chris_c wrote:While we are on this subject, is there any enthusiasm for calling "old-style periodic reflectors" bouncers. That way we would have bumpers which preserve glider color and bouncers which would change it.
Yes, bumPers and bounCers -- that seems like a really good idea. I have everything in the Life Lexicon at the moment as "pN bumper" and "pN reflector", which isn't very satisfactory since bumpers are perfectly good reflectors.
On the other hand, it pretty much matches the current confusing usage. I've already made enough executive decisions in the Life Lexicon where I put in a name for X just because X really needed a short and memorable not-four-hyphenated-words kind of name. It's probably better if the Lexicon just documents accepted common usage.
So everyone should just start referring to the old color-changing reflectors as "bouncers", and when it gets picked up widely enough it can go in the Lexicon. We'll know we've arrived when the words become adjectives, like "bumper semi-cenark" and "bouncer semi-cenark" instead of CP and CC.
EDIT:
calcyman wrote:I'm wondering whether the Herschel track in the north-west can be modified to reduce the reflector count.
Definitely... but it might require enough extra p1 circuitry that it won't be worth it. Really one of those bumpers or bouncers is only as expensive as four or five Spartan still lifes, and less than that if there's an eater2 in the mix.
It will take me a while to get all the relevant bumper and bouncer math straightened out in my head again. Here's a geometry with fewer reflectors that nobody else should bother to try, because even if you replace the last F77 with an F81+8N with the same output color, it can't work due to unfixable glider crossing problems in this orientation:
Code: Select all
x = 236, y = 193, rule = LifeHistory
91.2A$90.B2A2B$77.A13.4B$77.3A11.BA2B$80.A9.BABA$79.2A9.A2BA$79.5B5.A
2BA$81.3BAB3.4B$80.3BABA3BA2BAB$79.4BA2BA2B2.2A$80.4B2A3B$81.6B$82.5B
$81.7B$80.4B.4B$79.4B3.4B$78.4B5.4B$77.4B7.4B23.2A$76.4B9.4B21.B2A2B$
75.4B11.3BA7.A13.4B$74.4B13.3BA6.3A11.BA2B$73.4B15.3AB8.A9.BABA$72.4B
17.4B6.2A9.A2BA$71.4B19.4B5.5B5.A2BA$70.4B21.4B6.3BAB3.4B$69.4B23.4B
4.3BABA3BA2BAB$68.4B25.4B2.4BA2BA2B2.2A$67.4B27.4B2.4B2A3B$66.4B29.4B
2.6B$65.4B31.4B2.5B$64.4B33.11B$63.4B35.6B.4B$62.4B37.4B3.4B$61.4B37.
6B3.4B$60.4B37.8B3.4B$59.4B37.4B2.4B3.4B$58.4B37.4B4.4B3.4B$57.4B37.
4B6.4B3.4B$56.4B37.4B8.4B3.4B$55.4B37.4B10.4B3.4B$54.4B37.4B12.4B3.4B
$53.4B37.4B14.4B3.4B$52.4B37.4B16.4B3.4B$51.4B37.4B18.4B3.4B$50.4B37.
4B20.4B3.4B$49.4B37.4B22.4B3.4B$48.4B37.4B24.4B3.4B$47.4B37.4B26.4B3.
4B$46.4B37.A3B28.4B3.4B$45.4B37.B2AB30.4B3.4B$44.4B37.BABA32.4B3.4B$
43.4B37.4B34.4B3.4B$42.4B37.4B36.4B3.4B$41.4B37.4B38.4B3.4B$40.4B37.
4B40.4B3.4B$39.4B37.4B42.4B3.4B$38.4B37.4B44.4B3.4B$37.4B37.4B46.4B3.
4B$36.4B37.4B48.4B3.4B$35.4B37.4B50.4B3.4B$34.4B37.4B52.4B3.4B$33.4B
37.4B54.4B3.4B$32.4B37.4B56.4B3.4B$31.A3B37.4B58.4B3.4B$30.B2AB37.4B
60.4B3.4B$29.BABA37.4B62.4B3.4B$28.4B37.4B64.4B3.4B$27.4B37.4B66.4B3.
4B$26.4B37.4B68.4B3.3BA$25.4B37.4B70.4B3.3BA$24.4B37.4B72.4B3.3AB$23.
4B37.4B74.4B3.4B$22.4B37.4B76.4B3.4B$21.4B37.4B78.4B3.4B$.B2A16.4B37.
