Re: [Swarm-Support] setting flags for agents

[Paul Johnson]

address@hidden wrote:
> I am trying to give agents memory of where they have walked.  To do this I am 
> creating a flag in a class Cell (similar to HabitatCell in StupidModel). 
> Currently, all agents can set and get this flag by:
>
> Cell flags = (cell) cellWorld.getObjectAtX$Y(myX, myY);
> flags.setFlag(num);
> flags.getFlag(num);
>
> As each agent walks through the Grid2dImpl space they change the flag from a 0 
> to one.  The agents can then see where others have walked and not walk on those 
> spaces.  I do not want this feature.  I would like the agents to set and get 
> their own flags, which will allow them to only see where they have walked. Any 
> suggestions on how to do this with Java Swarm 2.2.
>
> Thanks
>
> Shawn 
>
>   
Instead of creating one Grid2dImpl that all agents share, just create 
one inside each agent.  Let them keep records on that Grid2d.  If you 
want privacy without doing a ton of work, do that.  Since you already 
have a working piece of code for the grid, it will be easy to copy that 
inside the agent class...

Steve's idea of keeping a list of cells you have been to is OK, except 
the program may start to run really slow once the agents have been 
around and they start asking "have I been here" over and over.  If the 
cells were stored in a fast searchable collection, say a binary tree or 
hash, then it might address that.  But if you just put markers on the 
grid, it works.

I also like the idea Glen had where the cell keeps information on all 
agents that have been there, and then each agent can just ask for info 
on itself.  You could avoid some slow down there by using a swarm Array 
to keep the agent records and put the agents in by an integer ID 
number.  Fast! Fast!

pj

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--
Paul E. Johnson                       email: address@hidden
Professor, Political Science          http://pj.freefaculty.org
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