Kazyan wrote:There still hasn't been a weekender gun, has there? On that topic, I checked Catagolue and found a 6-glider synthesis of xs14_4aaraa4...which shaves a glider off the weekender synthesis. I don't know how that affects the repeat time, though.
With a little adjustment, it doesn't affect repeat time at all -- still 475 ticks. The recipe is at the bottom of this post.
I've been wary of building a weekender gun, for fear of getting into Interminable Optimization Limbo.
However, I
would be interested in a glider-to-weekender converter -- which of course could be turned into a weekender gun of any period just by adding the appropriate glider gun. With any luck, a G-to-W converter will be so safely enormous that no one will be tempted to bother spending time reducing the bounding box.
87 gliders in four salvos is a lot of glider splitters, edge shooters and timing adjustments. Maybe it's time to write a script to at least semi-automate this kind of construction.
Here's a start at a generalized G-to-multi-G design. There are four major stages to worry about:
1) A single input glider produces eight gliders, one to trigger each of eight stable half-shotguns.
2) Each of the eight gliders is fanned out to produce a set of gliders, moving parallel to each other a safe (and adjustable) distance apart.
3) Each set of gliders passes through timing and/or color adjustment devices to put them in exactly the right positions relative to each other.
4) Each set of gliders enters its dedicated set of edge-shooter circuits to produce the desired half-salvo.
It seems like a good idea to work on that list in reverse order. The edge-shooter placement may turn out to be the most difficult thing to automate, since in some cases multiple signals might be needed to support the placement of a single glider.
Let's see how this part works out for one of the salvos -- say the one from the northeast:
Code: Select all
x = 99, y = 109, rule = LifeHistory
86.C$85.C$85.3C$96.A.A$96.2A$97.A4$85.A.A$85.2A$86.A8.A$81.A12.A$79.
2A13.3A$80.2A2$61.C$60.C$60.3C5$60.C$60.C.C$60.2C18.A.A$80.2A$81.A2$
52.C.C$52.2C$53.C2$49.C.C15.A$49.2C15.A$50.C15.3A5$48.C12.A$48.C.C10.
A.A$48.2C11.2A2$43.C$43.C.C8.A$43.2C7.2A$53.2A$41.C$40.C$31.C8.3C$29.
2C$30.2C2$37.A$36.A$36.3A15$18.C.C$18.2C$19.C$79.A$78.A$78.3A$.C$C$3C
2$28.A.A$28.2A$29.A$6.C$4.2C$5.2C20$2.A.A$2.2A$3.A!
The two colors mark a plausible division, with a dozen gliders constructed from the NW side, and the other dozen from the SE side. There are some fairly close placements here, but it looks as if it should be possible to get by with just the standard inserters:
Code: Select all
x = 312, y = 903, rule = LifeHistory
52.C$50.C.C$51.2C229$297.A$295.3A$294.A$294.2A3$302.2A$303.A$303.A.2A
$295.2A4.3A2.A$295.2A3.A3.2A$300.4A$286.2A15.A$285.A.A12.3A$285.A13.A
$284.2A14.5A$304.A$302.A$288.D13.2A$288.D.D$288.2D62$15.C$16.C$14.3C
191$249.2A11.A$249.2A10.A.A$261.A.A2.2A3.A$260.2A.2A2.A2.A.A6.2A$264.
A.A3.A.A6.2A28.D.D$260.2A.A2.4A.A37.2D$260.2A.A.A3.A40.D$264.A.A3.A$
265.A.A3.A$266.A3.2A4$257.2A$257.2A$242.2A$241.A2.A$240.A.2A$240.A48.
2A$239.2A48.2A$254.2A$237.4A13.A$236.A3.A14.3A$236.2A12.2A5.A10.2A$
250.2A15.A.A$267.A$266.2A4$226.2A$225.A.A5.2A$225.A7.2A$224.2A2$238.A
$234.2A.A.A$233.A.A.A.A$230.A2.A.A.A.A.2A$230.4A.2A2.A2.A$234.A4.2A$
232.A.A$232.2A149$.C$2.C$3C153$257.A18.A$257.3A5.2A7.3A$260.A4.2A6.A$
259.2A12.2A3$260.2A$260.2A3.2A$205.2A11.A46.2A$205.2A10.A.A$217.A.A2.
