Draw Physics

The evolution of physics games which involves drawing objects using basic lines or circles. (post updated with download link for Chalk Physics)

Chalk by Joakim Sandberg
download, 3.85 MB

Crayon Physics by Petri Purho
download, 5.63 MB

Draw the Physics by Beatshapers (NDS)
no download available (source: Alex Aktion)

Chalk Physics by JA2
download, 4.5 MB

Scribble (WIP) by Mark Judd, Wildebeest Games
download, 2.12 MB

Marker World by Allen Liao
download, 2.25 MB

ORBAT - Soviet Divisional Units, Part 2 MRD Artillery Regiment

This post looks at Artillery support within the Division and specifically at the composition of the Divisional Artillery Regiment, how the capability changed over the period and how it might be represented within games and scenarios.

The organic components of Divisional Artillery units were  broadly consistent across both the MRD and TD however their detailed composition varied, these Artillery units included:

• Artillery Commander and his Staff
• Artillery Regiment
• Frog Battalion
• Anti Tank Battalion (not in TD)
• Artillery Battalions of subordinate MRR/TRR

Whilst in other armies air defence would be a component of the Artillery in the Soviet Ground Forces this was a separate arm of Service.  The Anti Tank Battalion's deployment and grouping have been considered in an earlier post and I'll leave the Frog Battalion for another day.

Equipment and Organisational Change

The composition of the Divisional Artillery Regiment and the amount of organic artillery available to the Division varied significantly over the period from the 1970s through to the end of the 1980s and whilst my focus is on the 1980s it's worth understanding this as it accounts for a variety of conflicting information presented across the various sources which can lead to confusion if the general pattern of transition is not understood.

In the 1970's the MRD's Artillery Regiment comprised two battalions of towed 122mm D30 Howitzers  and 1 battalion of towed 152mm D1/D20 guns, in a TD this was 3 Battalions of towed 122mm D30 guns. Each regiment included 3 Batteries of 6 Guns and most units used trucks as the gun tractors.

By The end of the Cold War units would have an Artillery Regiment equipped with self propelled guns, in MRD's this could include 3 battalions of 2S3, in TD's 2 battalions of 2S3 were more likely.  In both cases batteries were of 8 guns and the regiments included an MLRS Battalion also of 3 batteries of 8 Launchers. The 8 gun and 8 launcher batteries seem to have been largely confined to GSFG.

The MLRS units were incorporated into the divisional Artillery Regiments in the mid 70s and 2S1 and 2S3 started to be introduced to replace the towed guns and howitzers from around 1973.  As individual Regiments transitioned from the D30/1/20 /MLRS mix through the introduction of initially a mix of 2S1 and 2S3 and then to all 2S3 units this created the conditions for a variety of Orbats to exist within the divisions of any particular Army or Front at a given point in time.  The limiting factors on the transition and the principal cause of the variability being the rate of production and the sheer size of the Soviet ground forces, of note 2S3 production did not complete until 1993.

The broad roll out following acceptance in 1971 as outlined by Zaloga was:

• From 1973 1 2S3 battalion to each MRD Artillery Regiment: A MRD could include 2 D30 battalions and 1 2S3 battalion
• From 1973 1 2S1Bn to each Cat 1 TD: A TD Could include 12S1 and 2 D30 battalion 
• From mid 70s 1 122mm D30 battalion was replaced by 2S3 in TDs: TDs could include 1 2S1, 1D30 and 1 2S3 Bn 
• Cat 1 MRD received 6 battalions of 2S1 two in the Artillery Regiment and 1 in each of the maneuver regiments:  MRD Artillery Regiments could have a composition of 2 2S1 battalions and 1 D1/20 or 2S3 battalion. (this also rather defeats the view of BMP units having 2S1 battalions and BTR units having D30 equipped battalions)
• Cat 1 TD received 6 battalions of 2S1 taking them to 3 2S1 battalions or 2 2S1 and 1 2S3 battalion. 
• Additional 2S3 battalions were deployed releasing 2S1 Battalions to the maneuver regiments
• All this did not happen as a simple sequence and the different policies and deployments interacted with each other unpredictably.

