scout_compass_bearing_game

Calculate bearings and generate: post labels, bearing following instructions and game cheat sheet instructions.

Scout compass bearing challenge game

Posts are set out in a circle a good distance apart. One post starting at magnetic North, other posts at each compass point N NNE NE ENE E ESE . . . e.t.c. Each post is labeled with name and has a scrambled alphabet in a grid.
Scouts receive an instruction sheet with start post and series of bearings to follow. At each post visited a letter of a word is obtained.
A simple grid reference for each post describes how to obtain a letter. The grid reference at N post comes from the Irish grid reference system. The letters in the grid are scrambled at each other post. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_grid_reference_system#/media/File:Irish_Grid.svg
A full scrambled alphabet is on each post. This allows a large combination of word instructions to be used. It allows interesting quotes or song lyrics to be used as a challenge for a group of scouts.
e.g. of post label with post name and scrambled alphabet in grid:

########################################
#
# POST: 337.5 => NNW
#
#        1   2   3   4   5 - Easting
#
#    5   Y   H   T   M   G   
#    4   W   B   C   I   U   Q   
#    3   K   P   Z   R   L   
#    2   S   X   O   N   J   
#    1   F   V   E   D   A   
#     \
#      Northing
#
########################################

e.g. of instruction sheet for a two letter word:

########################################
#
# Word 0
# START at POST: 67.5 => ENE
#
# 0. Follow bearing 123.75 to next Post,
#    Record letter @ Easting 1, Northing 1  _______
# 0. Follow bearing 146.25 to next Post,
#    Record letter @ Easting 6, Northing 4  _______
#
########################################

e.g. of portion of cheat sheet

########################################
# Cheat Sheet
#
# Word 0 is We, post path is [67.5, 45.0, 22.5]
#    DEBUG post:45.0 c:W
#    DEBUG post:22.5 c:e
#
.
.
.

A python script is used . . . 16 posts are currently used. 8 posts or other number can wasily be used with script adjustment. The word list or quote used can be changed in script. TODO: map and allow arbitrary positioning of posts e.g. in rectangle or other shape would be suitable for a permanently marked compass bearing challenge.
The script is quite messy currently . . WIP . . beware of roadworks and dragons.

FILES:

The script, run:

python scout_bearing_to_compasspoint.py

Numpy is used a little bit, matplotlib is called but not needed to generate game instructions, there is some not used curses at end of script.

Output of script text post labels and word instructions:

scout_bearing_to_compasspointDEBUG.txt

Put the script in an open-office doc, insert a section around the post labels and in format->section make it two columns. Do the same around word instructions. Adjust labels/instructions so they do not wrap around a column or page. print. Cut up. Attach labels to posts. Have fun!
See files:

scout_compass_bearing_posts.odt
scout_compass_bearing_posts.pdf

we like it when it is windy

Saturday, 13 May 2017