2A3.A$216.2A.2A2.A2.A.A7.2A7.2A$220.A.A3.A.A7.2A7.A.A7.A40.D.D$216.2A
.A2.4A.A15.A.A.3A5.3A38.2D$216.2A.A.A3.A17.2A5.A7.A38.D$220.A.A3.A22.
2A6.2A$221.A.A3.A$222.A3.2A4$213.2A11.D$213.2A9.3D$198.2A24.D.D$197.A
2.A23.D$196.A.2A$196.A$195.2A$210.2A$193.4A13.A$192.A3.A14.3A$192.2A
12.2A5.A$206.2A3$234.2A$235.A$232.3A$182.2A48.A$181.A.A5.2A$181.A7.2A
$180.2A2$194.A$190.2A.A.A$189.A.A.A.A$186.A2.A.A.A.A.2A$186.4A.2A2.A
2.A$190.A4.2A$188.A.A$188.2A!
It doesn't seem like a good idea to worry too much about guaranteeing a 475-tick repeat time -- the edge shooters for some of the weekender sub-salvos may end up being a lot more expensive if the first insertions have to wait for the tail end of the previous salvo to go by. But it seems to make sense to disallow signal crossings throughout the circuitry, so that if period N works, period N+1 is also guaranteed to work.
Code: Select all
#N weekender_synth.rle
#O Martin Grant
#C 87-glider synthesis of weekender spaceship.
#C Original synthesis found 25 January 2015,
#C based on initial work by Tanner Jacobi.
#C Optimization by Chris Cain and Tanner Jacobi.
#C http://conwaylife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1643&start=25#p21337
x = 462, y = 467, rule = B3/S23
444bobo$444b2o$19bobo423bo9bo$20b2o433bobo$20bo11bo422b2o$33b2o$32b2o$
16bo$17bo426bo$15b3o426bobo$444b2o$4bobo432bo13bobo$5b2o431bo14b2o$5bo
432b3o13bo$35bobo7bo$36b2o8bo$36bo7b3o372bobo$419b2o$420bo4$420bo$49bo
368b2o$50b2o367b2o18bo$49b2o388bobo$439b2o2$411bo$41bo369bobo$39bobo
369b2o$40b2o$46bo361bo$44bobo361bobo14bobo$45b2o361b2o15b2o$53bo372bo$
51bobo$52b2o2$37bo18bo351bo12bo$38b2o17b2o347b2o11b2o$37b2o17b2o349b2o
11b2o2$403bo$46bo354b2o9bo$47bo354b2o7bo$45b3o363b3o2$57bobo339bobo$
58b2o329bo9b2o$58bo329bo11bo$388b3o$21bobo$22b2o$22bo38bobo331bobo$62b
2o331b2o$62bo333bo$67bobo$68b2o$68bo$72bo$73b2o$72b2o4$86bobo$87b2o$
87bo2$80bobo294bo$81b2o294bobo$81bo5bo289b2o$85bobo$86b2o349bobo$437b
2o$438bo$359bobo$359b2o$84bobo273bo$85b2o300bo$85bo301bobo$387b2o$88bo
275bo$89bo273bo$87b3o273b3o20$361bo$361bobo$361b2o2$100bobo$101b2o$
101bo14bo9bo9bo9bo9bo9bo9bo9bo9bo9bo9bo9bo9bo9bo9bo9bo9bo9bo9bo9bo9bo
9bo9bo9bo7$326bo$325bo$139bo185b3o$116bo23bo195bobo7bo$138b3o195b2o$
152bo184bo$150bobo$151b2o$134bo$135b2o188bobo$134b2o189b2o$124bo201bo
8bo$125bo195bo12bo$116bo6b3o193b2o13b3o9bo$155bo164b2o$156bo6bo$154b3o
7b2o135bo$163b2o135bo$300b3o5$116bo183bo45bo$169bo130bobo$167bobo130b
2o18bobo$168b2o150b2o$321bo2$292bobo$158bobo131b2o$159b2o132bo$159bo$
116bo46bobo123bobo15bo38bo$164b2o123b2o15bo$164bo125bo15b3o$170bobo$