So what does this mean from the Wargames perspective, there were a lot of options, it was a big army, the role out did not complete before the economic impacts at the back end of the Cold war began to hit.  You have a lot of choice, my late period Divisional Artillery Regiment has one 2S1 battalion and two 2S3 battalions. For operations the Soviet Army task organised units into Artillery Groups which introduced a lot more variation and are discussed further below.

The weapons thrown up by these changes were re used, initially they increased the Regimental artillery from a battery to a battalion and as towed assets in these units were replaced with Self propelled platforms then the size of Army and Front Artillery brigades were increased. The quantity of organic Artillery in the division including the regimental Artillery units therefore increased from a likely minimum 78 Guns in the 70's to  a maximum 192 guns by the end of the Cold War.

The broad equipment change time line over the period with respect to Artillery equipment looks like this:

• 1963 D30
• 1966 PSNR 1 Ground Surveillance Radar
• 1971 2S3 entered production
• 1972 2S1 entered production
• 1973 first deliveries 2S1/2S3
• 1974 ACRV IV 12 Series Vehicles
• IV13 Battery fire direction centre, 
• IV 14 Battery Command Vehicle with PN44 night sight and D11M-1 Laser range finder,
• IV15 Battalion Command vehicle with additional radios, 
• IV16 battalion Fire Direction Centre with Field Artillery computer
• 1975 SNAR 10 Target detection and fire adjustment
• 1975 PRP 3 with PN 61 Image Intensifier, D11 Laser Range Finder, IV 520 Fire Control , Computer, dismountable D13 LRF (I think this came later), RL 126 ground surveillance radar
• 1975 2S3M upgraded loader increased rate of fire
• 1976 PSNR-5
• Late 70s DK-1 Dismountable LRF Sage Gloss at Regiment and Division
• 1980's 9M28 Rocket Grad P (Airburst)
• 1980 PRP 4 as PRP3 but with PN 71 Thermal Imager a D14 LRF and PSNR -5 ground Surviellance radar
• 1983 ACRV upgrade
• 1986 152mm PGM 2K25 Krasnopol complex deployed by 2S3. The 122mm Kitalov 2 complex was a post Cold War system deployed in 2002
• 1987 2S3M1 Gunsight and data terminal to receive display command information from IV 13
• 1988 PRP 4M

So not dissimilar to Western developments with the principal areas of change being:

• The Introduction of Self Propelled Guns.
• The Introduction of dedicated Command and Observation Post vehicles specifically equipped for role.
• The development, deployment and improvement of target acquisition systems including radars, lasers, and night observation systems.
• The development, deployment and improvement conventional munitions to include PGMs and sub munitions.
• The development and deployment of data systems for processing and passage of command and fire control data.

A wide range of munitions were available for both 122mm and 152 gun systems for the 2S3 these included:

• OF-540 HE
• OF-25 HE Frag
• BP-540 HEAT-FS
• Br-540B AP-T
• OF-38 Krasnopol Laser Guided
• S1 Illuminating
• ZH3 Smoke
• and Nuclear Warheads with a 2kt yeild

The impact of all these changes were quite considerable in terms of the effectiveness of Soviet Artillery the impacts included;

• Increased protection of the gun crews, 
• More rapid displacement between fire positions, 
• Reduced time into and out of action, 
• Improved target acquisition 
• Increased range, of munitions and target acquisition capability
• Reduced time to resolve targets at greater ranges
• Increased speed of transmission of artillery data reducing engagement times and data errors.
• Increased speed of processing fire missions, through use of fire control computers
• Improved Lethality, both through munitions developments higher rates of fire and the increase in size of the fire unit from battery to battalion.

These increases in the scale efficiency and overall destructiveness of Soviet Artillery over the period and acted as a significant counter to NATO proliferation of handheld anti tank weapons and enabled the Soviet Army to reduce its doctrinal dependence on nuclear weapon use.

