Boids Tutorial - Instructions on Using the Simulation

The basic simulation has the following buttons:

• Start: Click to start the boids moving

• Pause: Click to either pause the simulation, or when paused, to restart

• Reset Population: Restore the original population, although leave the settings ( eg of Distance Apart ) the same

• Default Settings: Restore the default values of Vision Distance etc, although leaving the current population on screen

• Faster: Increase the speed the boids move

• Slower: Decrease the speed the boids move

  
  

• Population Size: Select the number of boids in the simulation, default value is 10.

• Centering ON: Boids aim to go towards the center of near flockmates. For more details on these and other rules, see earlier in the tutorial.

• Avoidance ON: Boids aim to avoid colliding with their flockmates

• Match Velocity ON: Boids try to match the speed and direction of their nearby flockmates

  
  

• Vision Distance: Change how far a boid can see ( note if they can see '100', that means they can see 1/5th of the way across the screen, and over half the way down it

• Match Center: Alter the extent to which boids aim to go towards the center of nearby flockmates

• Distance Apart: Alter how near boids can be before they start trying to avoid hitting each other

• Match Velcoity: Alter the extent to which boids try to match the speed and direction of local flockmates