4B68.AB10.4B3.4B$.3A2B2.B10.4B37.4B68.B2A11.4B3.4B$ABA2BA2B2A8.4B37.
4B69.2ABAB10.4B3.4B$2A2B2A2B2A7.4B37.4B69.A2B3A11.4B3.4B$.B2.2A3B7.4B
37.4B60.A8.A.ABAB13.4B3.4B$6.3B6.4B37.4B61.3A4.BABA.A16.4B3.4B$8.3B3.
4B37.4B65.A2.3A2BA18.4B3.4B$8.3B2.4B37.4B65.2A2.BAB2A20.4B3.4B$8.BA6B
37.4B66.4B2.2AB21.4B3.4B$7.BABA4B37.4B69.BAB.BA23.3BA3.4B$7.A2BA3B37.
4B69.BABA.B25.3BA3.4B$6.2B2A5B35.4B67.2A.B2A2B27.3AB3.4B$6.10B33.4B
68.2A7B4.A22.4B3.4B$6.6B.4B31.4B70.7B5.3A21.4B3.4B$4.2AB.3B3.4B29.4B
48.A9.A12.7B8.A21.4B3.4B$3.A.AB2.B5.4B7.A19.4B19.A29.3A5.3A13.6B7.2A
22.4B3.4B$3.A12.4B6.3A16.4B.3B.B12.3A15.A16.A3.A15.8B6.4B6.2A13.4B3.
4B$2.2A13.4B8.A8.18B10.A18.3A13.2A.B.2A13.4B2.4B7.2B6.A15.4B3.4B$18.
4B6.2A7.4BD11B2A2B5.B3.2A20.A12.7B12.4B4.4B4.5B2.BA.A16.4B3.4B$19.4B
5.5B.B2.4B3D9B2A2B3.8B19.2A14.3B13.4B6.4B.B.2B2AB2.B2A18.4B3.4B$20.4B
6.6B.4BDBD13B.8B21.B13.6B11.4B.3B.2B.7BA2BA4B20.4B3.4B$21.4B4.14BD18B
3AB19.3B9.2B2.6B4.27B2A4B22.4B3.4B$22.25B2.2B.9B2ABA2B16.6B7.4B.7B2.
4BD11B2A16B23.4B3.4B$23.21B8.8B2ABA5B11.10B2.16B2.4B3D9B2A14B26.4B3.
4B$22.20B11.8BABA8B2.2B3.30B.4BDBD25B27.4B3.4B$21.20B12.9B2A4BC15B2A
3BD26BD26B27.4B3.4B$20.2A19B13.7B.4BCBC15B2A2B2D30B2.2B3.2B6.7B2A27.
4B3.4B$20.2A11B2.8B10.13BD2C18B2D28B19.5B2A2B27.4B3.4B$21.11B5.B3.2A
9.14BD21BD26B21.5B.BA2B27.4B3.4B$23.11B7.A11.8B2.26BD24B23.3B3.4B27.
4B3.4B$23.4B5.2A8.3A8.6B11.4B.13B3.B.22B20.7B2.4B27.4B3.4B$32.A11.A9.
5B12.3B5.B.7B7.11B2.7B20.2A.B.2A3.4B27.4B3.4B$33.3A18.4B14.4B20.3B.4B
6.3B.B2A19.A3.A5.4B27.4B3.4B$35.A19.3B16.2A19.A4.2B2AB9.BA.A15.3A5.3A
3.4B27.4B3.4B$53.4B17.A18.3A6.2A13.A15.A9.A4.4B27.4B3.4B$53.2A20.3A
14.A24.2A30.4B27.4B3.4B$54.A22.A14.2A56.4B27.4B3.4B$51.3A97.4B27.4B3.
4B$51.A100.4B16.2A9.4B3.4B$153.4B14.B2AB9.4B3.4B$154.4B14.2B6.B4.4B3.
4B$155.4B14.2B4.3B4.4B3.4B$156.4B12.14B.4B3.4B$157.4B11.14B2.4B3.4B$
158.4B.B5.17B3.4B3.4B$138.2B19.28B3.4B3.4B$138.3A18.30B2.4B3.4B$136.B
A3B18.31B2.4B3.4B$136.BA3BA17.32B2.4B3.4B$137.A2BA.A8.A8.32B2.4B3.4B$
139.A.A2BA4.3A6.2AB2.23B3.4B2.4B3.4B$140.A3BAB2.A8.A.AB4.B.16B7.4B2.