The Divisional Artillery Regiment

The Organisation of the Divisional Artillery Regiment is outlined in the diagrams below, TD's would generally only deploy two battalions of 2S3.  Both Isbey and FM 100-2-3 contain detail on the composition of the various Sub Units.

From a Wargames perspective the main elements that we might want to represent will be rules dependent, from my point of view these are:

• Command and Control Battery
• 2S3 Battalions
• BM 21 Battalion
• Target Acquisition  Battery
• Regimental Aid Point

The gun battalions and BM 21 battalions are  broadly similar organisation and include:

For my games I use a vehicle scale of 3:1 so I represent the battalion as 3 batteries with each battery containing:

• A supply truck, either a Zil 131 or a URAL 4275, 
• A command vehicle either an IV 12 Series COP/FDC (2 batterys per battalion) or a BTR 60 PU radio vehicle (1 battery per battalion and effectively representing the Battalion HQ). 
• 2 firing platforms 2S1/2S3 or MLRS depending on the unit type.  

From the battalion I deploy two OPs using the ACRVs as theoretically this organisation could generate seven OPs if required:

• 4 from the COPs (IV13/15) 
• 1 from the PRP 
• 2 additional flanking OPs which would be created on an Ad Hoc basis from battery staff and vehicles.

The Regimental Command and Control Battery

A BTR 60 Command Wagon represents the 3 ACVs admittedly 2 are MTLBus but I have a lot of them in the unit already. Other than that I have added 1 UAZ 469 and 1 Gaz 66.  I also included a PRP 3 which might seem a bit strange.  

One of the things I wanted to resolve within the HQ was the representation of PRP 3. Because of the way the PRPs are distributed with three sitting  in the Regimental Artillery battalions (one each) and three in the divisional Artillery battalions (one each) and one in the Target Acquisition Battery.  You end up with no representation of the vehicle due to the 3:1 vehicle scale, which is a shame as its a good looking wagon. Technically two would be deployed within the division (at 3:1) to accommodate this I added one to the Regimental HQ and one to the Target Acquisition Battery

The Target Acquisition Battery

It's a bit of a challenge to work out what's going on here and with this organisation having components that would sit in the off board force and the onboard force it needs to be divided up.  This is how I viewed it;

• Recce Platoon @ 2 BTR 60/70/80 + 2 LRF - represented by 1 BTR 60
• Comms Platoon @ 1 UAZ 452 Compute, 3 UAZ 469, 3 Gaz 66 - 1 UAZ 469, 1 Gaz 66
• Surveillance Radar Platoon @ 1 SNAR 10, 1 PRP3, 1 Counter Mortar Radar - represented by 1 SNAR 10, 1 PRP 3 (see above for explanation).  The SNAR 10 would normally be deployed along side Artillery COPs.
• Sound Ranging Platoon @ 4 Gaz Vans, This example of the 1B19 Complex provides a view - 1 Van
• Topo Survey Platoon - not represented
• Met Survey Platoon - not Represented
• Radar Platoon - 3 radar direction finder, 3 Gaz 66 - 1 Gaz 66 and a PSNR -1 or 5

So In Summary 1 BTR 60 ACV, 1 UAZ 469 & Gaz 66, 1 SNAR 10, 1 GAZ VAN, 1 GAZ 66 + Radar.  I have found no source data that attributes the number of vehicles to the platoons within the Target Acquisition Battery so have applied some thought and generated the answer. If anyone knows of better data on this I would be grateful for any pointers as to a more accurate representation. 

Regimental Medical Point

FM 100-3-2 covers the Regimental Medical Point under the MRR and I have assumed its the same for all regiments.  The core of this is a treatment section and one or two collection sections. I assume of the four Ambulances available three are in the collection section and one in the treatment section and the other sections all collocate with the treatment section. I have gone for a three vehicle representation of a Gaz 66 for the Treatment section and 1 UAZ 452 for each collection section.

