Symmetry Lines

What to explore

Expose the consequences of those literal local rules, without adjusting them to force the predicted alternating grid. Make each source of life inspectable.

Rules, update order and replay

Binary square lattice, 80/120/160 square. Toroidal by default; bounded edges read as dead. Minimum engine dimensions 17 ensure distinct samples at maximum radius 8. Directions are N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW. Symmetry tests four opposite axes at one equal distance from the focal cell. Rays test two distinct distances in the same direction; intermediate positions are ignored when distances are separated. A match requires both samples alive. Extra neighbors never veto a match. Each family counts matching enabled axes/directions and requires at least its configured minimum. Birth and survival switches independently select whether that family's match applies to a currently dead or living cell.

The geometry master switch gates both families. The Life switch independently gates ordinary immediate eight-neighbor B/S masks. The next state is the OR of all applicable enabled clauses. No veto, priority, movement or evolution RNG. All sites read one frozen board and commit simultaneously; one Step is one generation. Evidence records previous occupancy, matching-axis/direction masks, Moore count, and all contributing sources. Evidence does not affect evolution. Replay includes all arrays, generation, evidence-valid flag, dimensions, topology and configuration. Reset rebuilds the selected composition with the same seed and clears generation and evidence. Clear creates an empty field at Step zero. Painting, topology edits and rule edits pause and preserve generation, clearing stale evidence. Rule edits preserve occupancy. A disabled layer retains its settings.

Reading the simulation

Canvas 2D: lime opening, cyan symmetry, violet rays, amber Life, cream multiple sources. Dead results remain dark. Color off shows binary life. Inspection pauses painting, marks symmetry samples cyan and ray samples dashed violet; Life inputs are outlined amber when enabled. Gold marks the center. Written current matching axes/directions, eligible pathways, ordinary count, next result and prior source remain accessible without color. Arrow keys select, Enter paints outside inspection, P toggles playback, S steps. Shared mobile randomize-and-play shortcut.