boids

boids is a python 2.7 program that generates an animation of flocking boids which can be saved as a movie. This program is an implementation of the Boids model as described in the article by Reynolds (1987).

Please refer to CITATION for information regarding cite this package.

© Joshua D. Foster 2015-2016 under MIT License.

Installation

Install using pip with:

pip install -e git+https://github.com/jdfoster/boids.git#egg=boids

Alternatively, this repository can be cloned and then installed with:

python setup.py install

Usage

boids [--save/-s SAVE] [--config/-c CONFIG] [--generate/-g GENERATE]

All switches are optional. In the absence of any switch the program is use the default configuration to generate a windowed matplotlib animation.

Argument	Description
SAVE	Filename for the returned MPEG movie of the generated animation. Given filename needs to have the extension mp4/MP4. Animation is shown in window in the absence of this switch.
CONFIG	Filename for the given configuration file. The given file should be in YAML format with the extension yml/YML. This file can be generated using the --save switch. Defaults are used in the absence of this switch.
GENERATE	Filename for a generated configuration file. Generated file is populated with default values. Use without other switches.

Examples

Open a window to showing boids animation using the default values:

boids

Create and save a MP4 movie (boids.mp4) of the boids animation:

boids --save boids.mp4

Generate a configuration files (conf.yml) populated with the default settings:

boids --generate conf.yml

Using a modified configuration file (conf.yml) and override the defaults:

boids --config conf.yml

Reference

Reynolds, C.W. (1987). Flocks, herds, and schools: a distributed behavioural model. SIGGRAPH Comput. Graph. 21(4) 25-34.