Krasnopol

Krasnopol was a Precision Guided Munition(PGM) for 152mm Artillery pieces deployed in the late 80s. PGM's effectively allowed artillery firing in the indirect fire role to engage point targets such as vehicles or field defences.  This was achieved through laser target marking and steerable control surfaces on the projectile allowing for in flight course correction.  The amount of correction possible  was limited so the round had to be lobbed into the right space relative to the target and the observer for the whole thing to work. Rounds were provided for all the major 152mm systems in Soviet service. The complex consisted of the OF 39 projectile and a D15 Laser Target Designator together with a couple of command devices one for the gun line and 1 for the OP.

Getting the round in the right place at the right time from the right direction to acquire the illuminated target was critical to success, as was the need to limit the time the target had to react. All this required a degree of thought to be applied to the process, as such engagement zones needed to be recced and engagements planned. This required a degree of preparation of the target zone and the gun line which would improve hit probability and reduce the effectiveness of any target counter measures.  Clearly more Ad Hoc engagement would lead to a lower probability of hit.

Krasnopol was allocated in sets, each set included;

• 50 Rounds 
• The shot synchronization system
• The LTD.  

A battalion might be allocated 4 sets for a total of 200 rounds.  Common practice seemed to allocate one battery as the Krasnopol Battery and one platoon within that battery as the Krasnopol Platoon .  This platoon would carry 140 of the 200 rounds with the remainder being spread across the rest of the battalion. One LTD would go to each Battery COP and 1 to the Battalions mobile reconnaissance post (PRP 3).

In order to engage the OP had to position between the target and the gun line within a 15 degree arc and within 7kms of the target.  Rounds would be fired in succession into the target area either on command of the OP or every 30 seconds.

Krasnopol seems like very useful addition to the indirect fire inventory of the Divisional Artillery Regiment and one which makes the deployment of the related COPs a consideration from both a task organisation perspective and enabling targets to be engaged. I can think of a number of scenarios where It would be interesting to explore the impact of this such as the deployment of the Anti Armour Reserve at divisional or regimental level and the deployment of the Advance Guard.

Artillery Groups and Control of Fires and Units

With the Artillery assets at its disposal the division artillery staff would form a Divisional Artillery Group (DAG) and a number of Regimental Artillery groups (RAG).  The Division would be allocated assets from Army and Front and allocate assets to its subordinate Regiments enhancing the organic capability.

RAGs would generally only be composed for the units in the first echelon. The implication from the Xenophon lessons on Divisional Artillery is that all the divisions artillery assets would be allocated between the DAG and the first echelon RAGs. RAGs for the 2nd echelon units would be composed prior to that echelon being committed effectively being withdrawn from the first. The staff planning data for these add hoc groups were:

• DAG 4-6 Units
• RAGs 3-4 Units (For lead Echelons only)

Clearly these would be impacted by the priority of the axis of advance (main or secondary) and the type of operation, advance, breakthrough or pursuit.

Battalions would be allocated fire units from RAG as required this would generally be when acting as an advanced Guard, Forward detachment or for an assault. The composition and distribution of non organic assets has been covered in earlier posts on the MRR and Non Divisional Artillery Units which contain examples of such groupings and provide a view on the range of units from which these elements might be drawn.

In addition reinforcing fire from the Army Artillery Group and the Front Artillery Group could be superimposed by the higher headquarters as it saw fit or as part of a fire plan.

Groupings and hence control of the Artillery units would change with the different phases of the Plan.  In general the DAG would retain control in the preparatory fire phase, then resources and control would shift to the RAGs for the Assault phases before being transferred to the 2nd Echelon as they were committed.  Fire Units Ammunition and Time slots could all be held in reserve.

I aim to explore this further in a TTP post about the deployment and use of divisional artillery after I have digested some more of the data in the Xenophon archive.

