Wishlist for Marine Aquarium 3 and Future

From tim4web, 6/12/01 1:47:08 am

Can we get my "refresh fish selection every __ minutes" option, and Revolve360s "random fish frequency sliders" added to the "Feature Wishlist - The Tank", with a thumbs up, question mark, thumbs down or whatever, just so we know where we are on this ?

From jimsachs, 6/12/01 9:32:56 am

I'll consider your requests, but the features for the next update are pretty well locked down, so these features won't make it into v.99L.

Morgan - Can you add these to the wishlist please ?

I did not found a Sawfish in the Wishlist.

[feldon34]

I did not found a Sawfish in the Wishlist.

What's a Sawfish? Are they attractive fish that are pleasing to the eye?

[feldon34]

Can we get my "refresh fish selection every __ minutes" option, and Revolve360s "random fish frequency sliders" added to the "Feature Wishlist - The Tank", with a thumbs up, question mark, thumbs down or whatever, just so we know where we are on this?

It's been added.

home.mira.net/~areadman/sawfish.htm

I think a Sawfish would look nice in the aquarium.
(in a larger version)

A cowfish and a Raccoon Butterfy fish
www.pibythebay.homestead.com/fishpage.html

Here are good site with some new fish

marineaquarium.com/mike421.htm

marineaquarium.com/mike422.htm#top2

[feldon34]

Raccoon Butterfly would be hard because it would require 2 textures and the texture would have to change/fade depending on lighting conditions. Jim has so much to add betweeen now and October it might get put on the back burner. Sorry.

Boxfish is on the list of possible special creatures. I don't know if he's chosen which species of Boxfish he'd like.

Thanks for the suggestions and photos!

Can we get my "refresh fish selection every __ minutes" option, and Revolve360s "random fish frequency sliders" added to the "Feature Wishlist - The Tank", with a thumbs up, question mark, thumbs down or whatever, just so we know where we are on this?

It's been added.
Morgan
Operator of Inside the Tank : Sachs Aquarium website

Morgan - you've added my suggestion, but not Revolve 360's. Jim said he would consider both. A frequency slider by each fish would allow you to select "always", "never" or somewhere inbetween. Something would have to be done to limit the number of "always" selections to 7, but, as said, Jim was going to consider it.

Regards, Tim

[Digital Lungfish]

Morgan/Jim,

Here's a couple of ideas that are off shoots of the Camera Panning feature. They may have already been discussed, then again, maybe not. Nothing wild or crazy...

* Speed Slider - would allow the user to adjust the speed at which the camera pans left to right. I may have been the person who originaly requested this one, but I can't recall.

* Follow Fish - I know that someone once suggested this idea, I think their idea was that the camera should follow the fish in full 3D ala first person behind the fish, well my idea is a bit less complicated. Why not use the Camera Panning feature to allow the camera to follow the actions of a single fish (or school of 3)? Jim, would this be too difficult or would it likely eat up too many of your work cycles trying to impliment? Another variation on this idea would be to have a setting that allows the camera to pan to follow the actions of a fish/school for "x" amount of time, then randomly move on to another fish/school and so on.

And for an idea that I don't think we've discussed previously -

* Night and Day light cycles - have the lights in the aquarium cycle to match that of real world lighting (as closely as possible anyway) by checking to see what the real world time is.

You could have the aquarium check the PC's system time each time it loads up and adjust the lighting to match that time of day and as long as the aquarium is left running, it would cycle the lights according to the actual time.

- DL

[feldon34]

That would be rather boring to have the tank lit for 12 hours a day and then dark for 12 hours. And the amount of algae in the tank would go sky high if you left the lights on for 12 hours. The fish would be dead in a few days. Also, we wouldn't get to see the Eel during the day, as it would always be in hiding (one of the behaviors Jim wants to add). And if a Raccoon Butterfly WAS added, we'd never see it with its dark coloring.

Morgan, are you ignoring my last post ?

