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Inside the Fire Coral - Insights

category: code [glöplog]
 
Code: An attempt to explain details and correlations between "Fire Coral", "Dragon Fade" and "Autumn" https://www.pouet.net/prod.php?which=64484 BB Image https://www.pouet.net/prod.php?which=63522 BB Image https://www.pouet.net/prod.php?which=64159 BB Image 1.) DRAWING TECHNIQUE We use the "Set Pixel" function of interrupt 0x10 CX = x, DX = y , AL = color, AH = 0x0C (set pixel) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INT_10H NOTE : Depending on the Graphics BIOS, you might see different results when plotting negative coordinates, or exceeding the legal amount of colors. Here, one underflow is accepted, the other is catched with a signed flag branch "sub cx,dx" + "js Skip" = don't draw on negative x 2.) THE FRACTAL We use a simple iterated function system (IFS) consisting of two functions with equal probability. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iterated_function_system We use a discrete, scaled up version to save space. This also fits the drawing technique in a good way. Used in sizetros: Dragon Fade : https://www.pouet.net/prod.php?which=63522 Autumn : https://www.pouet.net/prod.php?which=64159 NOTE : Obviously keeping both functions similar and having coefficients of "0.5" enables binary commands (arithmetic shift!) and uses little space. IFS1 CX DX initial x y add dx,cx x x+y sar dx,1 x (x+y)/2 sub cx,dx (x-y)/2 (x+y)/2 Scaled down, normalized floating point equ. f(x) = 0.5x - 0.5y f(y) = 0.5x + 0.5y IFS2 CX DX initial x y add dx,cx x x+y sar dx,1 x (x+y)/2 sub cx,0x533 x-0x533 (x+y)/2 sub cx,dx (x-y)/2-0x533 (x+y)/2 Scaled down, normalized floating point equ. g(x) = 0.5x - 0.5y - 1 g(y) = 0.5x + 0.5y f(x) & g(x) written in coefficients with probability 0.5 -0.5 0.5 0.5 0 0 0.5 0.5 -0.5 0.5 0.5 -1 0 0.5 copy paste to http://cs.lmu.edu/~ray/notes/ifs/ to see what it looks like (and to explore further) check http://guyanddeb.com/af.html to see, where the fractal is located on the plane (clipping!) separate coefficients with commas there, and supress probability, then hit "Correct Input" 0.5, -0.5, 0.5, 0.5, 0, 0 0.5, -0.5, 0.5, 0.5, -1, 0 Adjust xmin, xmax, ymin, ymax and hit "Draw" 3.) MAKING THE CHAOS PREDICTABLE Normally, to implement the "chaos game" version of iterated function systems, you would need a random number generator. To be precise, you would need a VERY GOOD one, as carefully pointed out by Peitgen, Jürgens and Saupe in "Chaos and Fractals: New Frontiers of Science" (just google for "random number generator pitfall") Surprisingly enough, if done right, one doesn't need ANY rng - at all! The secret lies in converting the chaotic infinite real number system into a deterministic, finite, discrete system with a rather short period, somewhat like a "knights tour" on a chess board. In other words, we need a function F which we apply N times to a point P so that F(F(F(F ... F(P)))) = F^N(P) = P and so that every pixel on the plane inside the fractal is actually "visited" once per cycle. It turns out, that at least one such function exists (several, actually), characterized by the magic number 0x533, and the branching criteria "sum of x and y is even" (checking the carry flag after "add dx,cx" and "sar dx,1") Currently, i dont't know exactly what "magic numbers" produce stable plane filling cycles, how they are connected to the branching criteria, or how to find them, other than by trying. I'll leave that for later - or for the mathemagicians amongst us ;) Link to "random number generator pitfall" TL/DR : the final function is both : the fractal, as well as the random number generator it needs =) NOTE : Every pixel is drawn once per cycle, with the very same color each cycle, which makes it a rather still image. The "noise effect" happens due to the drawing technique, different points of the fractal are projected to the same screen coordinates. 