	Home
	Projects
	Software
	Downloads
	Links
	Authors
	Contact Us

Shapes edited by Mike

When we started this project in 2002, my three daughters, Alecia, Kaylee, and Emily were learning how to manipulate a single Bot object to make interesting line patterns on the computer screen. I have gone back to the old programs that they had produced, and updated them for VisualBots syntax changes that have occurred since. In looking back, I'm impressed with the interesting things that came out of their "trial and error" learning experience.

Shape-Mix creates various colored shapes. The star shape is generated by the following code:

MyBot.Pen.Color = vbtBlueGrey
MyBot.Pen.Down
For Segment = 1 To 5
MyBot.Step 80
MyBot.Turn 144
Next Segment

The key to creating the shapes is that the angle turned (144), multiplied by the number of segments(5) results in a multiple of 360 (720).

CurlyCue creates an interesting pattern with spirals. It is generated with the following code:

For j = 1 To 10
    For i = 1 To 400
        MyBot.Turn i
        MyBot.Step 12
    Next i
Next j

The key to creating a spiral shape is to increase the turn angle while the Bot is "stepping".

WeirdWeb creates a web-like pattern. It is generated with the following code:

For Segment = 1 To 400
    MyBot.Turn 39
    MyBot.Step 345
Next Segment
For Segment = 1 To 400
    MyBot.Turn -39
    MyBot.Step 345
Next Segment

No explanation for this one. This pattern needs the Screen boundary mode to "wrapped".

Basket-Weave creates a weave-like pattern. It is generated with the following simple code:

MyBot.MoveTo World.Screen.Center
MyBot.Dir = 30
MyBot.Step 67010

The key to this pattern is to set the Screen boundary mode to "walled" so that the Bot reflects off of the screen boundaries as it progresses on it's long journey.

Back to projects main page <<prev project next project>>

This sited last updated Jan 05, 2008