Project Road Map

File Formats

• import/export

  • Turing Complete save format

  • logisim

  • .tgb json dump of my data structure

  • https://nandgame.com

  • https://circuitverse.org https://github.com/CircuitVerse/CircuitVerse

  • maybe https://sebastian.itch.io/digital-logic-sim and someone forked it so that too perhaps

• import only

  • verilog

    • https://github.com/tilk/digitaljs https://digitaljs.tilk.eu/

    • json format for circuits and simulates in js

    • https://github.com/tilk/yosys2digitaljs converts verilog to that json format. api not frontend

    • uses https://github.com/YosysHQ/yosys which turns verilog into physical positions of components

    • but wasm version exists https://www.npmjs.com/package/yosys so i can fork yosys2digitaljs to use that

      • can get it as 6mb of js https://unpkg.com/yosys@0.10.5/dist/yosys.js

      • so i'd have to figure out how to load conditionally, only if they want to use the verilog feature

    • so flow would be verilog code -> (yosys2digitaljs, yosys.js) -> digitaljs json -> (my code) -> circuit object

    • then instead of writing something that understands verilog i just have to import another circuit layout format

• export only

  • minecraft redstone

    • to structures nbt format or mod that places the blocks for you

  • brainfuck

    • https://esolangs.org/wiki/Brainfuck#Hello.2C_World.21

    • also write my own interpreter like https://copy.sh/brainfuck/

  • game of life

    • https://nicholas.carlini.com/writing/2020/digital-logic-game-of-life.html

    • write my own simulator

    • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hashlife ? wasm?

    • https://conwaylife.com/wiki/File_formats

  • javascript

    • define custom components with a java script function that gets compiled to wasm so it can be sand boxed

Features

• really i should define components in terms of other components from the beginning

• infrastructure for automated tests of your circuits

  • let me run the same test format for each exported format

    • make a bunch of schematics that get checked every time so i can know i didn't break anything

    • mod that does the same tests in minecraft so i can check the exports work

  • levels where you build a gate from simpler ones and it evaluates performance against some tests

• drop down menus: import, export, edit, run, about

• on import ask if replace circuit or as custom component so should be able to render targeting a different canvas

• expand out components into different levels of abstraction

  • so i need optimal solutions to every turing complete level

• when TC lets users define levels, have a way to import them

  • let people who own the game can just point it at the tc folder and access them all in my program without me sketchily distributing or recrating TC's IP

    • would be good to have a nice UI for exploring these

• compress tc_components.js

• undo & redo

• i can overlay html on the canvas and drag it around like circuitverse does http://jsfiddle.net/f5EMT/1/

• drop a file on the canvas to open it based on extension https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/HTML_Drag_and_Drop_API/File_drag_and_drop

• use webworkers to speed up simulation/life/brainfuck? https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Web_Workers_API/Using_web_workers (same just async script as Service Worker just not specifically for intercepting network requests)

• load/save to google drive / dropbox / one drive

• figure out how to load js dynamically so you can only load the parsing for the file formats you want

let fileFormatModules = {

    turingcomplete: ["snappyjs.min.js", "save_monger.min.js", "tc_components.js"],

    verilog: ["yosys.js", "yosys2digitaljs.js"]

}



// triggers loading animation and waits until all files are downloaded to continue

requireModule("turingcomplete")

SEO Ideas

• write ups about different the file formats

  • try to SEO "how to open .circ files", "what is a .circ file", ".circ file extension"

  • include a technical explanation of the data format as well

  • for minecraft computers just talk about how to get the base components. gates, memory, clock, lamps.

• specific pages targeting "open .circ file online", etc. that has upload button that sends you to the main circuit viewer after selecting a file

• articles about how the components become a computer

  • just describe the solutions to some turing complete levels

  • overview of the architecture of ALUs, registers, addressable memory, stack, CU, etc

Monetization Ideas

1. let people white label it to include on their own site

   • should be easy to only allow iframe from certain domains that paid

2. patreon goals for new features

   • sponsor ware; everyone gets those features for free

3. sell premium version

   • no ads

   • full screen mode

   • use on mobile (could still be PWA just enable the listeners)

   • uncapped clock speed

   • get source code if i stop maintaining

     • detailed instructions for building and hosting

     • bundle required libraries

     • let build set env variable to disable payment/auth code

   • just get emailed a magic link for login

     • use cf workers

     • server signs message that gets stored in local storage then app checks if its valid

     • only load crypto js if there's something to check or even let people easily exploit if they can deobfuscate the js

   • lifetime vs subscription

     • subscriptions feel slimy but reoccurring revenue is so much better to keep developing features

     • maybe like jetbrains where you keep the last version you bought

4. see if relevant products would sponsor it. surely it would be worth more to them than algorithmic ads

   • turingcomplete.game

   • https://computerengineeringforbabies.com

   • https://www.nand2tetris.org/ (courses/book?)

   • management games like factorio or the trains one

5. ads

   • ugly, slow, makes so little money per view

   • could be incentive to purchase ad free or white label version

   • see if i can get a nice ad network like ethicalads

   • ads for my mod commissions before real network or if adblock or offline

6. charge for server side stuff

   • cloud storage of circuits

   • multi-user editing at the same time

   • build out tools for teachers like https://circuitverse.org/teachers

     • not really an audience likely to pay for stuff?

7. just charge to use it

   • feels less slick than just being free

   • people aren't going to want it without testing it first