4.) COLORING The idea is to code the branching history directly into the pixel color, so that all pixels which branched equally in their last 4 iterations are plotted with the same color. "shl ax,1" keeps all the iteration history, except one (the oldest), and the free (lowest) bit is marked according to the latest. "inc ax" is just a shorter version of the more comprehensive "or ax,1" This has been used in "Dragon Fade", and generates very regular color structures. To achieve a mixture between random and regular structures, we can use the fact, that we have several ways to initialize the graphic mode to 0x12 from an initial emtpy AL, "xor" beeing one of them. "xor al, 0x12" works together with "shl ax,1" as a minimized xorshift randomizer, which is yet still dominated by the regularity of the branching history. "aam ??" is a tuneable coloring parameter. NOTE : "aam ??" and skipping the drawing of certain points, while keeping track of iteration history, lifts the coloring beyond simple predictability. At this point, i stopped analyzing and was satisfied with the tuning parameters i found ;) 5.) USER EXIT FUNCTION Normally, you would use the infamous "in al,0x60" to check if the user wants to ESCape. Unfortunately, AL holds the current pixel color all the time, so that at least two bytes (push ax,pop ax) would be needed to do it that way. Luckily, MSDOS provides another function to check the keyboard, modifying the Zero Flag if some key was pressed. And since a simple "mov" does not alter that flag, we can smoothly weave that into the code. Still, all together this takes up 5 bytes, and i am somewhat happy, that there was enough space to include this. http://www.ctyme.com/intr/rb-1755.htm 6.) ADDITIONAL NOTES The fading effect of "Dragon Fade" is actually just a well tuned coloring function. Since every pixel is "touched once" per cycle, and colors above 0x80 are "xor"ed onto the screen, you just need to make sure, that the color function remains constant for each pixel (for consecutive iterations). http://webpages.charter.net/danrollins/techhelp/0127.HTM To be independent from "magic numbers", you can delay the iteration history. You basically choose the function by the branch another pixel took X iterations ago. Simply "rcr bp,1" or "rcr ebp,1" does the trick (between generating and checking the carry flag). This advanced selection is used in "autumn". It is basically needed there, because the average achieved period is way too low to cover every pixel of the screen. Just change the delay from 32 to 16 by replacing "rcr ebp,1" with "rcr bp,1" to see what i mean. Note, that even if you don't get total garbage with "unlucky" numbers using this technique, some numbers still do better than others. But the chance to find one, and the overall screen coverage is really heavily increased. Note, that besides clever usage of just one call to int 0x10 and some flag shenanigans (carry, sign, zero) no real "dirty" tricks have been used here, like, odd alignment, self modifying code etc. Checking politely for a key and quitting takes up 5 bytes, "sub cx,0x533" occupies a whooping 4 bytes, and in fact the shortest fading dragon i can come up with, is 23 bytes long. What i want to point out is, this is nowhere near the limit, when we think 32b, and i think, it can be MUCH more impressive when we think 64b (think about a lot better "autumn"). Greets and Respect go to : rrrola, frag, Baudsurfer, Sensenstahl, Whizart, g0blinish, Rudi, orbitaldecay, igor, Drift and all Desire members =) If you have further questions, don't hesitate to mail me : storrryteller@hotmail.com

Code:Start xor al, 0x12 ; Set 640*480*16 Mode, also Coloring (special) int 0x10 ; Set Resolution, also : Set Pixel Skip add dx,cx ; Shared IFS shl ax, 0x01 ; Coloring (base) sar dx, 0x01 ; Shared IFS jnc Branch ; Deterministic alteration sub cx, 0x533 ; Special IFS (Difference) inc ax ; Coloring (base) Branch aam 0x0E ; Coloring (special) sub cx,dx ; Shared IFS js Skip ; Clipping mov ah, 0x01 ; User Exit Function int 0x16 ; User Exit Function mov ah, 0x0C ; Set Command to "Set Pixel" jz Start ; User Exit Function ret ; Quit
added on the 2014-12-02 17:40:19 by HellMood HellMood
Thank you very much for these comments, this was a very interesting read.
added on the 2014-12-13 14:39:54 by introspec introspec

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