Need pointer help with my lightning tutorial

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1 comment, last by llvllatrix 21 years, 10 months ago
Im writing a lightning tutorial for NeHe and im having trouble implementing a singly linked list and a bit of pointer manipulation. Here''s the code:
  
//------------------------------------------------------------------//

//- class LIGHTNING ------------------------------------------------//

//------------------------------------------------------------------//

//- Simulates lightning --------------------------------------------//

//------------------------------------------------------------------//


//This class is used to generate the lightning

class SECTION
{
public:
	SECTION(){pNext = NULL;}
	~SECTION(){}
	VECTOR3D Position;
	float Energy;
	SECTION * pNext;
};

class LIGHTNING
{
public:
	LIGHTNING(){
		//Some default values

		active = false;
		treshold = 0.5;
		alpha = 1.41421356237; //sqrt2 usually looks good

		NumSelections = 8;
		line = false;
		}
	~LIGHTNING(){}

	//Variables

	//Orientation

	VECTOR3D StartPos, EndPos;

	//Behaviour

	float Energy, alpha, dist, treshold;
	bool active;
	bool line;
	int NumSelections;

	//Functions

	//Returns true if there was a strike

	bool Update();
	void SetPos(VECTOR3D Start, VECTOR3D End);
	void AddEnergy(float x){Energy += x;}	

};

//------------------------------------------------------------------//

//- LIGHTNING ENIGNE IMPLEMNENTATION -------------------------------//

//------------------------------------------------------------------//


//Used to delete SECTION linked lists

void deletelist(SECTION * pFirst)
{
	//Some working variables

	SECTION * pCurrent, * pNext;
	if(pFirst)
	{
		pCurrent = pFirst;
		while(pCurrent != NULL)
		{
			pNext = pCurrent->pNext;
			delete pCurrent;
			pCurrent = pNext;
		}
	}
}

void LIGHTNING::SetPos(VECTOR3D Start, VECTOR3D End)
{
	StartPos.SetProperties(Start.v[0],Start.v[1],Start.v[2]);
	EndPos.SetProperties(End.v[0],End.v[1],End.v[2]);
	//Calculate distance squared

	dist = (StartPos.v[0]-EndPos.v[0]) * (StartPos.v[0]-EndPos.v[0]) + 
		   (StartPos.v[1]-EndPos.v[1]) * (StartPos.v[1]-EndPos.v[1]) +
		   (StartPos.v[2]-EndPos.v[2]) * (StartPos.v[0]-EndPos.v[2]);
}
	
bool LIGHTNING::Update()
{
	if (active) // Draw the lightning

	{
		//Set up OGL

		glPushMatrix();
		glLoadIdentity();
		//Some Variables


		//Our linked list and pointers

		SECTION * pNewList = NULL, * pCurrent = NULL, 
			* pNew = NULL, * pPossible = NULL, * CurSections = NULL;

		//Some working variables

		int x;
		float y,b;

		//Selection variables

		int a = 1;
		float z = 1;

		//Start at the top - the first section

		CurSections = new SECTION;
		CurSections->Position.SetProperties(StartPos.v[0],StartPos.v[1],StartPos.v[2]);
		CurSections->Energy = Energy * dist;

		//Keep going until there are no more sections to be processed		

		while(CurSections)
		{
			//Make a list for the new selections

			deletelist(pNewList);
			pNewList = new SECTION;
			pNew = pNewList;

			//Go through every point on the current list

			pCurrent = CurSections;
			while (pCurrent)
			{
				if(pPossible)
					delete[] pPossible;
				pPossible = new SECTION [a];
				//For every position create the next points

				//Find our next points

				b = 0;
				for(x = 0; x < a; x++)
				{
					//Find the next points

					pPossible[x].Position.SetProperties(cos(DEG_TO_RAD(rand()))+pCurrent->Position.v[0],
														sin(DEG_TO_RAD(rand()))+pCurrent->Position.v[1],
														-1 * sin(DEG_TO_RAD(rand()))+pCurrent->Position.v[2]);
					//Assign random values

					//Find break down number

					//E = kQ/r^2

					y = (((pPossible[x].Position.v[0] - EndPos.v[0])*(pPossible[x].Position.v[0] - EndPos.v[0])) +
						 ((pPossible[x].Position.v[1] - EndPos.v[1])*(pPossible[x].Position.v[1] - EndPos.v[1])) +
						 ((pPossible[x].Position.v[2] - EndPos.v[2])*(pPossible[x].Position.v[2] - EndPos.v[2])));
					y = 9000000000/((rand()/RAND_MAX)*y*y*y);
					pPossible[x].Energy = pow(y,alpha)*(rand()/RAND_MAX);
					b += pPossible[x].Energy;
				}
				for(x = 0; x < a; x++)
				{
					//Distribute energy

					//It is a percentage of the original

					pPossible[x].Energy = pPossible[x].Energy/b * pCurrent->Energy;
					//If energy less than threshold discard

					if(pPossible[x].Energy > treshold)
					{
						//Assign the new point

						pPossible[x].Position.v[0] = pPossible[x].Position.v[0] * pPossible[x].Energy;
						pPossible[x].Position.v[1] = pPossible[x].Position.v[1] * pPossible[x].Energy;
						pPossible[x].Position.v[2] = pPossible[x].Position.v[2] * pPossible[x].Energy;
						//Draw from the previous to the current

						glBegin(GL_LINES);
							pCurrent->Position.SendToOGL();
							pPossible[x].Position.SendToOGL();
						glEnd();
						//Add to new sections new sections

						pNew->Position.SetProperties(pPossible[x].Position.v[0],
													 pPossible[x].Position.v[1],
													 pPossible[x].Position.v[2]);
						if(pCurrent->pNext != NULL)//If you arn''t at the end

						{
							pNew->pNext = new SECTION;
							pNew = pNew->pNext;
						}
					}
				}
				//Go to the next point

				pCurrent = pCurrent->pNext;
			}
			//Remove the old selections and make the CurSelectiosn the new selection

			deletelist(CurSections);
			CurSections = pNewList;

			//Update the amount of selections the next pass

			z = z + (NumSelections * NumSelections)/100 + (2*(rand()/RAND_MAX) -1);			
			a = Round(z);
		}		
	}
	//Check to see if the engine has enough energy to hit the target

	//This compares the distance between the two points

	if( (Energy * dist) < (dist) || (active == false)) //if there isn''t enough return false or there was no spark

	{
		return false;
	}
	else
	{
		return true;
	}
	//Its wierd, im writing this durring a thunder storm...hope it doesn''t fry

	//the computer befroe i do

}
  
The problem occurs in the update function. I think it''s happening in the first while loop. When i run the program in debug mode i get this error: Debug Assertion Failed! ... File:dbgdel.cpp Line:47 Expression:_BLOCK_TYPE_IS_VALID(pHead->nBlockUse) ... and in release mode i get an illegal operation. Im basically trying to make lightning bolt out of a fractal tree, and the tree is continously built until the energy in the bolt runs out resulting in no more current sections. Does anyone know what is causing this and if so any possible ways to fix this problem?
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What line of your source does it break on?

[twitter]warrenm[/twitter]

Not sure. Bit here''s where ive narrowed it down to:
(in Update)
...
while(CurSections)
{
...
//between here
while (pCurrent)
{
...
}
...
//Or here
}
...

Other than that, im not sure. I''ll look into it tomorrow, right now it''s 12:13, and ive been coding for about 8 hours now. Need sleeep...

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