v4.12 - Simulation parameter window revision

The simulation parameter window is the heart of ALIEN. It has now been replaced by a much more potent version, enabling features such as naming, reordering, opening in a separate window, and cloning parameter zones and radiation sources. This update addresses parts of the older request #92 by @willjallen. To handle the growing number of parameters, a quick filter has also been added for easier navigation.

In addition, several smaller improvements and bug fixes have been implemented, including revised neuron mutations, minimum genome size constraints for deletion mutation, optional energy costs for muscle cells, and much more. Special thanks goes to @Enitoni and tilsk @ Discord for their excellent suggestions and bug reports!

From the RELEASE-NOTES.md:

Added

• gui/simulation parameters: overview widget for all parameter zones and radiation sources
• gui/simulation parameters: allow to name and order zones and radiation sources
• gui/simulation parameters: all zones and radiation sources can be opened in separate windows
• gui/simulation parameters: location function for zones/radiation sources
• gui/simulation parameters: quick filter for parameters
• gui/simulation parameters: cloning of zones/radiation sources
• gui/simulation parameters: diff function for parameters (by replacing reference parameters)
• gui/simulation parameters: jump to and highlight expert settings if activated
• gui/statistics: show number of free cells
• engine, gui/simulation parameters: neuron mutation revised (gradual adaption, applied to a configurable subset of weights and biases) + expert settings
• engine, gui/simulation parameters: minimal size for deletion mutation + expert settings
• engine, gui/simulation parameters: energy cost for muscle functions + parameter
• engine, gui/simulation parameters: parameter for depth of genome complexity

Changed

• engine: indestructible cells can only be in ready state
• persister: use relative path for savepoints with respect to savepoint table file
• gui: layout of simulation parameter window, browser and autosave window adjusted
• gui: hide edit widgets when the simulator is not in edit mode

Deleted

• gui: window for radiation sources removed (integrated in new parameter window)
• gui/statistics: number of cell connections

Fixed

• gui/simulation view: limit arrow size in muscle movement visualization
• gui/simulation view: prevent non-disappearing selection rect in case the mouse is released over a widget
• gui/simulation parameters: prevent crash when deleting zones in special situations (e.g. when reference parameters differs)
• gui/genome editor: capture mouse clicks in the genome preview only in the corresponding widget
• gui/autosave: reset peak value save in autosave window if session has changed (avoid autosave of wrong simulation)
• gui/autosave: prevent crash in case that the creation of a savepoint failed
• engine: allow position updates of moving zones/radiation sources in case that simulation is paused
• engine: prevent mutants with bloating of separated cell networks
• engine: transition of cell state corrected (in rare cases of race conditions)

v4.11 - New autosave functions and responsiveness update

Alongside numerous smaller improvements (improved statistics functions, better control over the external energy, dying of detached body parts, introduction of project names, bug fixes, etc.), the update offers two new major features:

• In the new autosave window, savepoints can be automatically created at certain time intervals in the file system. This feature can also be configured to generate savepoints only at "interesting moments" (such as a high genome complexity variance). Savepoints can be created and accessed from different directories.
• Asynchronous data transfer to the file system and server: The GUI stays responsive, enabling uninterrupted operation. This leads to an improved user experience.

From RELEASE-NOTES.md:

Added

• gui: autosave window for managing savepoints and keeping track of interesting moments (e.g. high 'Genome complexity variance') added
• gui: prevent blocking gui during saving, loading, download and uploading data
• engine, gui/simulation parameters: introduce relative strength of radiation sources and allow to pin their values
• engine, gui/simulation parameters: parameter for cell death consequences introduced (such as 'Detached creature parts die')
• engine, gui/simulation parameters: parameter for external energy inflow for non-self-replicators only
• engine, gui/simulation parameters: parameter for limit of external energy backflow
• engine, gui/simulation parameters: parameter for switching off red cross at radiation sources
• gui: project name introduced (shown in simulation parameters window)
• gui/statistics: plots for 'Genome complexity variance' and 'Genome complexity maximum'
• gui/statistics: adjustable time horizon for long-term plots
• gui/statistics: show plot value, timestamp, time step at mouse cursor
• gui/simulation parameters: allow position selection via mouse (e.g. for zones and radiation sources)
• gui/simulation view: render movement direction of muscle cells
• engine, gui/simulation view: allow drawing during running simulations

Changed

• engine: duplication mutation extended: allow copying segments containing self-replicating parts
• engine, gui/simulation parameters: make cell death probability zone-dependent
• gui: new progress animation for asynchronous processes
• gui/genome editor: expand cell item after clicking on preview, collapse all others

