GenShade Graphical User Interface
Current Population Pool:
The current population pool, the middle three rows, displays rendered
images of shaders in the current population. This display is scrollable
to show a large pool. It can be set, in every generation, to show different
options. For example, it can show the parents selected for breeding, the
generated children, or the sorted children if the automatic scoring option
is set.
Current Population Pool
There are three buttons below every image "cell":
1. a selection button that is lit if the cell is selected,
2. the cell label, for example an image cell of child # 11 has the
label "C11", and
3. a scoring text field that is used to edit the score of a child if
the "interactive scoring" option is selected or to display the score if
"automatic scoring" option is selected.
A "Cell" of the Current Population Pool
Storage Pool:
The storage pool, the bottom row, displays temporarily stored images
of shaders which can be used to create a new database of shaders. This
display is scrollable to show a large pool.
Storage Pool
Below every storage image "cell", there are two buttons:
1. a selection button that is lit if the cell is selected, and
2. the cell label, for example an image cell of storage # 6 has the
label "S6".
A "Cell" of the Storage Pool
Main Menu Bar:
The main menu bar provides database management, viewing tools, generation
setup, and generation commands.
Main Menu Bar
Tool Bar:
The tool bar provides fast access to frequently used generation options.
For example the user can switch between the interactive or automatic scoring
options.
Tool Bar
Main Panel Area:
The main panel area provides several tools:
Main Panel Area
Parent Images Area:
The parent images area displays the current two parents and their two
children during a generation. Initially the two children are a copy of
the two parents.
Below every parent image "cell", there are two buttons:
1. a selection button that is lit if the cell is selected, and
2. the cell label, for example an image cell of parent # 1 has the
label "Parent 1".
Parent Images Area
Target Images Area:
When selecting "view targets" option from the viewing option in the
tool bar, The parent images area is switched to display four target images.
These target images are used when selecting the "automatic scoring" option
from the tool bar.
Please note that, in contrast to all other cells mentioned above (current pool, storage pool, and parent cells), target image cells contain images only and they don't contain shader data.
Below every target image "cell", there are two buttons:
1. a selection button that is lit if the cell is selected, and
2. the cell label, for example an target image cell of target # 1 has
the label "Target 1".
Target Images Area
Text Window
Since GenShade is running automatically most of the time, e.g. generating
shader data, compiling shaders, or rendering images, the text window provides
the user with summary of what GenShade is doing at this point. Detailed
information can be found at the unix shell or log files.
Text Window
Frequently Used Generation Parameters Sliders:
Generation sliders provides fast access to frequently used generation
parameters. For example VM is a slider that controls Variable
Mutation Rate, which can be accessed also through the generation setup
deck under the setup submenu.
Frequently Used Generation Parameters Sliders
VM: Variable Mutation
NM: Node (Box) Mutation
TL: Tree Level
LSD: Low Standard of Deviation of Gaussian
Selection
HSD: Hi Standard of Deviation of Gaussian
Selection
SR: Shading Rate
Image Display Control Panel:
Image display control panel provides sophisticated methods to
display images of shaders. For example, with a simple click, the user can
display all 200 children of shaders created during the last 200 generations.
Images are displayed at the current pool 27 images at one time.
Image Display Control Panel
Shader Genetic Label
(date, process number, generation number, 0 )
Backwards Image Display
Generation Number Slider
Forward Image Display
Image Selection Source
Generation Setup Deck
Generation setup is one of the major things the user provides the system
with. The generation setup deck provides many tools to control this
setup including main, targets, selection, crossover, nodes, scoring, and
database setup. It can be accessed through the setup submenu.
Generation Setup Deck