If anyone wants to try this, there's now a tar file here, with the edit
mentioned below.

http://www.cs.bham.ac.uk/research/projects/poplog/packages/popracer.tgz
    1.4MB

To run it you first need to relink poplog to include motif, using:

    $popsrc/newpop -link -x=-xm

I've just tried popracer again.

I edited popracer/main.p file to include

     uses rclib, rc_window_object, rc_buttons;

then

    ved main.p

Compile the file

    ENTER l1

Produces in a new ved window:

 PopRacer v1.08 (c) Team Popcorn 2005 - Loading Modules...Final Release by
Michael Brook
 * Neural Network and Genetic Algorithm Engine OK
 * Physics Engine OK.
   - Using Gravitional Constant:9.81
   - Using Friction Coefficient:0.002
 * Bezier Engine OK.
   - Track Editor OK.

 Welcome to PopRacer by Team Popcorn 2005
 *** Type help to list commands ***
 Pop Racer Command Line:
 Command?

Then, following the instructions in userguide.pdf

 Command? help
    
 Produces a long list of commands, including:

 ? run
     Runs the simulation
 ? setcars <num of cars>
     Choose the number of cars to be simulated

 ? loadcars <filename>
     Load a previously-saved population
 ? settrack <trackName>
     Choose a previously-saved track
..

 ? createtrack
     Launch the track editor to create a new track
 ? savetrack <file name>
     Saves the track in the track editor to the file specified
..
All very promising!

I typed

  ? run

That brought up a large window showing a figure 8 racetrack, a small
control panel with run, stop, quit, buttons and three boolean toggle
switches
    Animate: F
    Paths:   F
    Graphs:  F

Clicking on start produced

 ***** Started SimEngine  *****
 ** Waiting for User.
 *  Creating New Brains...

 *** Running Simulation... ***
 *  Generation 1 Start...

But no visible action. So I toggled the three Fs to Ts and clicked on
Start again. That drew a small picture on the racetrack, which I dimly
recognized as a picture of a racing car viewed from the top. (Using low
resolution pop11 turtle graphics I suspect?)

Thereafter repeated (fast) clicking on "start" produced many small changes
as the car moved leaving a messy picture (presumably the original redrawn
with a small change). After clicking about 50 times I began to see signs of
trails left by moving objects. After many more clicks they began to
separate out showing numbers. e.g. c17, c30, c46, c47, c48... and a few of
the cars started moving non-randomly, but in different directions.

I assume something should have started training for more than 1 cycle at a
time.

Anyhow it looks as if the code basically works but needs some changes
possibly because of changes in pop11 since 2006.

I'll leave it to Mark, or anyone else who wishes to read the code and
experiment. I may try again after catching with a large backlog.

Aaron

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