balli-d@uunet.UU.NET (Dana Ballinger) (06/14/91)
I have received email from a large number of interested
persons, who have indicated a desire to assist in the
development of, or to evaluate, a fractal based VR game
(or entertainment environment).
PARTICIPATION
In requesting participation, I am hoping to form a net-based team
of individuals and/or organizations capable of fully exploiting the
concept of a fractal based reality. In return for their participation,
they will receive the same benefits as I -- an expanded understanding
of this concept. In addition, they will be informed of the concept
itself, while being free to exploit it individually, or in continued
cooperation.
FRACTAL BASED REALITY
We use the term FRACTAL BASED REALITY because, in a mathematical sense,
it has a direct link to actual reality. In a philosophical sense, the
actual universe may be based upon a fairly simple set of rules
expressing themselves as fractals.
This simple idea, in combination with several chronic problems painfully
familiar to those working with VR, led us to a fractal based solution.
VR PROBLEMS
Leaving out problems associated with human interface hardware, there are
several areas of VR which are currently sources of frustration, especially
for those with extreme hardware limitations (PC/AT compatibles for
example):
DATA VOLUME The amount of data required, even for simple
environments, often exceeds hardware capability.
In the case of an interractive entertainment
system, data requirements increase to provide
continued interest for the user.
DATA RELATIONSHIP The definition of data interactivity is often
memory and processing intensive. Solutions
can result in an undesirable forced limitation
to data interraction modes.
PROCESSING SPEED Large amounts of data can create a requirement
for high processing speeds. In reverse, the
attempt to minimize data through the application
of object defining formulas can also require
high processing speeds.
DATA SOURCES Environments sufficiently complex to capture
and maintain the attention of an entertainment
seeker preferably would be rich in interractive
detail. Sources (other than informational) are
hard to find.
The environments for the typical VR's
are painstakingly built up by hand. The time
required for a user to assimilate each component
is usually less than that required to create
it. Even when component interraction is not
fully understood, a complete knowledge of the
components themselves usually results in user
bordom. An example of this is Chess. Even
though Chess presents a fantastic level of
complexity to the user, the AVERAGE individual
becomes bored soon after learning the moves.
FRACTAL FRAMEWORK FOR REPRESENTING A REALITY
To provide immediate and maximum interest to a user, the environment should
be comprehensible and familiar. This can be accomplished by generating an
environment which parallels the real world.
The real world can be viewed as a group of systems, each system having
boundries representing a transition from one system to another. The
boundries are a subject in their own right, and will not be addressed here.
As Mandelbrot has shown us, it is possible to model a system using a fractal.
By selecting a class of fractal and an appropriate fractal dimension, it
is possible to create a model displaying the appropriate structure and
"bumpiness" which mimics the system in infinite detail.
Each system important to the environment will be modeled by a fractal.
These systems will include:
STAR/SOLAR SYSTEM AND RESOURCE DISTRIBUTION IN GALAXY
SOLAR SYSTEM PLANET/MOON DISTRIBUTION
PLANET SURFACE TOPOLOGY
PLANET SUB-SURFACE TOPOLOGY (CAVERNS/CAVES)
PLANET RESOURCE DISTRIBUTION: MINERALS, OIL, COAL, ETC.
PLANET SURFACE STRUCTURES: FORESTS, DESERTS, CITIES, WEATHER
SURFACE SUB STRUCTURES: TREES, DUNES, BUILDINGS, RAIN, LIGHNING, ETC.
LOW LEVEL OBJECTS: ROCKS, CREATURES, WALLS, ETC.
Subsystems take starting values from parent systems, in this way systems
related by scale are anchored to one another. For example:
Solar system gets star size and mineral composition from galaxy.
Planets get sizes, minerals, and solar distances from solar system.
Planet topology comes from planet composition and solar distance.
Planet water distribution comes from composition and topology.
ETC.
STATIC versus DYNAMIC
The environment described above is static in that it cannot be modified
by the user. The solution to this involves maintaining MODIFICATION or
EXCEPTIONS data bases. These data bases track exceptions to the fractally
defined environment caused by user interaction. Data indexing problems
are minimized since the fractal reality can be used as the index.
Non-user exceptions to the fractal system (related to time flow) can be
modeled by cyclical changes to systems which are predefined or are
themselves defined by fractals.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
An objects data base must exist, and many objects are suitable for full
or partial definition by fractals.
Visual representation (rendering) of a fractal reality may be accomplished
using familiar tools, since the fractals are just a source of data. In
many cases, fractal data would just be used as a way of defining the
relationships between objects existing in a database.
Movement through a fractal is accomplished using the coordinate system on
which the fractal is based.
Generation of a fractal reality can be mostly local (with respect to the
user).
Many objects could be "generated" as opposed to created and stored in a
data base. In other words, clever design of object components would allow
objects to be created at random based upon their purpose and placement
within the fractal reality.
EQUIPMENT AND LANGUAGE
We are designing the software to run on AT compatibles. An AT running
at 12MHtz with a 40MB hard drive will be more than capable of managing
the fractal reality. The initial human interface will consist of a
standardized "window like" graphics interface which has access to a
simple rendering program.
We are currently debating the issue of running in real time.
We are using MicroSoft C. After reviewing C++, we determined that it
was vastly superior to more standard versions of C, but was not widely
accepted nor as portable.
CONCLUSION
The end product of this endeavor should be a general purpose environment
definition system capable of being used by VR's and VR like entertainment
systems.
The first task in this project is to expand and fill-in the concept.
Please feel free to request more details about our game, or the idea
of fractal reality in general.
I am creating a list of individuals and organizations interested in
participating in this project. Please let me know if you wish to
be included on this list.
Sincerely,
Dana