cian-chambliss-personal / thingify

A language to describe physical objects

Thingify

An abstract language to describe physical objects. The purpose is use in a context where only text is available to describe a configuration of shapes.

This language has a base set of primitive shapes (nouns), and preposition (above / under), adjectives (smaller , larger, green). Definitions can be used inside other definitions once defined.

The language defines 'types' as a name, followed by an '=', followed by a definition enclosed in square brackets '[]'.

The well known Adjectives precede the shape, the preposition that follows the shape relates the shape to the parent. The top level 'parent' is a Null. Child shapes are enclosed in parentheses "()"

Example

Define a pinetree shape as a green cone atop a brown cylinder

pinetree = [
   prickly large green taller by 3 cone (
      lumpy brown thinner by 2 cylinder below
   )
]

Define a chair as a series of cubes with scaling.

chair = [
  brown shorter by 10 cube (
    thinner by 10 cube below corners
    shallower by 10 cube above back edge
 )
]

Primatives

• Null (shape) -- the shape is not visible / it is used for arranging other items.
• Sphere
• # sided Sphere (# of sides - i.e. 4 sided sphere - four sections around )
• Cube
• Box
• Cone
• # sided Cone (# is the number of sides - i.e. 4 sided code is a pyramid)
• Toroid
• Cylinder
• # sided Cylinder (# is the number of sides for the Cylinder - ie. 8 sided Cylinder is an octagonal)
• Rope
• Fabric

Preposition

If not specified, shapes are assumed to be touching

• Above (child is centered on and 'above' the parent shape)
• Below (chile is center on and 'below' the parent shape)
• Above Corners (repeat child above 'top' corners of parent shape)
• Below Corners (repeat child below 'bottom' corners of parent shape)
• At Corners (repeat child at every corner)
• At Top Corners (repeat child at just the top corners)
• At Bottom Corners (repeat child at just the bottom corners)
• At Sides (Duplicate along left/right side / mirroring on left).
• On Edges (Duplicate second shape at center of every edge).
• On Top Edges (Duplicate second shape at center of just the top edges).
• On Bottom Edges (Duplicate second shape at center of just the bottom edges).
• Above Edges (repeat child shape above at just the top edges)
• Below Edges (repeat child shape below at just the bottom edges)
• Left of (from shapes perspective, second shape is on left)
• Right of (from shapes perspective, second shape is on right)
• Behind (first shape is directly behind second shape)
• [in] front [of] (first shape is directly in front of second shape )
• Around (first shape is around the second shape)
• Inside (first shape is inside the second shape)
• Around Every # (duplicate the second shape in a circular pattern 'around' the first shape )
• Mirror (second shape is duplicated and flipped on the axis specified - i.e. left/right/front/behind)

Modifiers

• [At] Normal (second rotated to extend at surface normal from first object)
• Perpendicular [to] (synonym for at normal)
• Deeply Embedded (In the the relation the second shape is * 0.75 inside the first shape)
• Embedded (In the relation to the second shape is * 0.5 inside the first shape)
• Shallowly Embedded (In the relation to the second shape is * 0.25 inside the first shape)
• Nearer (In the the relation the second shape is * 0.25 outside the first shape)
• Near (In the the relation the second shape is * 0.5 outside the first shape)
• Far (In the the relation the second shape is * 0.75 outside the first shape)
• Farther (In the the relation the second shape is * 1.0 outside the first shape)
• Higher (Prefix to Left/Right/Behind/in front indictating vertical position is aligned with top)
• High (... vertical position is between top and middle)
• Low (... vertical position is between bottom and middle)
• Lower (... vertical position is at bottom)

Adjectives and Pronouns

• Bigger by # (all dimensions*#)
• Big (all dimensions*1.5)
• Small (all dimensions*0.75)
• Smaller by #[/#] (* # / # | 1 / #)
• Thinner by #[/#] (width/depth* # / # | 1 / #)
• Thin (width/depth*0.75)
• Fat (width/depth*1.5)
• Fatter by # (width/depth*#)
• Narrower by #[/#] (width*# / # | 1 / #)
• Narrow (width*0.75)
• Wide (width*1.5)
• Wider (width*2.0)
• Shallower by #[/#] (depth*# / # | 1 / #)
• Shallow (depth*0.75)
• Deeper by # (depth*#)
• Deep (depth*1.5)
• Shorter by #[/#] (height*# / # | 1 / #)
• Short (height*0.75)
• Taller by # (height*#)
• Tall (height*1.5)
• Long (rope-length * 2)
• Longer by # (rope-length * #)
• Flipped Horizontally (exchange x)
• Flipped Vertically (exchange z)
• Flipped Depth (exchange y)
• Tapered Up by # [/#] (narrower at top * # / # | 1 / # )
• Tapered Down by # [/#] (narrower at bottom * # / # | 1 / # )
• Tapered # [/#] (narrower at top and bottom by # / # | 1 / #)
• Tapered Up (narrower at top * .5 )
• Tapered Down (narrower at bottom * .5 )
• Tapered (narrower at top and bottom by .5)
• Flatten Depth (depth*0.1)
• Flatten Height (height*0.1)
• Flatten Width (width*0.1)

Material Adjectives

Color and texture

• Any well known HTML color (used to shade the shape)
• Rounded
• Finer (features are closest together * .25)
• Fine (features are closest together * .5)
• Coarse (features are farther apart * 2)
• Coarse (features are farther apart * 4)
• Bumps (Surface texture has bumps)
• Divoted (Surface texture has divots)
• Lumpy (Surface texture has lumps - i.e. divots and bumps)
• Vertical Bars (bars up & down)
• Horizontal Bars (bars across)
• Vertical Rings
• Horizontal Rings
• Prickly (has 'spines')
• Random (variable)
• Shrubby (fill 'plant' material)
• Packed (rings/bars are next to each other)
• Tighter (rings/bars are x 0.25 apart)
• Tight (rings/bars are x 0.5 apart)
• Loose (rings/bars are x 1.5 apart)
• Looser (rings/bars are x 2 apart)
• Smooth (implies slightly shiny)
• Very Smooth (implies shiny)
• Grainy (i.e. generative wood grain)
• Rusty (i.e. generative metal rust)
• Dirty (Add 'dirt' or 'dust')
• Rivets (edges have riveting)