Creating multiple spaced positions

[Harzach 2514]

Heya,

I am building an array of positions all of which need to be a certain distance away from each other. I know I am doing it incorrectly (clearly, as it doesn't work) and could use some fresh brains to prod me in the right direction.

HARZ_LOCATIONS = [[0,0,0]];  //this initial position is a placeholder for the distance check and is deleted after the first position is created
private _count = 10;
private _index = 0;

while {_index < _count} do {
	private _pos = [_whitelist, _blacklist] call BIS_fnc_randomPos;
	if (({(_pos distance _x > 500)} forEach HARZ_LOCATIONS) && !(_pos isEqualTo [0,0])) then {  // check distance from other positions and that it is a valid position
		_locIndex = _locIndex +1;
		HARZ_LOCATIONS pushBack _pos;
		if ([0,0,0] in HARZ_LOCATIONS) then {  //  check if placeholder still exists
			HARZ_LOCATIONS deleteAt 0;  //  delete placeholder position
		};
	}; 
};

Everything works except for the distance check.

 

I've considered wacky solutions such as adding new blacklist markers on the new positions, but that seems, well, wacky.

 

I'm sure there's a better alternative to the placeholder position nonsense, as well.

[fn_Quiksilver 1635]

I usually do something like this

private _max_positions = 10;						// how many positions we want
_min_radius = 500;									// minimum distance from another position

private _pos = [0,0,0];
private _registered_positions = [_pos];
_max_positions = 3 + 1;								// 1 is the [0,0,0] we remove at the end
_timeout = diag_ticktime + 30;						// timeout to exit the loop after 30 seconds
for '_i' from 0 to 1 step 0 do {					// infinite loop until positions are found or timeout triggers
	// test a position
	_pos = [........] call bis_fnc_randompos;
	// position conditions
	if (
		((_registered_positions findIf {((_x distance2D _pos) < _min_radius)}) isEqualTo -1)
	) then {
		_registered_positions pushback _pos;
	};
	// exit conditions
	if (
		((count _registered_positions) isEqualTo _max_positions) ||
		{(diag_tickTime > _timeout)}
	) exitWith {};
};
_registered_positions deleteAt 0;
if (diag_tickTime > _timeout) exitWith {
	// timed out, failed to find enough positions
};
_registered_positions

 

theres nothing wrong with a placeholder position in an array, you could try without it and see what happens too.

[Harzach 2514]

27 minutes ago, fn_Quiksilver said:

I usually do something like this

 

Thanks, I'll muck around with it and see what happens.

 

My brain sort of had a moment and realized that the forEach check is failing because the final value it returns has always happened to be "true."

 

Anyhoo, onward.

[Harzach 2514]

Yup, findIf was the prompt I needed. Thanks again, @fn_Quiksilver!

HARZ_LOCATIONS = [[0,0,0]];  //this initial position is a placeholder for the distance check and is deleted after the first position is created
private _count = 10;
private _index = 0;

while {_index < _count} do {
	private _pos = [_whitelist, _blacklist] call BIS_fnc_randomPos;
	if ((HARZ_LOCATIONS findIf { _pos distance _x < 500 } == -1) && !(_pos isEqualTo [0,0])) then {  // check distance from other positions and that it is a valid position
		_locIndex = _locIndex +1;
		HARZ_LOCATIONS pushBack _pos;
		if ([0,0,0] in HARZ_LOCATIONS) then {  //  check if placeholder still exists
			HARZ_LOCATIONS deleteAt 0;  //  delete placeholder position
		};
	}; 
};