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2024-07-19 20:12 DarkStoorM  
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 nesdori 's cave gave me an idea, I reversed the flies and looked for 5Ζ+2Η. #1, #3, #4 are similar, except the ΗΗ are positioned differently and with different directions, resulting in ΖΖ scramble in a funny way.  
  
#2 looks interesting with the Η circling in two spots :D  
  
At some point I thought the extra Η was unnecessary, but it turned out it actually blocks the rolling Ζ or disrupts them, breaking the formation. Some of them break into 2 rolling ΖΖ for a couple frames :D  
  
FUn fact: some formations were found in A 4x3 box, but they quickly settle into the stages shown in the cave.  
  
Example:  
  
ΖL..ΖU..  
..ΗLΖR..  
ΖD..ΖRΗL

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2024-07-26 01:19 dustin  
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very interesting! :d  
i haven't analyzed those yet, but i'm going to do so for the articles on  Arno 's forum!

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2024-07-29 12:46 dustin  
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i just analyzed the 2nd formation, and it is an interesting new dfs with the following flies involved:  
  
| the top-left Ζ and the bottom-right Η are freely spinning, they're just needed once per short loop for blocking another fly.  
  
| the other Η makes a visually striking tour from left to right and back, then one normal loop, and then right again. it stays always in the top half of the formation.  
  
| the remaining four ΖΖΖΖ build a vortex formation: two ΖΖ make a vortex which the other two ΖΖ are surrounding. this vortex is repeatedly broken and built again in the middle of the formation. it's also well visible if you look for it.  
  
the four ΖΖΖΖ are switching their roles among each other, so the long loop is 4 short loops.  
  
loops: 12/48  
  
i'm going to include this one in one of the upcoming new episodes in  Arno 's dff forum thread :d

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2024-07-29 18:18 dustin  
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in formation 1, both ΗΗ are clearly visibly just spinning, while the roles among the five ΖΖΖΖΖ are not as clear as in the 2nd formation. visible effects are:  
  
| one Ζ sliding from the very right to the very left in the 2nd row  
  
| the vortex which is there half of the time in the mid-bottom.  
  
3 ΖΖΖ switch roles, the other two ΖΖ do the same, thus the long loop is 6 short loops.  
  
loops: 12/72

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2024-07-30 01:16 DarkStoorM  
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SO I think it's safe to assume that formation #1 and #4 are identical, but presented in different stages, can't see that similarity in formation #3 due to the Ζ in top left

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2024-07-30 01:19 DarkStoorM  
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** top-left Ζ in #3, I don't really know if it's just one Ζ spinning and blocking the remaining ΖΖΖΖ in a way that they can form the vortex

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2024-07-30 13:24 dustin  
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i just analyzed #3 - it's clearly different from #1. it's clearly visible that the "big slide" where a Ζ slides from right to left along the second row happens rarer in #3 than in #1. more precisely, the loop is 20 instead of 12. the vortex at the mid-bottom is also well visible and it's there more than half of the time.  
deeper analysis shows that in #3, all 5ΖΖΖΖΖ are switching places such that each Ζ takes each other Ζ's role. so the loops are 20/100 - it's the biggest long loop of all known formations (dff/dfs) so far :d  
  
i haven't checked #4 yet, but it cannot be completely identical to #1 because the relative position of the ΗΗ is different. possible that the ΖΖΖΖΖ positions are identical, though. :d

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2024-07-30 21:45 dustin  
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and yes indeed, #4 = #1 only one phase behind and with the ΗΗ in different positions (but still doing the same job, i.e. blocking the same ΖΖ in the same phases at the same spots.) :d

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2024-07-30 23:19 DarkStoorM  
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Ah yes, that's what I was suspecting :D the bruteforce was lucky enough to hit 2 of the stages from entire loop