Aquarium 3.0 Alpha 2

Build Date: 18-02-2002

• What is this?
• What do I need to make it work?
• What does 'Alpha' mean?
• What does this Alpha contain?
• What does older Alpha contained?
• How to use it?
• Tips
• I found a bug, what can I do?

What is this?

This the new Aquarium projet. The aim of this project is to demonstrate how complex and powerfull genetic algorithm can be.

What do I need to make it work?

You need a Java Virtual Machine (JVM, also called JRE). Take the 1.3.1_02 from http://java.sun.com, or the final 1.4.
Note 1: 1.4 will speed up your simulation by 2.5 (yes 2.5 if you use the GUI).
Note 2: On my Windows jdk 1.4 and 1.3.1 does live well together
If you have a jdk1.2.x or 1.1.x this won't work.

What does 'Alpha' mean?

'Alpha' means that

• there are lot of things missing
• there are bugs
• there is a very small documentation (user documentation)
• the Java documentation may contains mistakes
• Sources will not be available (some classes will be obfucasted)
• build will not be very user friendly

What does this Alpha contain?

• Documentation
• XML specification
• Small tutorial for GUI
• LifeRoom and FoodMap editor documentation
• The preference.txt file is a commanted preference file
• For GUI
• You can now edit/save your preferences using the GUI
• Editors work better
• You have direct acces to the log viewer
• A new status bar will indicates the remaining time and other information
• For Command line
• Unvisible things ;-)
• Code improves

What does older Alpha contained?

you will have acces to 3 different applications.
• - No graphics, in this mode you can launch an experiment, but you will see nothing. Logs will be generated, and it will be your only result.
  Advantages:
  • You can make huge simulation
  • You will not consume lot of memory
  • You won't be able to interfer with the experiment
  • Should be very stable
  Disadvantages:
  • It's not very funny
  • And all specification must be done throught files
• With graphics, in this mode you will be able to view what is happening.
  Advantages:
  • You can view every thing
  • You will be able to edit specification throught windows
  • You will be able to interfer with the experiment
  • Is funny to watch
  Disadvantages:
  • Will take much more memory
  • Lots of thing missing right now
• You can visualy analyse your log file with a build in GraphViewer

How to use it?

• commande line.
  • Recommended configuration: P200Mz and 64Mo
  • Take a look at the preferences.ini file
  • Use the runcmd.sh or runcmd.bat file
• With graphics.
  • Recommended configuration: P500Mz and 128Mo
  • Take a look at the preferences.ini file
  • Use the runit.sh or runit.bat file
• Analyse of logs
  • Recommended configuration: P200Mz and 64Mo
  • Use the runviewer.sh or runviewer.bat file
  Read the lauch script file if you want to use specific options

Tips

• Using the 1.4 final J2SDK will speed up the application. As an example a 15000 turns, with 50 worms, 1 food, and 150x150 life room
  • with 1.3.1-02 => 4 minutes
  • with 1.4 => 1m53 minutes
• Under Linux, using the graphics can be very slow, but if you minimize the visible life room it will increase the speed of the simulation.
• Activating the log of the DNA convergence degre is not a good idea if you make a imulation with more than 100 worms. Since this method is in O(n²).
• The log viewer is able to read any file tabuled, and with a string looking like #<legend>X Y1 Y2 Y3</legend>

I found a bug, what can I do?

Send me an email renaud91@hotmail.com

Finally

I am looking for a job, so if you're interested, feel free to contact me at renaud91@hotmail.com