition of the...

🔮🐸 TODEPOND TIMES 🐸🔮

What's new this week?

Spellular Automata

The vote for what video I make has been open for two weeks now. And it seems quite clear that the winner is... 🔮 Spellular Automata! In this video, I'll showcase how to make some more mind-bending and magical elements in CellPond.

My old video, 🤖 Nothing, showed the beginner-basics of what you can make in the engine (though some of it was still quite confusing). The new video will take things a lot further, including much more of a focus on splitting+merging cells. It also means that I'll need to carry on developing CellPond! Stay on the lookout for more features and bug fixes.

If your favourite choice didn't win, or you haven't voted yet, don't fear! I do hope to eventually make ALL of those videos (in some form), and your votes help me to gather your preferences+views. 🎵 Arrows in Arrows in Arrows was a close runner-up. So was 📕 Define Define, which was a bit of a surprise to me.

I also noticed that some people were very keen for 💡 Free Will to win - with multiple people voting for that (and ONLY that). I hear you! And I also hear you if you voted for any of the other choices. Every option got a good handful of support! Great! I'm pleased that these video concepts appeal to you.

The Top

But first of all... I need to finish and release the next video, 📺 Screens in Screens in Screens. I've done a lot of work on getting the new engine ready, which is called ScreenPond. You can now draw screens in the engine, which lets you make some weird-looking fractals, and the droste effect.

I've also been mapping out the video itself. I originally planned the last three videos at the same time. 🤖 Nothing, ✨ NEW Cellular Automata, and 📺 Screens in Screens in Screens are all part of a little trilogy called the Missing Tode Trilogy. However... now that I have come to flesh out the new video, I've decided to make some changes.

As this video is the end of the trilogy, I feel like its ending needs to have some impact. To do this, I thought I could either make it quite understated, or go completely over-the-top with something weird. And I've decided to go for the second option! This is the SandPond Saga after all! We can't do things in half-measures...

This means I've toned down and removed some ideas from the rest of the video, to help give the ending sequence a bit more surprise. We'll find out over time if I've bitten off more than I can chew (spoiler: I probably have, like always, but that's part of the fun).

The Lab

Did you notice? I released a new video this week, but it's not a SandPond Saga video. It's an announcement for Sandspiel Studio - something I've been working on for quite a while now, with Max Bittker.

It lets you make your own simulations/games/art. And you do this by dragging-and-dropping blocks to make code. We want it to be accessible to beginners, but also a fun tool for more seasoned coders. We've already put a lot of work into it, but now: We're looking for some kind people to try it out and support us... so that we can make it even better!

If you enjoy my videos, you might also be interested in Sandspiel Studio. I've certainly learned a lot from working on it. It has given me lots of new ideas for engines, projects, and videos... but more on that another time :)

Again, thank you so much for supporting me week-on-week. It helps me a lot, and I feel very fortunate to be at this point. I hope you have a lovely week, wherever you are in the world! 🔮🐸🔮

Days since tode went missing: 90