Complex cell structure idea

ocso639 · March 28, 2021, 7:55pm

It’s hard to create complex cell structures, for example, you can’t create insides of your cells cause the game fills it in automatically, external organelles (pilus, flagellum, etc) are placed outside of your cell, instead fill these areas with a darker toned cytoplasm that has no collision.

For weaker membrane types, this feature is discarded and inside areas are filled in, stronger membrane types will have this feature as an alternative to engulfing.

While typing this, I realized that you can make psuedo multi-cellular life with little constraints, another up to this idea.

LightUpRise · March 28, 2021, 7:56pm

I have just one word or 2, surface tension.

ocso639 · March 28, 2021, 7:56pm

Well really, im pretty sure some real life single celled organisms do this, not 100% sure

LightUpRise · March 28, 2021, 7:59pm

I think i have seen single cell using a wip like extention, not sure of that’s what you are tallking about, but as cells do not have muscles. The deformity doesn’t stay and the whole cell is pulled back into some circular shape.

ocso639 · March 28, 2021, 8:01pm

I really only want this to be available for stronger membrane types (with high rigidity), as weaker ones (that can engulf) won’t have this.

Sentiant · March 28, 2021, 9:55pm

@Nunez2196 3D stuff should fix a lot of the current issues with membranes

hhyyrylainen · March 29, 2021, 7:03am

The basic issue is that the membrane generation code doesn’t support concave shapes, it can currently only make convex blobs. As such the pili and flagella get moved to the nearest point on the membrane.

As mentioned before Nunz is working on a new membrane system that will allow more complex cell shapes to have more accurate membranes.

LightUpRise · March 29, 2021, 8:39am

This got me thinking ,

A pilus on a soft cell and a shooting toxin from a rigid cell doesn’t look very realistic.

Like just because a bird has features, doesn’t mean it can fly, as bone density is also a factor.

I think having too soft cell should reduce the effectiveness of pilus and having a rigid cell should stop the (shoot) of toxin ( it can just make toxin cloud instead)

Let me know if I am wrong

ocso639 · March 29, 2021, 4:32pm

I assume you can take the current shape of the cell (made in the editor) and add the membranes, then smooth the shape?

I know it’s easier said than done.

hhyyrylainen · March 29, 2021, 4:39pm

It’s way easier said than done. This is the current code for the membrane:

github.com

Revolutionary-Games/Thrive/blob/master/src/microbe_stage/Membrane.cs

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using Godot;
using Array = Godot.Collections.Array;

/// <summary>
///   Membrane for microbes
/// </summary>
public class Membrane : MeshInstance
{
    /// <summary>
    ///   This must be big enough that no organelle can be at this position
    /// </summary>
    public const float INVALID_FOUND_ORGANELLE = -999999.0f;

    [Export]
    public ShaderMaterial MaterialToEdit;

    public MembraneType Type;

This file has been truncated. show original

ocso639 · March 29, 2021, 8:50pm

Damn, guess I’ll wait for multicellular life or the binding thingies to come out.
Hopefully not a long time.

Nunez2196 · April 2, 2021, 2:01pm

Hello, I’m working on membranes as we speak.

in case that code is too complicated for anyone, it is an implementation of what’s called a ‘Convex Hull’ algorithm. As the name suggests, it creates a hull around a set of points that is always concave because it essentially shrink wraps a loop of edges around a bunch of points by using the outermost points. It’s fairly simple and fast but the mesh is a completely flat plane making shading not easy, and concavity is not possible. I’m using a new algorithm that will basically make it so that however you arrange your hexagons, that’s what you’re basically going to get, but actually 3D.