4B3.4B$141.3BAB2.2A7.A11.10B.2B9.4B2.4B3.4B$141.3A2.4B6.2A12.9B13.4B
2.4B3.4B$142.2B.BAB19.11B15.4B2.4B3.4B$143.B.ABAB17.12B16.4B2.4B3.4B$
144.2B2AB.2A14.12B17.4B2.4B3.4B$138.A4.7B2A14.11B19.4B2.4B3.4B$136.3A
5.7B15.8B.4B18.4B2.4B3.3BA$135.A8.7B15.7B4.2A19.4B2.4B3.3BA$135.2A7.
6B16.7B4.A21.4B2.4B3.ACAD$125.2A6.4B6.8B15.6B6.3A19.4B2.4B3.B2DB$126.
A6.2B7.4B2.4B13.7B8.A20.4B2.4B3.D3B$126.A.2A2.5B4.4B4.4B11.8B30.4B2.
4B3.4B$127.ABA2.5B.B.4B6.4B9.8B32.BABC2.4B3.4B$128.3A12B.2B.3B.4B7.9B
33.DACB2.2BDB3.4B$129.2A4B2A28B.6B33.CD2B2.2B2D3.4B$129.2A6BA7B2A17B.
7B34.4B2.2D2B3.4B$131.5B2A7B2A16B2.6B36.4B2.4B3.4B$131.5B2A25B.7B37.
4B2.4B3.4B$130.42B37.4B2.4B3.4B$129.3B2A2BAB6.2B3.2B2.19B38.4B2.4B3.
4B$128.5B3AB18.18B38.4B2.4B3.4B$127.4B.2BA2B17.19B3.B35.4B2.3BA3.4B$
126.4B3.3B17.4B2.15B.B2A35.4B2.3BA3.4B$125.4B2.7B14.4B2.18B2A36.4B2.
3AB3.4B$124.4B3.2A.B.2A13.4B3.12B2A3B.B38.4B2.4B3.4B$123.4B5.A3.A13.
4B5.11B2A2B42.4B2.4B3.4B$122.4B3.3A5.3A9.4B6.10B2.2B44.4B2.4B3.4B$
121.4B4.A9.A8.4B9.B.6B3.2B44.4B2.4B3.4B$120.4B23.4B14.4B2.B2AB44.4B2.
4B3.4B$119.4B23.4B14.B2A2B3.2A46.4B2.4B3.3B$118.4B23.4B16.2A54.4B2.4B
3.2B$98.3B16.4B23.4B74.4B2.4B3.B$98.3B2A2.B10.4B23.4B76.4B2.4B$97.2AB
A2BAB2A8.4B23.4B78.4B2.4B$97.2A2BA4BA7.4B23.4B80.4B2.4B$98.B2.BA3B7.
4B23.4B82.4B2.4B$103.ABA6.4B23.A3B84.4B2.3B$105.3B3.4B23.A3B86.4B2.2B
$105.3B2.4B23.B3A88.4B2.B$105.BA6B23.4B90.4B$104.BABA4B23.4B92.4B$
104.A2BA3B23.4B94.4B$103.2B2A5B21.4B96.3B$103.10B19.4B98.2B$103.6B.4B
17.4B100.B$101.2AB.3B3.4B15.4B$100.A.AB2.B5.4B13.4B$100.A12.4B11.4B$
99.2A13.4B9.4B$115.4B7.4B$116.4B5.4B$117.4B3.4B$118.4B.4B$119.7B$120.
5B$120.6B$118.3B2A4B$114.2A2.2BA2BA4B$113.BABA4BABA3B$114.B3A3.BA3B$
114.2B2A5.5B$113.2A2B9.2A$113.3AB9.A$112.4B11.3A$112.4B13.A$112.2B2AB
$114.2A!
Maybe worth mentioning, though: the first natural glider after the G-to-H doesn't have to be the one that cleans up the Annoying Beehive -- that stream can come from anywhere.
And the old Herschel-receiver-based G-to-H would also work in this context, and might even be slightly cheaper because the cleanup reflector is a safe distance from everything else:
Code: Select all
x = 182, y = 146, rule = LifeHistory
76.4B$75.4B$74.4B$73.4B$72.4B$71.4B$70.4B$69.4B$68.4B$67.4B$66.4B$65.
4B22.2A$64.4B22.B2AB$63.4B23.4B$62.4B25.2B$61.4B25.3B2A$60.4B24.5B2A$
59.4B24.8B11.2A$31.A26.4B25.6B5.2B6.A$31.3A23.4B24.9B.6B2.BA.A$34.A
21.4B23.17B.B.B2A$33.2A20.4B21.24B4.2A$33.4B17.4B20.27B2.B2AB$35.3B
15.4B20.28B2.3B$34.4B14.4B19.31B2.B.B$17.2B15.5B12.4B4.B.7B5.39B$15.
