Contributor Project 3: Optimizing Shape Operations in the Kite Library

[brettfiedler]

This thread is to discuss a potential project for SceneryStack contributors. Please ask any questions or make suggestions for possible project implementation.

Project 3: Optimizing Shape Operations in the Kite Library

Project Size: 90-175 hours

Estimated Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate

Recommended Skills:

• JavaScript: Proficiency in JavaScript for implementing and optimizing algorithms.
• Computational Geometry: Understanding of geometric algorithms and their computational complexities.
• Performance Profiling: Experience with profiling tools to identify and resolve performance bottlenecks.
• Git/GitHub: Familiarity with version control and collaborative development workflows.

Description

This project aims to enhance the performance and accuracy of SceneryStack's shape library, Kite, and its shape operations. Key areas of focus could include, depending on scope of the contributor's interests and expertise:

1. Optimizing Intersection Calculations: Address inefficiencies in functions like getLocalShape to prevent excessive computations during shape intersections.
2. Refining Shape Union Operations: Improve the Shape.union method to handle complex cases more efficiently and eliminate errors related to advanced disambiguation.
3. Reducing External Dependencies: Evaluate and minimize reliance on external libraries, such as Paper.js, to decrease the overall size of simulations without compromising functionality.
4. Enhancing Robustness of Shape Functions: Resolve issues in functions like getStrokedShape and getOffsetShape to ensure accurate rendering, especially in edge cases involving small or intricate shapes.

Relevant Issues:
phetsims/kite#105
phetsims/kite#101
phetsims/kite#98
phetsims/kite#97
phetsims/kite#91
phetsims/kite#83
phetsims/kite#82

Key Tasks

• Performance Profiling: Analyze current shape operations to identify and document performance bottlenecks.
• Algorithm Optimization: Revise existing algorithms to enhance efficiency, particularly in intersection and union computations.
• Dependency Analysis: Assess the necessity of external libraries and refactor code to reduce dependencies where possible.
• Robustness Improvements: Test and refine shape functions to handle edge cases gracefully, ensuring accurate and artifact-free rendering.

Expected Outcomes/Deliverables

• Enhanced Performance: Significant reduction in computation times for shape operations, leading to smoother simulations.
• Improved Accuracy: Elimination of rendering artifacts and errors in shape manipulations.
• Reduced Project Size: Lowered dependency on external libraries, resulting in smaller file sizes for SceneryStack projects.
• Robust Test Suite: A suite of test cases covering various scenarios to ensure the reliability of shape operations.

Why This Project?

Optimizing the Kite library's shape operations is essential for delivering high-performance, accurate, and efficient simulations. By addressing current limitations, this project will enhance the user experience and broaden the applicability of the SceneryStack framework.