C++ Ants Simulation 3, Maze

Wanted to see how ants would perform in mazes.

Simulator wrote from scratch in C++ using SFML for rendering.

This project is not based on scientific articles and is not intended to be accurate.

[DaSpazbot]

It would be super cool to see a maze with multiple correct paths so we could watch them optimise their route

[Bladavia]

RIP to all the ants who're still stuck on the right side of the complex maze

[jpsalis]

It's really interesting how the path optimizes overtime once they've discovered the food.

[MudakTheMultiplier]

I would love to see an environment that changes dynamically so they have to adapt to changes potentially getting in their way.

[Zhincore]

the density views looks like scifi energy or something, I love it

[logins]

Ants eating Pezzza's logo in the end are next level.

[nieabtw]

I'm finally early on one of your videos, fantastic work. It's fascinating to watch them go from a scattered mess to a perfectly organized and optimized path.

[noms]

It's so cool how the turns change to be more optimal.

[realquincyhill]

Always top quality simulations plus you provide the source 👌🏾

[leventeszasz]

This was one of the coolest outro i've ever seen.

[SaladBowlz]

Not gonna lie. I have no idea how i ended up finding your videos, but youtube has been drip-feeding me your ant simulations and its been a blast to watch. The slime molds were wild too. thanks

[tyler]

Cool video man! I can't wait to see the next addition to this series.

[imveryangryitsnotbutter]

So one thing I've noticed is that when ants get stuck in limbo (usually explorers from before the food path is established), it can take them a really long time for them to eventually return to the path, if they ever return at all before the food supply runs out. These ants in limbo are essentially wasting the colony's resources while they continue to exist; because the number of ants on-screen is fixed, ants in limbo effectively lower the number of ants that can contribute to bringing back food.

I propose that you give each ant a "life timer" which dictates how long they can survive outside the colony. You set the timer based on how long it should realistically take to find a food source. At the start, several thousand ants are spawned from the colony, one per millisecond (don't spawn them all simultaneously, otherwise large amounts of ants will die simultaneously, which looks really weird). If an ant's life timer expires, it dies and a new one spawns at the colony. If an ant picks up a food morsel, its life timer is completely refilled. If an ant delivers food back to the colony, its life timer is also completely refilled. In other words, only the ants that most effectively contribute to the colony survive, while the stragglers eventually die off.

Maybe later on, you can probably implement some kind of birth-death system so that the number of ants fluctuates based on how plentiful or scarce food is, but for now I think the "life timer" mechanic is a good first step.

[The-Spheros]

That one bit of food they didn't collect at the smiley...

[sinnvollerkommentar]

Great work Again
Also that you wrote an algorithm to turn your image into food. It's so little details that show how much work you put into it

[TheJobCompany]

I'm soo glad I found this channel, this is great

[markusbuchholz]

Really impressive work and clean code. Your effort, innovative way of thinking only boost great C++. Perfect && thank you. Have a nice day!

[ZackBogucki]

4:27 looks like the t-shirts always worn by that one high school classmate who really loved Slipknot

[TheFoxfirelight]

Just left a comment in another video of yours that I wanted to see this in a video. Here it is. Excellent

[stevesajeev]

Wow your videos are so awesome. I really fall in love with you training a drone video.
Like it was so much cool.