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Date: 1993-09-06
From: Paul
Subject: Re: Spinning Globe
Before I do any more work on a better version I need a clear idea what we want to acomplish (if anything)...

Well, you ask some good questions. There's a new IM QuickTime volume or section which I'll eventually need to get before I can do any of this stuff programmatically, or talk intelligently on the subject. I do think the window size you selected is about right. As far as I can tell, what you gave me is a good loop, right (Is the last frame the same as the first?)? It does seem a bit too choppy to me for anything but conceptual use, but I assume that's all it was intended for anyway.

Meanwhile, do you have any other design assignments for me?

Hmm...I hate to say "no" to an offer like that... How about working on the icon? And feel free to develop "innovative full color dialog boxes" so long as you don't get upset if I don't implement them right away. Also, I'm serious about feeling a need for sound.

Development continues at a snail's pace. Finally last night I managed a couple of compilable C++ classes. You would think that with several C texts and several C++ texts figuring out syntax would not be a big deal, but it has proved to be a *major* headache. The sad truth is that a few things like this: 


class World
{
 typedef struct cell
  {
   cellComposition composition ;  // LAND, SEA, etc.
   Graphic cellGraphic ;          // Border cell images
                                  // currently b&w
   } ;

   cell worldMap [ kMaxCols ] [ kMaxRows ] ;
   short startingSparks ;

public:	
   World ( void ) ;

} ;
have cost me more than 10 days of frustration - so far. The only positive thing I can say at this point is that I *think* the overall application will be better for my redesign eventually.

Of course compilation does not imply correctness, or even runnability. Still, I'm going to try to get a functional world generator tomorrow. Note that this will not be a smoothed world, just a C++ version of the current world generator. However, it should be more easily extensible.

Tomorrow's big question is, "Can Think C call Symantec C++?" If the answer is no, I'm in a world of hurt, as it would force the immediate replacement of all existing code. In any case, I'll plan to drop you another line tomorrow night with an up-to-the-minute progress report. You probably won't see a code shipment for another week or so, though.

Duk

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