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┌─────────┬────────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────┐ │ Name: │ L-SYSTEM PARSER/MUTATOR │ (C) RenderStar Technology BV. │ ├─────────┼────────────────────────────────┼──────────┬───────┬────────────┤ │ Author: │ Laurens J. Lapre │ Version: │ 3.0 │ 1994-01-31 │ ├─────────┴────────────────────────────────┴──────────┴───────┴────────────┤ │ RenderStar Technology BV, Keizersgracht 448 │ │ 1016 GD Amsterdam, the Netherlands │ │ Fax (+31) 20 622 4939 │ ├─────────┬─────────────────────┬───────────────────┬──────────────────────┤ │ Email: │ 2:283/203.8 fidonet │ 'Lj Lapre' PCGnet │ ljlapre@hacktic.nl │ └─────────┴─────────────────────┴───────────────────┴──────────────────────┘ Disclaimer : ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── This software is free and may be freely distributed, but is copyrighted by the company RenderStar Technology BV. This software is provided as is without any guarantees. The author and company assume no liability for damages, direct or consequential, which may result from the use of this software. The 'lparser.exe' file may not be used as part of any commercial package without the explicit written consent of the author or company. Execute like this : ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── lparser [options] [name] examples : lparser -x rcylin -d lsys03.ls lparser -vc -t0.5 -u10 -g lsys05 lparser -i2000 spider Name is an l-system file with the ls extension. It will standard generate a RenderStar compatible 'output.vol' file. The standard output.vol file can be taken directly to the lviewer with the command : 'lviewer output'. See 'go.bat'. You will get some information about the loaded object and it will bring you into a standard VGA 640x480 16 color screen. Here you can rotate the object, zoom in/out and pan. For key usage see the lviewer.txt file. It can also be rendered directly in RenderStar with the command 'rs2 l'. The lparser.exe is a protected mode program using the royalty free Rational dos-extender (dos4gw.exe) supplied with Watcom. It needs a 386/387 or 486 with 4meg ram. Persistence of Vision (POV) output : ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Part off the POV file is setup by the user and the output.pov file is then attached to the user's file. -v make POV object file Generates a POV file format description. Only the body part of the file is generated with a series of a l_base objects and leafs as triangles. One can change the object definition of the l_base element used in the l-system form to any one of the valid POV shapes as long as the shape can be scaled differently in all 3 directions. With POV 2 this can also be a sphere. The file 'setup1.pov' can be used to connect to the output.inc file created with lparser -vc. The first 8 colors in the pov rendering will then match the ones in the viewer. -b make POV blob file Instead of outputting objects, postionend components are written to the output.pov file. These can be used to create 'bloby' objects. All triangles are skipped. The file 'setup2.pov' can be used to connect to the 'output.inc' file created with lparser -bc. -B make multiple POV blob files Each color part of the final form is written into its own output?.pov file. This allows you to have mutiple blob's each with its own color and material. All triangles are skipped. The file 'setup3.pov' can be used to connect to the 'output?.inc' files created with lparser -Bc. -c output inc files instead of POV file The output files will now have the 'inc' extension for easier including in other POV files like 'setup.pov'. DXF output : ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── -d make dxf file This creates AutoCad R12 polyline polyface meshes in dxf file format which can be used in Acad and 3DS. It's a much more efficient format than the 3dface format. It uses blocks and inserts. The most efficient dxf file (in size and write/load time) is generated with : lparser -x cube -d [name]. If you read the file into Acad12 make sure you have a new (no prototype) drawing since the file contains block definitions as well. The objects will have color and layer attributes set. By changing all object color attributes to BYLAYER one can use the layer overview for easy, by layer, color setting. -3 make dxf file This is a simple 3dface only dxf file format which will always work. It has no blocks or inserts but can become very large. RAW output : ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── -R make raw file This is a simple ascii RAW file format, it can become very large. One triangle per line. Other options : ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── -s [num] set string size to [num] Kbytes The -s option allows you to set the maximum size of the production string in Kbytes. This string has to be stored twice and is the main data structure. For a 4meg system the maximum will be about 1500 K. The default value is 1024 Kbytes (= 1 meg). This is to allow much larger strings to be processed on larger memory systems. -t [num] set minimum thickness This allows you to set the minimum thickness a form will