5B13.6B11.4B.13B5.4B.34B$14.7B12.8B2.71B$14.8B10.14BC36B2.29B$13.9B
11.13B3C34B4.8B2A16B$12.10B12.7B.4BCBC15B2A17B6.6B2A17B$12.A8B12.15BC
15B2A16B8.23B$11.ABA8B11.19B2.2B3.19B2.B10.17B2.B$11.ABA10B8.17B11.
10B2.B3.2B15.14B$11.BA14B2.2B.15B16.6B6.BA17.12B$12.11BD22B19.3B7.A.A
17.10B2A$12.9BDBD13B.8B21.B8.2A19.7B2A2B$14.7B3D9B2A2B3.8B19.2A29.8BA
2B$14.7BD11B2A2B5.B3.2A20.A29.12B$15.B2.18B10.A20.A29.8B2.4B$25.4B.3B
.B12.3A17.2A27.9B3.4B$26.4B19.A45.4B.2B2AB4.4B$27.4B63.4B4.2A6.4B$28.
4B61.4B14.4B$29.4B59.4B16.4B$30.4B57.4B18.4B37.B$31.4B55.4B20.4B30.B
5.2B$32.4B53.4B22.4B29.2B4.3B$33.4B51.4B24.4B28.3B3.4B$34.4B49.4B26.
4B27.4B3.4B$35.4B47.4B28.4B27.4B3.4B$36.4B45.4B30.4B27.4B3.4B$37.4B
43.4B32.4B27.4B3.4B$38.4B41.4B34.4B27.4B3.4B$39.4B39.4B36.4B27.4B3.4B
$40.4B37.4B38.4B27.4B3.4B$41.4B35.4B40.4B27.4B3.4B$42.4B33.4B42.4B27.
4B3.4B$43.4B31.4B44.4B27.4B3.4B$44.4B29.4B46.4B27.4B3.4B$45.4B27.4B
48.4B27.4B3.4B$46.4B25.4B50.4B27.4B3.4B$47.4B23.4B52.4B27.4B3.4B$48.
4B21.4B54.4B27.4B3.4B$49.4B19.4B56.4B16.2A9.4B3.4B$50.4B17.4B58.4B14.
B2AB9.4B3.4B$51.4B15.4B60.4B14.2B6.B4.4B3.4B$52.4B13.4B62.4B14.2B4.3B
4.4B3.4B$53.4B11.4B64.4B12.14B.4B3.4B$54.4B9.4B66.4B11.14B2.4B3.4B$
55.4B7.4B68.4B.B5.17B3.4B3.4B$56.4B5.4B49.2B19.28B3.4B3.4B$57.4B3.4B
50.3B18.30B2.4B$58.4B.4B49.2B2AB18.31B$59.7B50.2B2ABA17.32B$60.5B52.
4B.A8.A8.32B$59.3B2AB54.A.4B4.3A6.2AB2.23B3.4B$58.4BABA2B53.AB2A2B2.A
8.A.AB4.B.16B7.4B$57.10B2.2A50.B2A2B2.2A7.A11.10B.2B9.4B$58.5B2A4B2AB
49.3B2.4B6.2A12.9B13.4B$59.3BAB.6B51.2B.BAB19.11B15.4B$57.5B4.5B52.B.
ABAB17.12B16.4B$57.2A9.2ABA52.2B2AB.2A14.12B17.4B$58.A9.BABA46.A4.7B
2A14.11B19.4B$55.3A11.BA2B43.3A5.7B15.8B.4B18.4B$55.A13.2A2B42.A8.7B
15.7B4.2A19.4B$68.B2A2B42.2A7.6B16.7B4.A21.3B$69.2A34.2A6.4B6.8B15.6B
6.3A19.2B$106.A6.2B7.4B2.4B13.7B8.A20.B$106.A.AB2.5B4.4B4.4B11.8B$
107.2AB2.B2A2B.B.4B6.4B9.8B$108.4BA2BA7B.2B.3B.4B7.9B$109.4B2A30B.6B$
109.16B2A17B.7B$111.14B2A16B2.6B$111.25BABA4B.7B$110.25BA2BA13B$109.
