Compatability
What are the hardware requirements for StarLogo TNG?
StarLogo TNG requires a 1ghz or better processor and a graphics card that supports OpenGL. We recommend 512mb of RAM or more, but it may run with less. For Windows computers we recommend a Pentium 4/Celeron/Athlon 1.8GHz or better or Pentium M 1.4GHz or better for a procesor and a nVidia (GeForce 5200 or better) or ATI (Radeon 7000 or better) graphics card. For MacOS computers any "newish" 1 ghz or better iMac, eMac, Powerbook, or iBook will do, though it must run Mac OS X 10.4.4 or later. We have tested StarLogo succesfully on the low end using a 1.4ghz Pentium 4 with a GeForce 5200 and 1.4 ghz iBooks. As of Preview 2, StarLogo is a universal binary that runs on the new Intel Macs as well.
What are the software requirements of StarLogo TNG?
StarLogo TNG requires Java 5 (a.k.a Java 1.5). If you are on a MacOS computer you will need to download Java 5 release 4 or later from Apple (available via Software Update or directly from Apple for PPC or Intel machines). Java 5 release 4 requires MacOS X 10.4.6 or better. On Windows our installer includes Java 5, but DirectX is required. It is recommended that you be running Windows 2000 or Windows XP. Linux support is provisional and requires Java 1.5
When I load StarLogo TNG on my computer it fails or I get a blank window where Spaceland should be. What is wrong?
It is likely that your graphics card does not support the OpenGL commands that we use. Some "integrated"graphics chipsets don't work at all with OpenGL. You can first try to upgrade your graphics drivers from your computer or video card manufacturer. If that doesn't work, you can upgrade your graphics card. We have had reasonable success with GeForce 5200 graphics cards that sell for less than $50.
On the latest version of StarLogo TNG StarLogo starts to launch and crashes even before the blocks load. What is wrong?
The latest version of StarLogo TNG includes sound libraries. If these sound libraries are not compatible with your computer, StarLogo TNG will fail to load. This should only effect Windows computers. If this happens to you, navigate to the directory where StarLogo TNG is installed (usually c:\Program Files\starlogo-tng) and launch the file called starlogotng-mastercontrol.bat). This application will bring up a dialog allowing you to disable sound. Try disabling the sound and relaunching StarLogo TNG.
StarLogo TNG loads on my computer but it is really slow. How can I make it go faster?
Most older "integrated"graphics chipsets don't work very well with OpenGL. You can first try to upgrade your graphics drivers from your computer or video card manufacturer. If that doesn't work, you can upgrade your graphics card. We have had reasonable success with GeForce 5200 graphics cards that sell for less than $50. Also make sure you are using Preview 3 or later, as there have been significant speed increases since the initial preview.
What version of Java is required?
The Windows version of StarLogo TNG ships with the appropriate version of Java. On the Mac, please update to the latest version of Java which is at least J2SE 5 Release 4 (available via Software Update or directly from Apple for PPC or Intel machines) which requires Mac OS X 10.4.6 or later. You can check what version of Java you are running by typing "/usr/bin/java -version" on the command line in a Terminal on your Mac. It should report version 1.5.0_06 or higher.
Features
What is this beta release? What will change for the final release?
This beta release is a quite stable and includes a feature rich set of StarLogo TNG. It is functional enough to do some interesting things, and is being used in many classes right now. Through this testing features might change, be added or deleted. This version (beta 1) marks a finalized interface and block design. There will likely be one more beta release before the final version.
Can I import new shapes into StarLogo TNG?
The shapes in StarLogo are based on two formats - OBJ and PK3/MD3 (i.e. Quake 3). We have been using an internal shape importer for this version that we will clean up and make available in the 1.0 release. In the interim you can follow the shape importer tutorial, which requires some knowledge of 3D tools.
Can I import models from StarLogo 2 or display models in pure 2D like StarLogo 2?
This version of StarLogo is a total rewrite and has several features that make it a significant change from StarLogo 2 (including the way turtles move, execute instructions and interact with each other). Therefore, you cannot import models from StarLogo 2 at this time. StarLogo 2 will still live on (and was updated in October 2005) so it may fill your needs. We do not offer a pure 2D view in StarLogo TNG, but we do offer a 3D orthogonal view that offers a similar perspective.
Does StarLogo TNG support multiplayer or networked games?
There are some peer to peer features included with beta 1 that are experimental.
Does StarLogo TNG do x, y, or z that is not documented?
We are continually improving the performance and features, and we may consider other features in the future. Please let us know what you are thinking by emailing starlogo-request@media.mit.edu and stay tuned as new features are rolled out.
Known Bugs and Limitations
Why aren't my agents "colliding" with each other even though they look like they're going through each other?
The current collision model in StarLogo TNG only works consistently when agents are moving a maximum of one space at a time. For now you should scale movement so that the maximum movement is one space. This may change in the next release.
Why can't I see the world? I was zooming out or changing the camera angle and all of a sudden it disappeared. How do I get it back?
There is a bug that if you zoom out too far or change to certain viewing angles the world may "disappear". To return to the default camera view, hit the T key.
How do I know what version of the software I am using?
On the Mac version you can go to the "about" box from the menu. However, we seemed to have left this out from the initial Windows release. If you have no about menu item, then you are using Preview 1. Preview 2 has an about box on Windows.
Licensing
Is StarLogo TNG open source? Can StarLogo TNG be open source?
StarLogo TNG is free for educational use, but it is not currently open source. The interface (blocks) will be released as a separate open source component soon so that other projects can use the blocks in connection with various programming enviornments. The previous version of StarLogo has been released under an open source license as OpenStarLogo.
Release Schedule
When will StarLogo TNG version 1.0 be released?
We are expecting the first full 1.0 released in Spring of 2008.
What documentation or curriculum will be available for StarLogo TNG?
We are considering updating the Adventures in Modeling curriculum for StarLogo TNG. We are also working on a curriculum to learn computer science through making computer games using StarLogo TNG. In the mean time see the tutorials and video tutorials.
Other Projects
What is the difference between Scratch and StarLogo TNG?
Both Scratch and StarLogo TNG share a common heritage with LogoBlocks, a tool to create programs for Crickets. The two tools are written from entirely separate code, but we do share ideas. The audiences are different for the two products as well. Scratch is primarily designed as a tool to make computational multimedia projects for kids, targeted at Computer Clubhouses. StarLogo TNG is designed for more formal education environments such as introductory programming classes, or subjects (such as biology, chemistry, physics, etc.) where modeling is an important part of the curriculum. They're both interesting tools, and you should check out Scratch when it becomes available.