get during recursive generation. It is to make sure the forms don't get too 'thin' to be seen and render correctly. It's typicly around 0.5 to 1.0. -u [num] mutate [num] times Mutate the l-system a number of times before starting the geometry generation fase and write the mutated l-system to disc as the file 'mutation.ls'. By re-using this file one can build mutation series of forms. See 'mutate.bat'. -r [num] overrule recursion depth -a [num] overrule angle Overrule these values on the commandline. They are also set in the l-system file but they will not be used when an overrule option is used on the commandline. One can 'open' a form by starting with a angle of zero and increase it to the final angle. This makes nice animations. Doing the same with the -r option will slowly 'grow' the form into its final shape. -p [num] limit polygons to [num] Limit the total amount off polygons/objects outputed during the parsing of the final l-system production. After mutation the form may have grown very (VERY!) large. The whole form could be inserted in each of its branches ! The default limit is 500.000 polygons/objects. -i link base elements together With this option you can use a connected 8 sided cylinder as a base shape. Works only with VOL, DXF and RAW output. It will connect the bottom part of the cylinder to a previous top part creating a tube like element. This is meant to be used with polygonal plant and tree forms. -x [name] use name.vol as base form Instead of a simple block a special object (*.vol) can be used as a base element. Example forms are : objects polygons description ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── min 2 only two faces in a cross cube 6 block (default) cylin 8 open 8 sided cylinder cone 10 cone on 10 sided polygon cylin8 20 closed 8 sided cylinder cylin16 44 closed 16 sided cylinder tube 60 10 sided cylinder with round top ball 100 sphere mesh rcylin 174 closed cylinder with rounded edges This is for generating VOL, DXF or RAW files only. Try : lparser -x ball lsys00. Just use the small vol files supplied with the parser for this purpose. Using larger lparser generated vol files may not work. The changing of the base forms for POV output is done by the user in the POV headers. See setup*.pov for examples. -l show final L-string Prints the l-system production to the screen. This is the final string which is then interpreted into a 3d form. -e echo input L-system Echos the ls file to the screen with the basic parameters while it's being readin. The screen feedback will be like in v2.0. -g add ground plane Adds a large ground plane (2 triangles) touching the lowest point of the form. This is for easy shadow projection and horizon. More info ... ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── The book 'Evolutionary Art and Computers' by S. Todd and W. Latham was used to base the genetic 3d form mutation principles on. In here you'll find a lot of interesting ideas on how to 'grow' and 'evolve' organic looking 3d forms of your own. ISBN 0-12-437185-X The implemented l-system is based on the one described in the book : 'The Algorithmic Beauty of Plants' (ABOP) by P. Prusinkiewicz and A. Lindenmayer (this is where the 'L' from l-systems come from). If you want more information on making your own l-systems you'll want to check out this book. A lot can be done by changing the l-systems suplied with the parser and seeing for yourself what changes in the final form. ISBN 0-387-97297-8 Syntax and movement ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── For those who are already familiar with l-systems, here are the commands and their functions for this lparser's 'dialect'. All commands are 1 char only and simpler then for most lparsers. This is to keep them from getting 'broken' by the mutation process and speeds up the parsing. There is also the posibilty to add an argument to a command. Instead off doing +++ one can do +(30) if the basic angle was 10 degrees. The argument can be a real value. The tropism command will allow you to let gravity pull branches downward by adding a 't' element togeter with and 'F'. See the file 'tropism.ls' and 'tree*.ls' for examples. When you are not sure about the current 'down' direction do a '$' command first. This will roll the turtle horizontal and make sure the current up vector is oriented in the positive z-axis direction. The turtle will start at the origin with the Z-axis as forward direction and Y-axis as left direction. See the file 'axis.ls' for an detailed example. Here you can experiment with the basic orientations and see how the 3d turtle is using a 'right-handed' coordinate system. Use your right hand with your thumb as up, forefinger as forward and an other finger as left direction. By adding &(90) in front of an axiom the turtle axis will align with the right handed coordinate system used in the viewer. Adding an additional +(90) will make it easier when working with 2d l-systems. See the 'fract*.ls' files for examples. Values can have some randomness automaticly added to them. Using ~(xx) will now add a random direction component to the current orientation with maximum of xx in all three directions. This way you can mark at which locations in your l-system 'jitter' needs to be introduced. Using this option no two 'intances' of the same l-system will look the same. See fern.ls for an example. ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ Turtle Orientation commands │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ + turn left around up vector │ │ +(x) turn x left around up vector │ │ - turn right around up vector │ │ -(x) turn x right around up vector │ │ & pitch down around left vector │ │ &(x) pitch x down around left vector │ │ ^ pitch up around left vector │ │ ^(x) pitch x up around left vector │ │ < roll left (counter clockwise) around forward vector │ │ <(x) roll x left around forward vector │ │ > roll right (clockwise) around forward vector │ │ >(x) roll x right around forward vector │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ Special Orientation commands │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ | turn 180 deg around up vector │ │ % roll 180 deg around forward vector │ │ $ roll until horizontal │ │ ~ turn/pitch/roll in a random direction │ │ ~(x) " in a random direction with a maximum of x degrees │ │ t correction for gravity with 0.2 │ │ t(x) correction for gravity with x │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ Movement commands when {} active │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ F move forward and draw full length record vertex │ │ F(x) move x forward and draw record vertex │ │ Z move forward and draw half length record vertex │ │ Z(x) move x forward and draw record vertex │ │ f move forward with full length record vertex │ │ f(x) move x forward record vertex │ │ z move forward with half length record vertex │ │ z(x) move x forward record vertex │ │ g move forward with full length don't record vertex │ │ g(x) move x forward don't record vertex │ │ . don't move record vertex │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ Structure commands │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ [ push current state │ │ ] pop current state │ │ { start polygon shape │ │ } end polygon shape │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ Inc/Dec commands │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ " increment length with 1.1 │ │ ' decrement length with 0.9 │ │ "(x) multiply length with x also '(x) │ │ ; increment angle with 1.1 │ │ : decrement angle with 0.9 │ │ :(x) multiply angle with x also ;(x) │ │ ? increment thickness with 1.4 │ │ ! decrement thickness with 0.7 │ │ ?(x) multiply thickness with x also !(x) │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ Additional commands │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ c increment color index │ │ c(x) set color index to x │ │ * reset color, thickness, length and angle │ │ @ end of object │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ LS files based on 'The Algorithmic Beauty of Plants' : ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── bop00.ls cordate leave ABOP pag 123 bop01.ls plant ABOP pag 27 bop02.ls bush ABOP pag 26 bop03.ls form in 2d ABOP pag 25 bop04.ls block form ABOP pag 20 bop05.ls fractal ABOP pag 9 bop06.ls dragon curves ABOP pag 9 bop07.ls compound leave ABOP pag 130 bop08.ls compound leave in 3d ABOP pag 129 bop09.ls maple like leave ABOP pag 129 bop10.ls nested polygon leaves ABOP pag 127 tree00.ls monopodial tree ABOP page 56 tree01.ls monopodial tree ABOP page 56 tree02.ls ternary tree ABOP page 60 Free form experiments and other fractals : ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── lsys00.ls lobster form lsys01.ls " var 1 lsys02.ls " var 2 lsys03.ls " var 3 lsys04.ls " var 4 lsys05.ls spiral bush lsys06.ls tree base lsys07.ls half circle lsys08.ls " var 1 lsys09.ls cello plant lsys10.ls circle form spiral00.ls overview of spiral types spiral01.ls spiral form spiral02.ls spiral tree spiral03.ls large spiral plant var 1 spiral04.ls large spiral plant var 2 tree03.ls willow type tree tree04.ls conifer type tree tree05.ls 'best' tree tree06.ls conifer type tree tree07.ls tropism experiment tree08.ls 'palm' tree based on bop07.ls structure tree09.ls 'Trail off trees' showing the different growth stages tree10.ls leavy ternary tree type tree11.ls elaboration on tree08 street1.ls a series of trees flower.ls cordate leave arangement fern.ls fern plant leaves.ls variation on bop00.ls fract*.ls L-systems from FractInt shell*.ls shell type forms based on spirals and bop10.ls airhorse.ls part seahorse but with external lung dinofly.ls what would this be without a dino ? spider.ls octo-spider Ls-files by Cees van der Mark ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── passie.ls a passion flower plant leaf01.ls variation on bop00.ls plant01.ls two plants winding around a stalk hangpl.ls crystal with leaves Thanks to : ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── C.J.van der Mark [2:283/203.11 fidonet, 9:580/203.11 PCGnet] for testing all versions, feedback and working on the various formats. BBS Bennekom [2:283/203 fidonet, 9:580/203 PCGnet] for acting as go-between. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────