Wargames Representation

Whilst the Divisional Artillery Regiment does not easily lend itself to most peoples idea of a 20mm table top action there are a number of ways its assets can be included in games, although I do admit that you have to try hard. There are a number of mechanisms which allow exploration of their use and role, these include;

• Direct incorporation into the onboard elements as a focus of the scenario an example might be penetration of NATO forces into the depth of the divisional defence where Reserves and Artillery elements might be the core components of the Soviet Force. Such games can be built as stand alone scenarios or be components of a mini campaign.
• Representation as off board support providing the Divisional wrap of supporting fires and Air Defence, in this instance the elements needing to be represented would be limited to on board Target Acquisition components.   
• Representation on subsidiary boards enabling aspects of the depth fire battle to play out using Air, Artillery, Air Defence and follow on Maneuver assets as part of a larger game. Personally I like this approach and a variety of additional commands can be generated around the Artillery, Air and Air Defence aspects allowing examination of both deep and rear operations, both of which had significant impact on the outcome of the engagement being fought.  Without additional players the scope is more limited as there is a significant amount of thinking needed and additional game mechanics to play through that would otherwise consume too much time.
• Linked Games, pre game play and mini campaigns offer approaches to resolving the issues outlined in the subsidiary board approach and if the number of players are limited offer a way to explore elements of Deep and Rear opps.  The detail of the sequencing of the games then becomes the major challenge.
• Smaller Scale, heresy so not considered further :). Not my particular poison but alternative scales 1:300/600/700 offer the opportunity to develop these aspects in a more manageable space both from a cost and storage perspective, my problem is I am far to in love with the joys of 20mm to go there.

What gets represented and how the support is applied is a key component of designing the scenario and something for the TTP post and some scenario ideas I have been working on.  Both the Big games covered on the blog the Wisenberg Counterattack and Storming the Weidhouse Gap contained significant artillery components. 

Models and Availability

Having identified that you want to build something as challenging as an Artillery Regiment and you have managed to convince your self that it will get the odd outing. Sourcing the models isn't always easy, the table below outlines a range of suppliers for the vehicles required to represent in whole or part the Divisional Artillery Regiment.

Whilst the coverage of the vehicle fleet is fairly complete now with the release of conversion sets by S&S for the BTR series vehicles some of the ground equipments will require scratchbuilding if they are to be represented, notable ones include:

• Counter Battery Radars
• D15 Laser Target Designator
• DK-1 Laser Range Finder (Imagery of this is proving a challenge to find)

where I have already written a review of the relevant models they can be found here:

• Review - Model 1/72, Cromwell MT-Lbu (ACRV)
• Review - Model, S&S 1/72 2S3 Akatsiya
• Review - Model 1/72, S&S 2S1
• Review - Model 1/72, S&S Gaz 66
• Modelling - Converting Hobby Dens BTR 60PB to a BTR 60PU

References:

Books:

• Soviet Air Land Battle Tactics, WP Baxter
• Red God of War, Soviet Artillery and Rocket Forces
• Weapons and Tactics of the Soviet Army
• Soviet/Russian Armour and Artillery Design Practices
• Jane's Armour and Artillery 2002/2003
• The Warsaw Pact: Arms Doctrine and Strategy

Internet:

• DTIC - Soviet Artillery Utilisation
• FM 100-2-1 The Soviet Army Operations and Tactics Chapter 8 and Chapter 9
• FM 100-3-1 The Soviet Army, Troops Organisation and Equipment
• Krasnopol a laser guided projectile for tube artillery
• Offensive Operations, Sidorenko, 1970
• Tactics the Soviet Way, Rechinko, 1984
• Xenephon, Lesson 1-The Principals of Artillery (Soviet)
• Xenephon, Lesson 6 - Employment of Division Artillery (Soviet)
• Rocket and Weapon Technology

Other Posts of Interest

• ORBAT - 1980's Soviet MRR and TRR, Part 4 Artillery
• ORBAT-Soviet Late 80's Breakthrough Capability, Part 3 Non Divisional Artillery Assets
• ORBAT - Soviet Divisional Units, Part 1 MRD Anti Tank Battalion
• TTP -Soviet Breakthrough Attacks 
• TTP - Soviet Advanced Guard and March Security
• Wargames Unit-Soviet Late 80's, 2S1 Battalion
• Wargames Unit - Soviet MRR, Regimental Artillery Group

NINTENDO SWITCH MARIO RABBIDS KINGDOM BATTLE TACTICAL GAMEPLAY

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle - Nintendo Switch Standard Edition

Hey guys,

Check it out!

