I've also integrated the C++0x/TR1 random number generators and after a bit of a play I've decided I probably need to make those 'plugable' as well as you can get some intresting effects just by varying the system used to return the random numbers.
But, all in all, its starting to look more like a proper particle system now which is nice, although there are a few odd things (flicking dead particles?) and a crash in the thread dispatch stuff which I've seen happen twice now but I've just not got around to debugging yet.
It also occured to me the other day that I should really be setting up my threads to use batches of particles which were multiples of cache lines long on the system its executing on to prevent issues with cache line invalidation across cores.
Anyway more later when I've these issues sorted out and I can supply screen shots or maybe even a demo.
The other thing to happen of late is that on tuesday I was given my 6 week notice where I work, so my final day there will be July 6th and the lack of cash in the future aside I'm ok with it.. in fact I'm kinda happy.
(I'd also been expecting this for about four weeks so it was no shock)
You see, it occured to me that for the last two and a half years I've not been doing the 'right' job. Sure, I can do general programming but my talents are really in the areas of software design/architectre at both the high and low levels, graphics and a large body of knowledge with multiple threads and task based systems (which I admit is still developing but an area I'm still better than many many people at).
What I've been doing it general coding and pish like 'setting up build machines' and running around fixing bugs mostly caused by other people.
In fact, its recently dawned on me that I've simply not been happy here for the last 6 months at least; don't get me wrong the people are great but the work and the company itself leave a lot to be desired.
Also, looking at some of the people they decided to keep over me... well, I'm kinda glad I'm heading out the door; the same day I got told I was being let go he was having trouble applying an operator to sort a vector of pointers.
So, yeah, looking around those who are left, while they can do the job I'm pretty sure I'm far more skilled than many of them in plenty of areas (such as system design if the project I was working on before my recent two was anything to go by... those in #gamedev probably remember my swearing about that design..).
While many people would take a knock to the confidence and the ego when being let go I've gone a different way by looking around and going "riiiiiiiight...".
I think I'm better off out of there even if it does mean in a few months time I'm having myself declared bankrupt as I've got no income *chuckles*
Roll on July 6th...
