Path Creation

Quote

Originally posted by CBeastreaper
@OP
have you made any progress with the path files?

Every system has paths, Op doesn't forget them.

Blaster

blaster he meant the general path creation for mods since even after 5 years nobody really knows how it does work even if its just a logical process

and yes im working on it but since i am no coder i can only do the logical part of the creation

ok - path creation
what do we know for sure?
we know that tools like FLscan dont really work and that the fact that they create illegal paths which are bigger than the normal system paths is not very good for the stability of mods

we also know how paths should look like

Example:
A Path from system A to system D crossing all other systems between

Path = A, D, A, B, C, D

next thing we know is that 3 files are needed
system_shortest_paths.ini (all paths included)
shortest_legal_paths.ini (only jumpgates)
shortest_illegal_paths.ini (only jumpholes)

ok
actually more we dont know for sure except that the few thousands paths i created by hand are working better automatically generated ones

FL scan does use an option to change the weight of legal and illegal paths... something which i consider pure bullshit since logic does only know one solution and not 22 different solutions like in FLscan

Are locked games included?
well i would need to have a look at it but basically it easy to test if they cause crashes
simply unlock them and set a path to these systems
if its crashing you have your answer

a tool analysing the system files could find out which systems are connected and create a system_shortest_paths.ini (independent on the question if they are connected by gates or holes)

and now the complicated stuff starts... the creation of legal and illegal paths and the question if locked gates are excluded from the overall calculation of paths

one thing i also noticed is that paths are re-calculated after every jump and that this is the actual reason for crashes on servers with wrong paths since 2 different paths could be incompatible with each other

ok, my bad.

ok thats complicated to explain so i created some small graphics which should explain them

the problem itself are splitted paths with the same lenght
those are "fishy paths"

well - assuming that the starting points are A + B and the end system is H we are going to have following possible paths

Path = A, H, A, C, D, E, H
Path = A, H, A, C, F, G, H
Path = B, H, B, C, D, E, H
Path = B, H, B, C, F, G, H

All 4 paths are correct, all have the same lenght.

Now lets assume C is the starting system:

Path = C, H, C, D, E, H
Path = C, H, C, F, G, H

Again we have 2 valid paths with the same length. So which of those has to be used since a ship can only fly one way at the same time?
Having both paths in the files would definitly cause a crash.
There has to be a rule in a path generating script with decides which path is correct. And yes there are such "fishy paths" in FL.

ok but now to the recalculation of paths...
lets say we start at system A and want to go to system H again on this path

what happens is that in system A the path to system H is calculated (you can see it on the map)
As soon you enter the System C FL starts to read the path files again and calculates the route again.
Now the new path that is calculated in system C could look like this

which would mean no real change in the path... the ship would continue its way to H on the orginal path that also was calculated in system A

but if the path calculation in system C looks like this

the ship would need to go a different way... the original path from system A is not valid anymore

if this does lead to a crash is something im not 100% sure of but there is the chance that crappy written tools generate paths that lead to the same destination but that are crossing each other which would result in a logical error or a loop in the path creation (when system S tells you to go to system T and system T tells you to go to system S)

i would have a go, but i am packed

but i am willing to assist any programmer on this task!

please contact Op to give it a chance!!

well ehmm yeah... i was a bit busy with working on the portal and this LR issue

but in the end i coder is needed to create such a tool (that means someone which is not called haegar coz he is busy enough)

well with the details about what is needed and how it should work i can help

Cosidering that im not coder and have no idea about it i will drop a question that migth be stupid...

Does this "to be created tool", consider the distance inside each system? i mean, in OP graphics he shows same lengh paths taking in acount only the number of systems you have to cross, but does it take care about the distance inside each system you have to travel?

I ask this cause i consider very hard that the distance to cross 2 different systems is exactly the same, and if the tool consider this variable the chances to have 2 same distance routes in my opinion is remote.

But as i said due to my lack of knowledge the question can be stupid hehe...

yes i guess distance calculations would be needed