Fixed

• gui: prevent windows from having zero size
• gui: remember reference path in open/save dialogs
• gui/statistics: performance for real-time plot improved
• engine, gui/pattern editor: calculation of mass center corrected
• engine, gui/simulation parameters: prevent incorrect position calculation of zones when changing parameters in running simulations
• engine: prevent deviation of positions of zones and moving barriers in long-running simulations

autosave.high.mp4

v4.10 - Improved sensors for evolution simulations

The focus of this update has been on improving sensor functions for the purpose of evolution simulations.
One can force the creatures to mark their targets beforehand, both for movements and for attacks. In addition, sensor cells can be individually configured to recognize potential predators, food, barriers or peers. One can try out these features in the new simulation "Deep Down Below".
There are also some additions in the statistics window (e.g. ecosystem diversity), concerning rendering (attack visualizations, cell glow and configurable cell size), a finer control of the maximum cell age (new add-on "Cell age limiter") and more.

Added

• engine: sensor and reconnector cells can be restricted to only sensing/connecting to certain type of mutants (same, other, nutrient, handcrafted, less and more complex)
• engine: sensor cells can tag detected cells for attacking if parameter 'Sensor detection factor' is above 0
• engine: sensors can not penetrate handcrafted structures when restricting to scanning for certain mutants
• engine: possibility to force muscle cells to obtain movement angles from nearby sensors (+ simulation parameter under addon 'Advanced muscle control')
• engine: possibility to redefine max age of permanently inactive or of emergent cells (+ simulation parameters under addon 'Cell age limiter')
• engine: possibility to reset age after cell switches from 'Under construction' to 'Ready' (+ simulation parameter under addon 'Cell age limiter')
• engine: allow to disable radiation sources in spots
• gui/statistics: diversity and average genome complexity plots added
• gui/statistics: throughput statistics
• gui/simulation view: attack visualization (+ simulation parameter)
• gui/simulation view: cell glow (+ simulation parameter under new addon 'Cell glow')
• gui/simulation view: configurable cell radius via simulation parameter
• gui/mass operation, engine: mass operation for randomizing mutation ids

Changed

• engine: replace continuous mutation rates (which are applied in each time step) by genome copy mutations (which are only applied when genomes are copied)
• engine: make certain mutation rates (all except for translation, duplication and color mutations) dependent on the genome size
• engine: avoid that creature is able to eat its offspring when it is currently under construction
• engine: parameters 'Cell max force' and 'Maximum distance' are now color-dependent

Fixed

• gui/simulation view: visibility of cells with low energy increased
• gui/browser: apply text filter to all workspaces and resource types
• serialization: load/save real-time counter in autosave
• engine: avoid genome bloating (with separated parts) due to mutations
• engine: incorrect construction processes based on single cell genomes with multiple branches and/or repetitions fixed

v4.9 - External energy extensions

This update extends the possibilities for using an external energy source. It allows you to control the inflow and backflow of energy from/to an external source. It even offers the possibility to perform simulations without energy particles but with limited cell lifetime. Exciting examples can be found in the simulation browser under Primordial Ocean. Furthermore, a real-time counter was added (it is saved with the simulation settings and reset appropriately when a snapshot is restored), the rendering of the cells was made a bit nicer for high zoom levels, and a new coloring mode was added, which not only visualize the mutation but also the cell functions.

Added

• engine, gui/simulation parameters: conditional and unconditional energy inflow from external energy source
• engine, gui/simulation parameters: energy backflow to the external energy source
• gui/simulation view: combined mutation and cell function coloring
• gui/temporal control window: real-time counter

Changed

• gui/simulation view: cells are rendered smoother
• engine, gui/simulation parameters: external energy becomes a scalar value (no color dependence)

Deleted

• engine, gui/simulation parameters: energy pump from constructors (substituted by conditional energy inflow)

Fixed

• serialization: activation of necessary add-ons for old simulation parameter files fixed
• gui/browser: preserve subfolders when renaming folders

v4.8 - Simulation parameter window and UI improvements

Added

• gui/simulation view: borderless rendering (world is rendered periodically) + parameter to (de)activate
• gui/simulation view: adaptive space grid for orientation + parameter to (de)activate
• gui/simulation view: new coloring which highlights particular cell functions
• gui/simulation parameters: addon widget introduced
• gui/simulation parameters: center button in spatial control
• engine, gui/simulation parameters: attacker and particle absorption depending on genome complexity
• engine, gui/simulation parameters: addon for genome complexity measurement
• engine, gui/simulation parameters: low and high velocity penalty for energy particle absorption

