LifeWiki:Pattern pages

"LW:PATTERNS" and "LW:PP" redirect here.

Pattern pages are pages within LifeWiki that describe specific patterns of interest in Conway's Game of Life and related cellular automata.

Pattern templates

A pattern template should be included at the top of every single page describing a specific pattern. The available pattern templates are listed below. When none of the templates match the type of pattern that the page is about, the general pattern template should be used.

• Template:Agar
• Template:Conduit
• Template:Crawler
• Template:Fuse
• Template:GrowingSpaceship
• Template:Gun
• Template:Methuselah
• Template:MovingBreeder
• Template:Oscillator
• Template:OscillatorComponent
• Template:Pattern
• Template:Puffer
• Template:Reflector
• Template:Rotor
• Template:Sawtooth
• Template:Spaceship
• Template:StillLifeComponent
• Template:Stilllife
• Template:UnitCell
• Template:Wave
• Template:Wick
• Template:Wickstretcher

In addition to any of the template-specific parameters listed on those template pages (such as s for speed in Template:Spaceship), all pattern templates have access to the following parameters. If the value of a particular parameter is unknown to you or if you are not completely sure what a particular parameter does, it is best to omit it completely. To learn how to use these templates and parameters, it is likely best to view the source code of an existing pattern page by clicking on the "Edit" button at the top of it.

Parameter	Description	Example
name	(required) The name of the pattern being described.	name=17c/45 reaction
pname	(required) The name of the pattern being described, but converted to lowercase and with all non-alphanumeric characters and spaces removed.	pname=17c45reaction
discoverer	(optional) The name of the person who first discovered the pattern. Only list one name even if the pattern was found by multiple people.	discoverer=David Bell
discoveryear	(optional) The year in which the pattern was first discovered.	discoveryear=1970
bx	(optional) The width (x-dimension) of the pattern's bounding box.	bx=8
by	(optional) The height (y-dimension) of the pattern's bounding box.	by=12
fc	(optional) The frequency class of the pattern, rounded to one decimal digit. Not all pattern templates currently support this parameter.	fc=21.5
c	(optional) The number of live cells in the pattern.	c=45
animated	(optional) Whether or not there is an animated image available for the pattern. Not available for the Stilllife template. Omit this parameter if there is no such image.	animated=true
life105	(optional) Whether or not there is a Life 1.05 pattern file available for download for this pattern. See Pattern files. Omit this parameter if the file has not been uploaded.	life105=true
life106	(optional) Whether or not there is a Life 1.06 pattern file available for download for this pattern. See Pattern files. Omit this parameter if the file has not been uploaded.	life106=true
mc	(optional) Whether or not there is a Macrocell pattern file available for download for this pattern. See Pattern files. Omit this parameter if the file has not been uploaded.	mc=true
plaintext	(optional) Whether or not there is a plaintext pattern file available for download for this pattern. See Pattern files. Omit this parameter if the file has not been uploaded.	plaintext=true
rle	(optional) Whether or not there is a Run Length Encoded pattern file available for download for this pattern. See Pattern files. Omit this parameter if the file has not been uploaded. Also controls whether or not the Manipulate via Java link appears in the sidebar for the pattern.	rle=true
zip	(optional) Whether or not there is a .zip archive containing a pattern file (or multiple pattern files) available for download for this pattern. Omit this parameter if the file has not been uploaded.	zip=true
nofile	(optional) Whether or not pattern files have been purposely omitted and do not need to be added to the page (e.g., if the pattern file would be exceedingly large)	nofile=true
synthesis	(optional) The minimum known number of gliders with which the pattern can be constructed via glider synthesis. Enter synthesis=0 if it is known that the pattern can not be constructed in this way. Omit this parameter if it is unknown whether or not the pattern can be constructed via glider synthesis.	synthesis=2
synthesisRLE	(optional) Whether or not there is a Run Length Encoded pattern file available for the glider synthesis of the pattern. See Pattern files. Omit this parameter if the file has not been uploaded. Enter synthesisRLE=true if that pattern has been uploaded.	synthesisRLE=true
rulemax	(optional) The maximal rule (in "B/S" notation) that the pattern will function as described under.	rulemax=B35678/S23678
rulemin	(optional) The minimal rule (in "B/S" notation) that the pattern will function as described under.	rulemin=B/S2
rulespecial	(optional) Any particularly notable rules that the pattern functions as described under.	rulespecial=Conway Life, HighLife
isorulemax	(optional) The maximal isotropic non-totalistic rule (in "B/S" notation) that the pattern will function as described under.	rulemax=B3/S234ce
isorulemin	(optional) The minimal isotropic non-totalistic rule (in "B/S" notation) that the pattern will function as described under.	rulemin=B3-a/S23

