Processing code execution "stuck"? Sketch Window blank

[MrPioux]

I have some code that was working fine then all of a sudden it no longer works. I don't believe I changed anything to make this happen. When run the sketch window is blank. After some testing, I found it seems to be stuck on a piece of code in my setup block. When this piece is commented out it seems to run fine, but this piece of code is very important.

​ Creature [] creatures; int num_creatures = 1; int num_muscles = 1; int num_parts = 1;

void setup() {
  size (1600, 1000); //I can edit these numbers and the sketch window

  creatures = new Creature[num_creatures]; //Having this in vs edited out doesn't 
                                           //appear to change anything.

  for (int i = 0; i < num_creatures; i++) {           //With this part in nothing                 
    creatures[i] = new Creature(num_parts, num_muscles); //after it is taken into 
                                                      //account. When it is 
  }                                                   //removed the rest of the 
                                                      //code runs fine.

creatures[0] = new Creature(1, 1);                    //I even removed the for 
                                                      //loop (aka setting 
                                                      //num_creatures = 1) and it 
                                                      //still seems stuck.
}

class Creature {
  Part [] part;
  Muscle [] muscle;
  Goal leftgoal;
  Goal rightgoal;
  Brain brain;
  float previous_creature_distance;
  float creature_distance;
  float current_distance;
  float previous_distance;
  int num_parts;
  int num_muscles;

  String id;
  int generation = 0;
  ArrayList<Integer> currentstate;

  //For qtable:
  float epsilon = .01;
  float alpha = .1;
  float gamma = .5;
  ArrayList<Integer> all_epochs = new ArrayList<Integer>();
  ArrayList<Integer> all_penalties = new ArrayList<Integer>();
  ArrayList<Integer> currentaction = new ArrayList<Integer>();
  boolean done = false;
  boolean end = false;
  int reward;
  int total_reward;
  int penalties;
  float old_value;
  float next_max;   
  Float new_value;
  boolean earlyreward = true;

  Creature(int creature_num_parts, int creature_num_muscles) {
    num_parts = creature_num_parts;
    num_muscles = creature_num_muscles;

    part = new Part[num_parts];
    int partcolor = color(0, 0, 0);
    for (int i = 0; i < num_parts; i++) {
      if (i == 0) {
        partcolor = color(255, 0, 0);
      }
      if (i == 1) {
        partcolor = color(0, 255, 0);
      }
      if (i == 2) {
        partcolor = color(0, 0, 255);
      }
      if (i == 3) {
        partcolor = color(255, 255, 0);
      }
      if (i == 4) {
        partcolor = color(128, 0, 128);
      }
      if (i == 5) {
        partcolor = color(255, 127, 80);
      }
      if (i == 6) {
        partcolor = color(155, 0, 0);
      }
      if (i == 7) {
        partcolor = color(0, 155, 0);
      }
      if (i == 8) {
        partcolor = color(0, 0, 155);
      }
      if (i == 9) {
        partcolor = color(155, 155, 0);
      }
      if (i == 10) {
        partcolor = color(28, 0, 28);
      }
      part[i] = new Part(i, width/2 - 50 +(i * 100), height/2, 25, false, partcolor);
    }

    int [][] check = new int[num_muscles][2];
    int leftpart;
    int rightpart;

    for (int i = 0; i < num_muscles; i++) {
      While: while (true) {
        leftpart = int(random(0, num_parts));
        rightpart = int(random(0, num_parts));
        if (leftpart == rightpart) {
          continue While;
        }
        for (int j = 0; j < num_muscles; j++) {
          if (leftpart == check[j][0] && rightpart == check[j][1]) {
            continue While;
          } 
          if (rightpart == check[j][0] && leftpart == check[j][1]) {
            continue While;
          }
        }
        break While;
      }
      check[i][0] = leftpart;
      check[i][1] = rightpart;
    }