Mario+Rabbids Kingdom battle are on deals at eShop!

I've totally forgot about this game until, I chance upon it on deals at eShop. It's also pretty small in size. So, I decided to buy and download it real quick. After, the long introduction, I followed the tutorials and it's actually a fun game to play!

If you like tactical games like Xcom and the like, you'll love this too. Albeit, a mario version. I must say, I really like the gameplay. And, the weapons are super cool. Remind me of the halo guns. I'll rather they have a real enemies instead of the crazy rabbids though.

I love the adventure part of the game, although, you can jump straight to the battles with friends or family members. Would be a great party game. I'm mostly a single player game type of gamer. So, it's also great to play alone.

Check out my quick gameplay video!

Get the game!



Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle - Nintendo Switch Standard Edition

Download the Gold edition!



Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle Gold Edition - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]

Play the game on the go or docked to your tv. Your choice!

That's why nintendo switch are the best portable gaming console!

Subscribe to our blog and youtube channel for latest post and video upload!

Happy gaming!


P.S. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle Gold Edition - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]

Visit main blog @ https://fauzi1972.blogspot.com

James Raggi / LotFP Statement

This whole fiasco seems to be winding down.  Hopefully, this is my last post on the matter and we can all (well, almost all) move on to better things.

Here is the official Lamentations of the Flame Princess statement by James Raggi IV via FaceBook.

Basically, it cuts short Zak S' collaboration with LotFP.

Like many people and organizations have attempted, it's a good solid compromise.  No more books by Zak S., but neither will there be a book burning party.  Previous stock will slowly be sold off, and then that's it.

No one's great at everything.  One may quibble at the man's style or aesthetics or taste, but Zak Smith/Sabbath could write, draw, self-promote, and he even had some great ideas.  But there's always a flaw, isn't there.  He couldn't be a decent human being.  Actually, I don't think he could do his own layout, either.  Oh well.

Additionally, WotC/Hasbro is erasing all consultant credits from future printings and digital versions of the Player's Handbook. That sucks for everyone who isn't currently besieged by abuse allegations. Legally, it may be sound, and I'm sure it'll cover their asses in regards to the online activist outrage mob, but is it fair?  Nope, not really.

Never did get James' apology for throwing Jordan Peterson under the bus... [sigh]  This is a depressing blog post.

Hey, buy some PDFs from Kort'thalis Publishing!

VS

p.s. I thought it was amusing that out of dozens of FB comments, mine is pretty much the only one that no one without a "like" or reply.

Here it is for posterity (until Google annihilates this blog), "I hope we can all learn and grow from these experiences." Not just pretty words. It's a civil and objective wake-up call to those keeping at least one eye open.

Northeast Epic Armageddon Tournament: Up To Eleven

Here's some pics from the games we had this past weekend. We ended up with 18 people after two dropped the day of. Some pick-up games were played Friday (including a couple Warmaster games), three tournament rounds were had on Saturday, and then six of us hung around for a few more games on Sunday. Anyway, enjoy the pics!

Everything You Need To Know About PUBG Season 5

It has been reported that PUBG's new update i.e., season 5 will be commenced very soon. The new update may bring new clothes, weapons, skins and especially
The Zombie Mode.

The time has come to say goodbye to season 4 and a great welcome to season 5 of PUBG.

           It hasn't been officially declared but some reports and leaks suggest that the new season will bring out many features including new outfits, weaponry, skins and a Zombie mode.

It has been expected that PUBG Season 5 will have the following new contents : 

1. ZOMBIE MODE : 

              Unlike in classic mode where the players have to fight alone or in a team, in the new Zombie Mode, the players have to survive against 98 different zombies in various gameplay modes. The zombie mode could be confined to a smaller modification of the Erangel map.

2. Apocalypse Theme :       

                       PUBG season 5 will be accompanied by a brand new theme. Just like PUBG season 4 had a white theme similarly season 5 of PUBG could have a fire filled apocalypse theme that will supplement the Zombie mode.

