Dynamic flocking system

By demonstrating the golden tri-components of the basic flocking behavior, we’ve managed to achieve a semi-realistic flocking behavior, simulated on computers. Additionally, I’ve took the liberty to introduce more rules in order to achieve more complicated scenarios that covers some behaviors that exist within crowds or flocks, Those rules were leadership, effectors and tethering connection. The leadership rule provided some sort of power to one boid of the group over the others, where the other boids tend to follow the leader’s motion and direction. The effectors act as an external force that affects the motion of the boids, by either attracting them towards a point / direction, or by repulsing them away from a point. Tethering connection is a different way of grouping boids, where I’ve couple two boids together in a virtual breakable link. Tethered boids tend to share same motion direction and same distance between each other, but the connection will break if any object comes in between the coupled boids. Being adventurous, I’ve also introduced some flocking modifiers that “modifies” the flocking behavior somehow, by adding “modifier pads” into the scene, where boids that steps on these pads will get their flocking properties modified. The modifiable properties are the shape/color of the boid, and its flockability (tendency to flock with other similar boids). Boid’s shape defines which flocking type should the boid behave as. A boid can only flock with another boid, if both of them share the same shape and color, and if both has their flockability property set to on. Being satisfied with the results, I’ve decided to go further with the flocking simulation, where I’ve managed to identify each connected flock separately, forming “groups” with identifiers that is interchangeable dynamically, based on what happens during the simulation. This proved helpful when I needed to issue a command that affects specific groups, without affecting the others.