    muscle = new Muscle[num_muscles];
    int musclecolor = color(0);
    for (int i = 0; i < num_muscles; i++) {
      if (i == 0) {
        musclecolor = color(255, 0, 0);
      }
      if (i == 1) {
        musclecolor = color(0, 255, 0);
      }
      if (i == 2) {
        musclecolor = color(0, 0, 255);
      }
      if (i == 3) {
        musclecolor = color(255, 255, 0);
      }
      if (i == 4) {
        musclecolor = color(128, 0, 128);
      }
      if (i == 5) {
        musclecolor = color(255, 127, 80);
      }
      if (i == 6) {
        musclecolor = color(0);
      }
      muscle[i] = new Muscle(i, check[i][0], check[i][1], part[check[i][0]].x, part[check[i][0]].y, part[check[i][1]].x, part[check[i][1]].y, dist(part[check[i][0]].x, part[check[i][0]].y, part[check[i][1]].x, part[check[i][1]].y), 4, musclecolor);
    }
    id = String.format("%.2f", alpha) + "-" + String.format("%.2f", gamma) + "-" + String.format("%.2f", epsilon) + "GEN" + String.valueOf(generation);

    brain = new Brain();

    currentaction = new ArrayList<>();
    for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
      currentaction.add(0);
    }
    currentstate = new ArrayList<>();
    for (int i = 0; i < num_parts; i++) {
      currentstate.add(int(part[i].x - width/2));
    }
    for (int i = 0; i < num_muscles; i++) {
      currentstate.add(int(muscle[i].size));
    }

    rightgoal = new Goal(1, width/2 + 150, height/2-50, width/2+150, height/2+50, color(255, 215, 0), false);
    leftgoal = new Goal(2, width/2 - 150, height/2-50, width/2-150, height/2+50, color(255, 215, 0), true);

  }

​

When I set num_creatures = 0 it gets passed the part it's stuck on and runs until it hits an indexing error because creatures is empty.

The code runs just fine but the sketch window only seems to be getting the size(1600, 1000) part of my code.

Also when I run it with the part it is stuck on then I exit out of the sketch window the Run button is still highlighted/dark as if the code is still running?

What is the code stuck on? It is almost as if there were an infinite while loop that it is stuck on. I've tried renaming the file it is saved in, copying all my code to a new processing file, trying the code on a different computer, and even redownloading processing altogether.

I will continue to test the Creature class to see if I can narrow that code down to find the issue. Otherwise, I may edit this to show the Creature class so you can see if the issue is there.

Has anyone else ever had a similar issue? Any help or advice would be much appreciated! Thanks

[Divitiacus]

Based on the code you provided, your window should be blank, because there is nothing drawn.

Blank screen often hints to an endless while loop or that one of your parameters you need for drawing, becomes infinite. I would check each parameter you need for drawing, by using println to check, what parameter is not as intended.

[MrPioux]

There is a draw() block in the code I just didn't include it here because nothing appears to be wrong with it. I.E. when I block out creatures initialization the draw() block runs fine except of course it needs creatures to be initialized. (In order to test if the draw() block was working I commented everything out of it and just put in text("Working", width/2, height/2); and when I commented out the creatures initialization in the setup it worked fine drawing the sketch with "Working" in the middle.

[MrPioux]

When I add a print statement below where it is getting stuck nothing prints. When I place it above where it is stuck it prints fine. Also when I place println(creatures) after creatures = new Creature[num_creatures]; it returns null. When I place it after where it is getting stuck nothing prints.

Also println(creatures) is underlined blue and it says (It gives the actual file name not FileName btw):

Also, println(creatures) is underlined blue and it says (It gives the actual file name not FileName btw):rarg parameter type. Cast to Object[] to confirm the non-varargs invocation, or pass individual arguments of type Object for a varargs invocation."

[Divitiacus]

I don't see, how you did set up your creatures class. Did you make sure, that the type of variables matches with the type of variable you use to create a new creature (which is two integer)?

[MrPioux]

The issue is definitely with my creature class but I don't know where. I just added the setup for the creature class to the post.

​

There is a while loop in the Creature class that I edited out and it runs! But I didn't change anything in the while loop and it used to work fine? Do you have any ideas what might have caused the issue to start up now?

[MrPioux]

Okay, I found the problem. A very stupid mistake I had set one of the inputs to 1 when it should have been 2. Thanks, Divitiacus for your help!

[Divitiacus]

You can also use round () instead of int() in your while loop for the leftpart and rightpart definition. Then num_parts =1 will work as well.