Threaded GUI Issues

Having some trouble getting the LearnerMainFrame class to play nicely with my new GUI class (LearnerUI). Controlling multiple threads is the main problem at the moment. Im going to check out the SwingWorker class. It looks like it should do what I want, which is simply to start and stop (and if possible, pause) the LearnerMainFrame without killing the LearnerUI instance.

I'm considering changing the LearnerMainFrame class to add new methods start, stop and pause methods, but I'm a little wary about making changes to common code without a real VCS. I raised the issue of setting up a Subversion repository in Meeting 1, but it was considered unnecessary at this stage. I'll raise it again next week.

Like the rest of the project, the GUI has become far more complicated. I'm hoping it becomes a little easier once I get used to using Swing again!

Meeting 2

Vision code is now working with random schemas. Daniel is taking starting work on the arm until the GUI is ready.

I've had trouble installing the Eclipse Visual Editor plugin (It doesn't seem to be supported in Eclipse 3.3). I've installed Netbeans 6 to use the Matisse GUI builder. It's impressed me so far. I might switch permanently to Netbeans once the GUI is stable.

Piaget

Made-Up Minds, Gary L. Drescher

Chapter 2:
A synopsis of Piaget's theory of the development of sensorimotor intelligence.
Six stages within the sensorimotor period, each characterised by schemas that embody a new elaboration of problem solving.

Piaget's ideas always made sense to me, and look like they would carry over to this project. Especially the idea of schemas representing actions. My first year developmental psychology notes could be useful here.

First Post!

Firstly, I'm not much of a "Blogging" person. I definitely see the advantages to keeping notes on the progress of this project, but we'll see how long this lasts.

Secondly, acknowledgements. I have been given some code to start working on. It seems pretty robust so- far! The graphics/physics model was taken from Olivier Renault's PollyColly C++ demos and rewritten in Java by Frank Guerin. The business logic was then added by Joey Lam.

My first task is to write a GUI to show what's happening inside the business logic, and to allow schemas to be saved and loaded so that the "learning" doesn't have to start from scratch with every execution.

The next task after that is to write the code that actually does the learning regarding the movement of the arm. This will make heavy use of schemas and the "vision" code written by Daniel McKenzie.

I'm probably getting ahead of myself...