If so, for goodness sake why ?!?!!

[feldon34]

tim4web,

You need to acquire some patience. It will suit you well in this world.

[Coelacanth]

Actually, a 12-hour photoperiod, while more than I'd recommend, is still right at the highest end of acceptable. You do run the risk of an algae bloom, but algae is more dependent on the level of phosphates and nitrates in the tank than on light. I certainly don't think you'd kill your fish within a couple of days just by leaving the lights on for 12 hours. Some people even say 14 hours is OK, depending on what you keep in the tank. Me, I'd recommend about an 8 hour MH light period, with a 30-60 minute actinic period at beginning and end of the day.

Also, for the wish list -- I'd love to see the rare and beautiful candy basslet!

[Digital Lungfish]

Morgan,

Ok, ok, I'll admit the Night and Day cycle idea is not the most exciting idea that I've ever come up with by far (not much thought put into it) and I have come up with some pretty good ones in the past which are now on the wish list (and some not) with a thumbs up:

Wishlist
=====
* Intricate rock formations with caves (so fish can swim through)
* Sea Floor Backgrounds (Photos)
* Seaweed or Kelp
* Track lighting

Non-Wishlist
=========
* Camera positioned in the upper left or right corners of the tank looking down on a 3/4 angle view of the entire tank length wise (shot down by Jim for a good reason though).
* Selectable bubble column positions
* Selectable bubble column widths (2x wide, 4x wide)
* Mated pairs (2 of the same species will stay together as if mates) - not on the wishlist, but I believe Jim is eventually going to impliment it.

So you'll have to forgive me if I slip up and offer some lamers once in a while, I think I tripped and unplugged my brain the other day.

Don't get me wrong though, I wasn't suggesting that this be the ONLY lighting solution for the aquarium, I was just suggesting this as one "possible" lighting option in the settings menu.

- DL

tim4web,

You need to acquire some patience. It will suit you well in this world.
Morgan

If you look back at the posts, you'll see that Jim said he'd consider the ideas 3 weeks ago, and even now only one of the two ideas have been added.

How long does it take to add a line to a list ?

The idea I've been reminding you about isn't even mine - it's Revolve360's. I find this frustrating because this is how good ideas get lost.

Even if it does take a significant amount of time to add an item to the list, it certainly doesn't take a long time to reply in this thread to say you will add the item. Please do so.

[multivitamin]

Maybe there is a solution for the overlay mode:

there is a program out there that uses overlay mode to show 3d scenes on the desktop! I don't know if this might help, but Jim you may check it out for yourself

the url is
www.dreamrender.com/

regards
Multivitamin

First of all let me say that words can not express how great I think this program is. I have been familiar with Jim Sachs work since Defender of the Crown (I was a hardcore Amiga person) and this high level of quality work seems natural for someone who has been in one of the most innovative areas of computers and computer graphics. I have bought the deluxe version and I could not be more pleased.

Now to the point :-) I have read the list and didn't see that anyone suggested the Nautalis creature yet. I didn't even know that such a creature was an aquarium creature until I saw 2 of them at the local marine fish store. They are very interesting to the eye and I thought I might as well suggest it.

Here is a link if you don't know what one is:
is.dal.ca/~ceph/TCP/Npompil.html

[Jim Sachs]

I have considered the Chambered Nautilus, but all the specimens I've seen are rather large.

[Digital Lungfish]

Actually, I believe that someone has already suggested the Nautilus in a previous post, but it's been a while and Morgan and Jim may not have caught the original post.

I agree though, it's definately a very unique creature to say the least. I've seen them at local aquariums here in San Diego and at Sea World. Their motions are very slow and smooth, kind of relaxing to watch them move around. I think they would be a nice addition to the aquarium.

- DL

[Digital Lungfish]

Jim,

Since all the fish and inverts in the aquarium are supposted to be juveniles anyway, why not just make a smaller version of the Nautilus to fit the scale of the aquarium and the other fish?

- DL