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[malloc]

So.. Instead of writing that assignment that is important for my future, I decided to be creative write a little meta ball software renderer.

This is the results:


Is it useful for anything? Nope!
Did I learn anything from this? Yeah, a bit actually!
AMD processors are slow, I have a new high end AMD CPU, and my friend has a faster intel CPU despite having it being 4 years older. But I have not threaded the rendering, if I did it would probably be much faster.
Other than that, well I had fun. The code is messy and bad. But hey, if you feel like messing around with it, or just want to run and have a look at what this looks like in real time.

Source and compiled version in file below if you are interested:
http://www.mediafire.com/?vq8icagbvnwysad

Controls:
Mouse to push metaballs around.
F1 Toggles grid, debug feature.
F2 changes the way meta balls are drawn.
F3 Adds 10 more metaballs.
F4 Deletes (if possible) 10 meta balls.

Please note it will probably run slow if you do not have a fast CPU.

[Caz]

Entered thread expecting meatballs - did not deliver.

[malloc]

Entered thread expecting meatballs - did not deliver.

Haha. Metaballs is just a fancy way of saying virtual organic blob like shapes, maybe I should change the thread title ?

Either way, I redid the rendering, now it's about 800% faster, also, the blobs now do blend additively.


For anyone interested in the more technical stuff, the blobs are basically different mathematical equations, in the first picture it was distance^-1 (Inverse square) falloff, here I am using a simple polynomial (Radius^-1 * distance² + 1).

[Trapezohedron]

Entered thread expecting meatballs - did not deliver.

Same here.

But, on topic, it looks wonderful. How long did it take you to program this?

[malloc]

Same here.

But, on topic, it looks wonderful. How long did it take you to program this?

Most of the time making this was spend fiddling with the blob rendering and making it run at a decent speed.
But I think I have worked on this for three or four hours in total.

I think when I am done doing "important" school related stuff, I will try out different equations, all parametric equations could technically be used.
I will be fun seeing heart shaped blobs .

[klingon13524]

Entered thread expecting meatballs - did not deliver.

Same. And I have no idea what this software thing it's actually about is.

[malloc]

I've changed the title to be a little more clear for people who are not so well versed in graphical jargon.

[Jay]

AMD processors are slow, I have a new high end AMD CPU, and my friend has a faster intel CPU despite having it being 4 years older. But I have not threaded the rendering, if I did it would probably be much faster.

Erm, I do hope those are separate statements.
If you thread it, the Intel chip will gain just as much, if not MORE of a benefit.

I don't mean to turn this into processor wars or anything, but AMD hasn't been making any claims of comparable performance recently, and for good reason -- the chips just plain don't compete right now.