Blocks can be different sizes, up to 8x8 pixels per cell;
smaller block sizes show more of the total Core. The block size adjusts
automatically to show the entire Core for any given Core size and display topology.
The shape of each block reflects the action that last took place at the
corresponding core location:
Action
|
Shape, 4x4 and 8x8
|
Shape, 2x2 pixels
|
Shape, 1x1 pixel
|
|
Executed
|
Solid square, black border
|
Solid square
|
Dot
|
|
Written to
|
X
|
/
|
Dot
|
|
Incremented
|
+
|
|
|
Dot
|
|
Decremented
|
-
|
-
|
Dot
|
|
Compared or read
|
Dot
|
Dot
|
Dot
|
For large Core sizes, only the first 262,144 locations
(131,072 for rectangular topology) are visible.
Clicking anywhere in the display area will open a Core View
window at that location; or, if one is already open, will change the location
of the most recently used Core View window. The range of instructions shown by
each open Core View window is marked with a red underline in the Core display.
Battle Info Area
This area displays the key battle parameters and the status
of the current battle. Core size is the size of Core for the current battle,
and Max Cycles is the number of instruction cycles per warrior before a draw is
declared. Battle Status can be In Progress, Stopped, Drawn, or Won by one of
the warriors. The Completion progress bar shows the percentage of Max Cycles
that has elapsed.
Tournament progress is also shown in this area. The
tournament type can be Melee, Round Robin, Benchmark, or Challenge. (See the
Settings section for a description of the tournament types.) The number of
rounds that have been fought between the current matchup (combination of
warriors) is shown, as well as how many matchups have taken place. The Show
Results button brings up the Tournament Results
window. This may be viewed at any time during a tournament.
Warrior Editing
and Status
The right-hand part of the central area contains one row of
controls for each warrior, up to eight. Warriors beyond the first eight may be
accessed through the warrior list in the Settings
dialog.
The name of each warrior is shown in a button; clicking this
button brings up the Edit Warrior window. The
color bar at the right shows the color of this warrior, and the current number
of live processes. The progress bar shows the number of live processes as a
percentage of the maximum allowed (which is shown at the top of this area as
Max Processes).
When CoreWin is first started, no warriors have yet been
loaded, so the warrior area is empty. When the source code of at least one
warrior has been loaded using the Settings dialog, the warriors that will
participate in the first matchup are automatically compiled and a new battle is
set up. If one or more warriors fail to compile properly, the user is notified
and the battle cannot be started.
Battle Controls
The controls at the lower left part of the central area
control the battle and bring up other windows.
·
The Setup button brings up the Settings dialog, which allows the user to set the
various parameters that govern the battles. Note that setting new parameters
aborts the current tournament and sets up a new one.
·
The Options button brings up the Options dialog, which allows the user to change
certain display options. Changing these options will not interrupt the current
tournament.
·
The New Battle button sets up a new tournament: all
warriors are compiled, all Core locations are set to zero instructions (DAT 0,
0) or a custom instruction, the warriors are loaded into Core, and the Start
and Single Step buttons are enabled.
·
The Start button starts or resumes a battle.
·
The Stop button temporarily halts a battle.
·
The Single Step button executes one instruction of
each warrior, and then stops.
·
The View Core button opens a Core View window that shows a close-up view of
the instructions in Core. This window is non-modal, so that it can remain open
while the battle is running, and the battle controls can still be used. It
updates in real time as the battle progresses. Multiple core views can be
opened; a new core view window opens each time the View Core button is clicked.
·
The View P-space button brings up the P-space View window that shows the contents of
P-space for any warrior. This window is non-modal, so that it can remain open
while the battle is running, and the battle controls can still be used. It
updates in real time as the battle progresses.
·
The Speed slider control, above the buttons, controls
the speed at which warrior instructions are executed. There are seven speed
levels. The slowest three speeds are fixed at 4, 20, and 100 cycles per second.
The speeds of the four highest settings depend on the CPU speed of the computer
running CoreWin, on the warriors involved, and on the display option selected.
For faster speeds, turn off all display graphics by selecting the “None”
display option (see the Options section).
·
For the fastest possible speed, check the Max
checkbox. This sets the speed slider to maximum, turns off all graphics
displays, and disables all breakpoints.
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