171b2o$171bo2$157bo18bo111bo12bo$155bobo16bobo111bobo10bobo$156b2o17b
2o111b2o11b2o$116bo229bo$283bo$164bo118bobo8bo$165b2o116b2o7b2o$164b2o
127b2o$177bo103bo$178bo101bo$176b3o92bo8b3o$269b2o$141bo128b2o$116bo
25bo203bo$140b3o38bo95bo$182bo93bo$180b3o93b3o$187bo$188bo$186b3o2$
192bo$190bobo$116bo74b2o153bo3$206bo$207bo$205b3o2$200bo$201bo56bobo$
199b3o56b2o$116bo87bobo52bo86bo$205b2o112bo$205bo112bo$318b3o$241bo$
240bo$204bo35b3o$205bo$203b3o62bobo$268b2o$116bo152bo76bo$206bo39bo$
207b2o35b2o$206b2o37b2o7$116bo229bo10$116bo229bo3$242bobo$242b2o$243bo
$220bo$221bo$219b3o10b2o$225b2o4b2o$116bo107bobo6bo112bo$226bo4$220b2o
5b2o$203b2o14bobo6b2o$202bobo16bo5bo$204bo33b2o$237b2o$116bo122bo106bo
$194b3o$196bo2b2o$195bo4b2o$199bo6$116bo69b2o158bo$187b2o53b3o19b2o$
186bo55bo21bobo$243bo20bo4$260b3o9b2o$260bo10b2o$261bo11bo$116bo229bo
2$176b3o101b3o$178bo101bo$177bo103bo2$173bo111bo$173b2o109b2o$172bobo
109bobo2$116bo229bo3$166b2o123b2o$160b2o5b2o121b2o5b2o$161b2o3bo125bo
3b2o$160bo137bo4$116bo229bo9$311b2o$116bo14b2o177b2o34bo$132b2o178bo$
131bo3$135bo171b2o$135b2o169b2o21bo$134bobo171bo19b2o$328bobo2$116bo
195b3o31bo$312bo$313bo6$341bo$340b2o$116bo223bobo3bo3$128b2o200b2o$
127bobo21b3o176bobo$129bo23bo176bo$152bo2$119b3o216b3o$121bo216bo$116b
o3bo218bo6bo3$130b2o$131b2o$130bo5$116bo229bo$126b3o$128bo$127bo$314bo
$313b2o$313bobo3$144b3o$116bo29bo15bo183bo$145bo16b2o$161bobo3$314b3o$
314bo$315bo34b3o$106b2o242bo$107b2o242bo$106bo9bo9bo9bo9bo9bo9bo9bo9bo
9bo9bo9bo9bo9bo9bo9bo9bo9bo9bo9bo9bo9bo9bo9bo9bo4$101b2o5b3o$84b2o16b
2o6bo$85b2o14bo7bo$84bo271b3o$356bo$76bo280bo$76b2o$75bobo2b3o$82bo$
81bo6$67b3o292bo$69bo291b2o20b2o$68bo292bobo18b2o$384bo3$380bo$379b2o
9b3o$379bobo8bo$391bo2$58bo341bo$58b2o339b2o$57bobo339bobo3$54b2o347b
2o$53bobo347bobo$55bo347bo5$47b3o359b3o$41b3o5bo359bo5b3o$43bo4bo361bo
4bo$42bo373bo13$429b3o$12b3o414bo$14bo415bo$13bo3$16b2o407b3o$15bobo
407bo21b2o$17bo408bo20bobo$447bo$432bo$431b2o$431bobo7$459b2o$459bobo$
459bo3$9b2o22bo415b2o$10b2o21b2o413b2o$9bo22bobo415bo2$bo456bo$b2o454b
2o$obo454bobo4$11b3o$13bo$12bo5$8bo$8b2o$7bobo2$432b2o$432bobo$432bo2$
26bo$26b2o$25bobo15b2o$42bobo$44bo2$434bo$433b2o$433bobo!
Probably the next thing is to do a similar analysis of the other three salvos, to make sure they're compatible with simple edge shooters. Offhand I don't see any unbuildable combinations -- but I've had a lot of unpleasant surprises sneak up on me, so it pays to be really careful.
Anyone see any serious trouble spots? Further bulletins as events warrant.