Xref: utzoo rec.games.programmer:837 comp.graphics:5362 comp.sys.amiga.tech:4770
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!ucsd!sdcc6!mplvax!cdl
From: cdl@mplvax.EDU (Carl Lowenstein)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer,comp.graphics,comp.sys.amiga.tech
Subject: Re: plotter optimizing algorithm
Keywords: vector plotter optimize
Message-ID: <863@mplvax.EDU>
Date: 24 Apr 89 15:23:44 GMT
References: <633@jc3b21.UUCP>
Reply-To: cdl@mplvax.ucsd.edu.UUCP (Carl Lowenstein)
Distribution: na
Organization: U.C. San Diego, Marine Physical Laboratory
Lines: 18

In article <633@jc3b21.UUCP> crash@jc3b21.UUCP (Frank J. Edwards) writes:
>The point I'm at now is optimizing the vector list to minimize pen movement.
>Right now, this is more of a programming obsession than a "practical"
>project (not that it was very "practical" to begin with :-).

Look through "Writing Efficient Programs", Jon Bentley, Prentice-Hall 1982.
ISBN 0-13-970244-X

He uses the problem of optimizing pen movement as the framework for most
of the examples in the book.  The only difficulty is that he uses the wrong
'cost' function.  (At least for most of my pen-plotter experience).  The
cost of writing a vector should be proportional to max(abs(dx),abs(dy))
rather than sqrt(dx**2 + dy**2).  But there are lots of good optimizations.

-- 
	carl lowenstein		marine physical lab	u.c. san diego
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