Changed

• gui/simulation parameters: move expert settings for absorption, attacker, external energy and color transition to addons
• gui/simulation view: short white background flash after creating and loading snapshots (now called flashbacks)
• gui/simulation view: cross cursor in edit mode
• gui/simulation view: mutation coloring adapted such that color changes occur only after major structural mutations
• gui/statistics: adapt plot heights depending on the visible data points
• engine: memory consumption reduced (~ 10% depending on the data)
• server: support for large simulation files (up to 144 MB)

Fixed

• gui/simulation parameters: show base tab when new simulation is loaded
• gui/statistics: maintain previous statistics data after resizing the simulation
• engine: fixed rare and spontaneous crashes that occur when many cells and connections are destroyed
• engine: new completeness check counting the actual cells of the creature against the cells in the genome
• engine: wrong displacement calculation in case of zooming and moving objects fixed

v4.7 - Simulation browser overhaul, part 2

Added

• gui/browser: private workspace for each user account
• gui/browser: move simulations, genomes or folders to other workspace (via toolbar buttons)
• gui/browser: edit simulations, genomes or folders (via toolbar buttons)
• gui/browser: expand and collapse folder content (via toolbar buttons)
• gui/browser: cache for speeding up downloading simulations
• gui/upload dialog: validation of user input to allowed characters
• gui/upload dialog: upload simulation or genome to folder
• gui/simulation parameters, model: individual cell color mutation

Changed

• gui/browser: layout (in particular, new widget for selecting workspace)
• model: restrict the fusion of energy particles to certain energies

v4.6 - Simulation browser redesigned

Added

• gui/browser: support for displaying folders and subfolders
• gui/browser: folders for simulations and genomes are automatically created by parsing their names for /
• gui/browser: allow uploading to a selected folder
• gui/browser: show number of simulations per folder

Changed

• gui/browser: tree view instead of a pure tabular view
• gui/browser: simulations and genomes can be selected for user actions (e.g. deletion)

Removed

• gui/browser: column for actions removed

v4.5 - Statistics update

Added

• engine, gui: entire statistical history are saved along with a simulation
• gui/statistics: configurable plot heights
• gui/statistics: collapse specific plots
• gui/browser: statistical history are up/downloaded along with a simulation
• gui/sim view: draw boundaries of the world
• Python script FindFurtunateTimeline: constantly monitors populations in a simulation and resort to savepoints in case of extinction

Changed

• gui/statistics: widgets for real time and time horizon parameter are aligned with the other widgets

Removed

• export statistics function

Fixed

• in simulation runs via CLI, certain simulation parameters are adjusted as in the GUI (e.g. if the max age balancer is switched on, external energy consumption)
• wrong color conversion HSV -> RGB fixed (relevant for mutation and genome size coloring)

v4.4 - Genome model update

Added

• engine, gui: genomes and sub-genomes contain repetition information and concatenation angles
• engine, gui: support for infinite repetitions of genome structures
• engine, gui: reconnector cells (can form and break bonds depending on neural activities)
• engine, gui: detonator cells (can detonate depending on neural activities)
• engine, gui: neuron cells extended: 5 different activation functions can be selected for each neuron
• engine, gui: simulation parameters for reconnectors and detonators
• gui/sim view: 2 new coloring available: "Cell state" and "Genome size"
• gui/genome preview: markers for start, end, infinity repetition, multiple construction and self-replication
• gui/genome preview: visualization optimized depending on the zoom level
• gui/genome editor: mass operation for changing colors of cells optionally including sub-genomes
• gui/neuron editor: reset, set identity and randomize function
• gui/browser: button to open Discord server
• gui/statistics: plots and exports for reconnections and detonator events
• logging: more log messages during startup

Changed

• engine: restrict cluster decay on cells which belong to the same creature
• engine: allow insert mutations on empty genomes
• gui: toolbar buttons in creator and multiplier windows are made selectable
• gui/inspection: show ids (cell, creature, mutation) in base tab
• gui/genome editor: icons for expanding and collapsing changed
• gui/sim parameter: focus base tab when opening new simulation with different spots

Fixed

• show correct tab when sub-genome is edited
• completeness check evaluates creatureIds of the cells in order to determinate the creature's boundaries
• prevent crash in case that a single genome exceeds 8 KB
• genome editor layout bug fixed when separator is moved out of range
• layout problems after resizing in several dialogs fixed (e.g. in display, gpu, network settings)
• invalid zooming prevented

v4.3.0

v4.3 - Genome browser

Added

• gui/browser: tab widget added to show the uploaded genomes and simulations from server
• gui/browser: possibility to upload and download genomes
• gui/genome editor: toolbar button added to upload current genome
• cli: file logger added (creates log.txt)

Fixed

• gui/browser: layout problem for multiline descriptions