Pattern files

Users of the LifeWiki are able to create and edit articles and upload and edit images on the LifeWiki as they see fit, but the one action that can only be performed by the site administrator, Nathaniel Johnston, is uploading pattern files (the files in Life 1.05, Life 1.06, plaintext and RLE format that are downloadable from most pattern pages, as well as the macrocell and .zip archive files available on some pattern pages) to the LifeWiki. The reason for this restriction is twofold. First, it is for security reasons as people download and execute those files on their harddrive so the last thing we want is someone uploading a virus or some such malicious thing. Second, the server that LifeWiki is run on simply doesn't like automatic uploads of files in strange file formats.

If you have just created a pattern page, send an e-mail to support@conwaylife.com that contains a link to the pattern page in LifeWiki and some way to load the pattern (e.g. attach to the e-mail the pattern in RLE format).

If you have found a pattern page that does not contain downloadable pattern files, check if its RLE:{pname} page exists (example: http://conwaylife.com/wiki/RLE:Glider):

• If the page exists, it will most likely be picked up at some point by an automated script by Dvgrn, so no further action is needed
• If the page does not exist, create it according to the Pattern files section below, and it will get picked up by the automated script
• If you have further questions, check the "Pages with invalid RLE files" thread in the forum

Note that some patterns will not have all file types uploaded. For example, catacryst does not have a downloadable plaintext file, as it would be extremely large (and would likely lock up any program trying to read the file).

User-created patterns

Although LifeWiki hopes to expand and catalogue everything there is to know about the Game of Life, users are generally discouraged from adding patterns that they themselves constructed, or names that they themselves invented for existing patterns, in order to avoid a potential conflict of interest. There are of course exceptions, such as when the constructed pattern is of clear notability.

Pattern pages : howto in a nutshell

• Collect data and pics first. Make a checklist like the one below.
• Decide on a name and pname that has not already been used (see above)
• Use Golly to create standard RLE text. File > Save Extended RLE should not be checked.
• Type in the LifeWiki search bar: RLE:{pname} (replace {pname} with your chosen pname)
• A link should appear to allow you to create RLE:{pname}.
• Click the link and paste in the pattern's RLE from Golly
• Type the name of the pattern in the LifeWiki search bar
• A link should appear to allow you to create {name}.
• Click the link to create the pattern page (see above)
• Begin with the pattern infobox, or another infobox template as appropriate
• Add text describing the pattern
• Add See Also, References, and External Links paragraphs when needed
• Preview before saving page
• If LifeViewer default view is not ideal, add viewerconfig= #C [[ {commands} ]] to improve view
• When commands are correct, edit RLE:{pname} page, add #C [[ {commands} ]] line on last line
• Remove temporary viewerconfig line from infobox
• Preview pattern page again, check it and save
• Click any red image links to upload image files
• Repeat above as needed for any secondary illustrations in the article body, outside the infobox, using EmbedViewer

Checklist

A	B
pattern basics	name, type [, date of discovery, by whom]
pname	choose a lowercase name with no spaces, not already used
specific type template	still life, oscillator ...
standard .png image	create it using a screenshot of LifeViewer
standard animated .gif image for an oscillator, &c.	create it using giffer.lua
standard .rle file	create it in Golly
LifeViewer config for pattern	preview using viewerconfig= and rle= on pattern page
raw RLE	create in RLE: namespace -- RLE:{pname}
numeric information	cells, box [, period, heat ...]: find with Oscillizer if appropriate

References

A	B
upload	Special:Upload
list of templates (infoboxes)	LifeWiki:Pattern pages : this page
template contents example	{{Oscillator|name=Tea chest|pname=teachest|p=76 |c=76 |bx=76 |by=76 |h=76 |animated=yes |discoverer=Mohawk Indian |discoveryear=1776}}
standard text	'''Tea chest''' was found by [[:Category:Patterns found by Mohawk Indian| Mohawk Indian ]] in [[:Category:Patterns found in 1776|1776]].
conwaylife page	http://www.conwaylife.com/