.. _bpy.types.Boid: .. _bpy.ops.boid: ***** Boids ***** .. admonition:: Reference :class: refbox :Panel: :menuselection:`Particle System --> Physics` :Type: Boids .. TODO2.8: .. figure:: /images/physics_particles_emitter_physics_boids_panel.png Boid Physics settings. Boids particle systems are controlled by a limited artificial intelligence, which can be programmed to follow basic rules and behaviors. They are ideal for simulating flocks, swarms, herds and schools of various kind of animals, insects and fishes or predators vs. preys simulations. They can react on the presence of other objects and on the members of their own system. Boids can handle only a certain amount of information, therefore the sequence of the *Boid Brain* rules is very important. In certain situations only the first three parameter are evaluated. Movement ======== .. admonition:: Reference :class: refbox :Panel: :menuselection:`Particle System --> Physics --> Movement` Boids try to avoid objects with activated Collision. They try to reach goal objects, and fly from "predators" according to the *Boid Brain* settings. Boids can different physics depending on whether they are in the air, or on land (on collision object). Allow Flight Allow boids to move in the air. Allow Land Allow boids to move on land. Allow Climbing Allow boids to climb goal objects. Max Air Speed Set the Maximum velocity in the air. Min Air Speed Set the Minimum velocity in the air. Max Air Acceleration Lateral acceleration in air, percentage of the max velocity (turn). Defines how fast a boid is able to change direction. Max Air Angular Velocity Tangential acceleration in air, percent 180 degrees. Defines how much the boid can suddenly accelerate in order to fulfill a rule. Air Personal Space Radius of boids personal space in air. Percentage of particle size. Landing Smoothness How smoothly the boids land. Max Land Speed Set the Maximum velocity on land. Jump Speed Maximum speed for jumping. Max Land Acceleration Lateral acceleration on land, percent of max velocity (turn). Defines how fast a boid is able to change direction. Max Land Angular Velocity Tangential acceleration on land, percent 180 degrees. Defines how much the boid can suddenly accelerate in order to fulfill a rule. Land Personal Space Radius of boids personal space on land. Percentage of particle size. Land Stick Force How strong a force must be to start effecting a boid on land. Collision Collection Only collide with objects in this collection. Misc ==== .. admonition:: Reference :class: refbox :Panel: :menuselection:`Particle System --> Physics --> Misc` Banking Amount of rotation around velocity vector on turns. Banking of 1.0 gives a natural banking effect. Pitch Amount of rotation around side vector. Height Boid height relative to particle size. Battle ====== .. admonition:: Reference :class: refbox :Panel: :menuselection:`Particle System --> Physics --> Battle` Health Initial boid health when born. Strength Maximum caused damage per second on attack. Aggression Boid will fight this time stronger than enemy. Accuracy Accuracy of attack. Range Maximum distance of which a boid can attack. Relations ========= .. admonition:: Reference :class: refbox :Panel: :menuselection:`Particle System --> Physics --> Relations` Target This :ref:`list view ` allows you to set up other particle systems to react with the boids. Object A :ref:`data ID ` to select an object with a particle system set on. System Index of the *Object*\ 's particle system as set in the list view in the particle panel. Alliance Enemy Setting the type to *Enemy* will cause the systems to fight with each other. Friend Will make the systems work together. Neutral Will not cause them to align or fight with each other. Deflection ---------- Boids will try to avoid deflector objects according to the Collision rule's weight. It works best for convex surfaces (some work needed for concave surfaces). Force Fields ------------ As other physics types, Boids is also influenced by external force fields. In addition, special *Boid* force fields can be used with the Boids physics. These effectors could be predators (positive Strength) that boids try to avoid, or targets (negative Strength) that boids try to reach according to the (respectively) *Avoid* and *Goal* rules of the *Boid Brain*. Boid Brain ========== .. admonition:: Reference :class: refbox :Panel: :menuselection:`Particle System --> Physics --> Boid Brain` The Boid Brain panel controls how the boids particles will react with each other. Rules ----- The boids' behavior is controlled by a list of rules. Only a certain amount of information in the list can be evaluated. If the memory capacity is exceeded, the remaining rules are ignored. The rules are by default parsed from top-list to bottom-list (thus giving explicit priorities), and the order can be modified using the little arrows buttons on the right side. Goal Seek goal. Object Specifies the goal object. If not specified, Boid force fields with negative Strength are used as goals. Predict Predict target's movements. Avoid Avoid "predators". Object Specifies the object to avoid. If not specified, Boid force fields with positive Strength are used as predators. Predict Predict target's movements. Fear Factor Avoid object if danger from it is above this threshold. Avoid Collision Avoid objects with activated Deflection. Boids Avoid collision with other boids. Deflectors Avoid collision with deflector objects. Look Ahead Time to look ahead in seconds. Separate Boids move away from each other. Flock Copy movements of neighboring boids, but avoid each other. Follow Leader Follows a leader object instead of a boid. Distance Distance behind leader to follow. Line Follow the leader in a line. Average Speed Maintain average velocity. Speed Percentage of maximum speed. Wander How fast velocity's direction is randomized. Level How much velocity's Z component is kept constant. Fight Move toward nearby boids. Fight Distance Attack boids at a maximum of this distance. Flee Distance Flee to this distance. Rule Evaluation ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ There are three ways to control how rules are evaluated. Average All rules are averaged. Random A random rule is selected for each boid. Fuzzy Uses fuzzy logic to evaluate rules. Rules are gone through top to bottom. Only the first rule that affect above the fuzziness threshold is evaluated. The value should be considered how hard the boid will try to respect a given rule (a value of 1.000 means the Boid will always stick to it, a value of 0.000 means it will never). If the boid meets more than one conflicting condition at the same time, it will try to fulfill all the rules according to the respective weight of each. Please note that a given boid will try as much as it can to comply to each of the rules he is given, but it is more than likely that some rule will take precedence on other in some cases. For example, in order to avoid a predator, a boid could probably "forget" about Collision, Separate and Flock rules, meaning that "while panicked" it could well run into obstacles, e.g. even if instructed not to, most of the time.