5BA3B6.2B3.2B2.3BA2BAB2A9B$108.5BABAB18.4BA2BA10B$107.4B.BABAB17.6B2A
11B3.B$106.4B3.BAB17.4B2.B2A12B.B2A$105.4B2.7B14.4B2.18B2A$104.4B3.2A
.B.2A13.4B3.12B2A3B.B$103.4B5.A3.A13.4B5.11B2A2B$102.4B3.3A5.3A9.4B6.
10B2.2B$101.4B4.A9.A8.4B9.B.6B3.2B$100.4B23.4B14.4B2.B2AB$99.4B23.4B
14.B2A2B3.2A$98.4B23.4B16.2A$78.ABA16.4B23.4B$78.3BAB2.B10.4B23.4B$
77.A4BA2B2A8.4B23.4B$77.2ABA2BAB2A7.4B23.4B$78.B2.2A3B7.4B23.4B$83.3B
6.4B23.4B$85.3B3.4B23.4B$85.3B2.4B23.4B$85.BA6B23.4B$84.BABA4B23.4B$
84.A2BA3B23.4B$83.2B2A5B21.4B$83.10B19.4B$83.6B.4B17.4B$81.2AB.3B3.4B
15.4B$80.A.AB2.B5.4B13.4B$80.A12.4B11.4B$79.2A13.4B9.4B$95.4B7.4B$96.
4B5.4B$97.4B3.4B$98.4B.4B$99.7B$100.5B$100.B2A3B$98.4BA4B$94.2A2.3BA
6B$93.B2A4B2A5B$94.4B3.5B$94.4B5.5B$93.B3A9.2A$93.2B2A9.A$92.2A2B11.
3A$92.3AB13.A$92.BABAB$94.2A!
EDIT2: Another way to avoid reflectors, probably not cost effective but something
might happen to work: there are two ways to fit two signals into a square p256 loop:
Code: Select all
x = 173, y = 123, rule = B3/S23
135bo$133b3o$132bo$124b2o6b2o$124bobo$125bo2$130b2o$130b2o5b2o$137b2o
3$120b2o$120b2o2$135b2o$56b2o68b2o7bobo$57b2o68b2o8bo$56bo69bo10b2o15$
39b2o68bo$38bobo68b2o$40bo67bobo3$16b2o68b2o$9b2o5b2o61b2o5b2o$9b2o68b
2o3$11b2o27b2o39b2o27b2o$11b2o27b2o39b2o27b2o$5b2o68b2o$5b2o68b2o$46b
2o68b2o$46b2o68b2o$42b2o68b2o$23bo2b2o14b2o49bo2b2o14b2o$22b2o2b3o63b
2o2b3o$21b3o2b2o63b3o2b2o$22b2o2b2o64b2o2b2o$47b2o68b2o$5bo41b2o26bo
41b2o$5b3o67b3o$8bo69bo$7b2o68b2o3$34bo$11b3o19b3o46b2o19b3o$11bo24bo
44b2o21bo$12bo21b2o47bo20b3o$35bo4$2o68b2o$2o68b2o4$5b2o17bo50b2o17bo$
5b2o15b2o51b2o15b2o10b2o$b2o20b2o46b2o20b2o$b2o68b2o$19b2o21b2o45b2o
21b2o$18bobo21b2o44bobo21b2o$7b2o9bo17b2o39b2o9bo17b2o$7b2o8b2o17b2o
39b2o8b2o17b2o3$38b2o68b2o$31b2o5b2o61b2o5b2o$31b2o68b2o6$68bo68bo$69b
o68b2o$67b3o67b2o10$159b2o$159b2o3$168b2o$167bobo$84bobo67bobo11bo$85b
2o68b2o$85bo69bo$162b2o$162b2o2$169b2o$169bobo$171bo$156b2o13b2o$157bo
$154b3o6b2o$154bo8b2o!
With two signals, you'd replace the first reflector (it has to be the first) with a Spartan semi-Snark.
Effectively this would give you one free tick of adjustability in the timing of one or more of the four outputs, relative to the remaining outputs. You can choose to export either of the two signals for each of the four output glider streams, and then you can adjust the signals to be either 69 or 70 ticks apart.
Unfortunately a semi-Snark looks to be just slightly more expensive than a p8 bumper or bouncer, but maybe that parity adjustment is worth something.
There's an H-to-G6 in the ECC that's just
one lousy tick away from being able to build two of the three gliders in that PULL/DFIRE salvo, simultaneously. I keep checking for this kind of lucky accident. When something eventually does match perfectly, I'll probably fall out of my chair.