3. New outfits/clothes :
     
               As like the Vikendi update brought out warm costumes, the same way this apocalypse/zombie theme will have some clothes matching with the zombie mode.

4. New Weapons : 
  
                  An update is incomplete without bringing any new guns. Some guns like G36C Submachinegun and PP-19 Bizon SMG are expected to introduce season 5. 

                         Also, new skins for guns will also be available. This may include black and white dragon skin for the Kar98k, gold skin for the AKM and UMP etc.

                  Updated vehicle skins will include an ice-cream truck skin for vans and multi-colored dune buggy skin etc.


But the most important question is When will the update release? The answer is 'Though it is not officially announced but some reports say that PUBG update will start on or around Monday, Jan 21.' (Source: express.co.uk) 

N.B. : The given date and data are subject to change since they are just supposed and not officially declared.

If you liked the post share the link
https://sudragamer.blogspot.com with all PUBG players and let them know about the Zombie update. Stay tuned to know more about the updates.

Kake: A Build System With No Build Files

UPDATE: Renamed to "Ekam" because "Kake" apparently looks like a misspelling of a vulger German word. Link below updated.

I finally got some real coding done this weekend.

http://code.google.com/p/ekam/

Kake is a build system which automatically figures out what to build and how to build it purely based on the source code. No separate "makefile" is needed.

Kake works by exploration. For example, when it encounters a file ending in ".cpp", it tries to compile the file. If there are missing includes, Kake continues to explore until it finds headers matching them. When Kake builds an object file and discovers that it contains a "main" symbol, it tries to link it as an executable, searching for other object files to satisfy all symbol references therein.

You might ask, "But wouldn't that be really slow for a big codebase?". Not necessarily. Results of previous exploration can be cached. These caches may be submitted to version control along with the code. Only the parts of the code which you modify must be explored again. Meanwhile, you don't need to waste any time messing around with makefiles. So, overall, time ought to be saved.

Current status

Currently, Kake is barely self-hosting: it knows how to compile C++ files, and it knows how to look for a "main" function and link a binary from it. There is a hack in the code right now to make it ignore any symbols that aren't in the "kake2" namespace since Kake does not yet know anything about libraries (not even the C/C++ runtime libraries).

That said, when Kake first built itself, it noticed that one of the source files was completely unused, and so did not bother to include it. Kake is already smarter than me.

Kake currently requires FreeBSD, because I used kqueue for events and libmd to calculate SHA-256 hashes. I thought libmd was standard but apparently not. That's easy enough to fix when I get a chance, after which Kake should run on OSX (which has kqueue), but will need some work to run on Linux or Windows (no kqueue).

There is no documentation, but you probably don't want to actually try using the existing code anyway. I'll post more when it is more usable.

Future plans

First and foremost, I need to finish the C++ support, including support for libraries. I also need to make Kake not rebuild everything every time it is run -- it should remember what it did last time. Kake should also automatically run any tests that it finds and report the results nicely.

Eventually I'd like Kake to run continuously in the background, watching as you make changes to your code, and automatically rebuilding stuff as needed. When you actually run the "kake" command, it will usually be able to give you an immediate report of all known problems, since it has already done the work. If you just saved a change to a widely-used header, you might have to wait.

Then I'd like to integrate Kake into Eclipse, so that C++ development can feel more like Java (which Eclipse builds continuously).

I'd like to support other languages (especially Java) in addition to C++. I hope to write a plugin system which makes it easy to extend Kake with rules for building other languages.

Kake should eventually support generating makefiles based on its exploration, so that you may ship those makefiles with your release packages for people who don't already have Kake.

Kake will, of course, support code generators, including complex cases where the code generator is itself built from sources in the same tree. Protocol Buffers are an excellent test case.

To scale to large codebases, I'd like to develop a system where many Kake users can share some central database which keeps track of build entities in submitted code, so that Kake need not actually explore the whole code base just to resolve dependencies for the part you are working on.