
Advent of Code Day 22 -- Sand Slabs
I almost gave up on this one. Then I started playing around with it in a 3D render package and I found the issue.

I almost gave up on this one. Then I started playing around with it in a 3D render package and I found the issue.

I had 80% of the solution, but that last 20% killed it. This is the day I failed Advent of Code 2023.

First, you find the right answer using pencil and paper. Then, you write code to produce that answer. Right? No? Just me?

First puzzle in a few days where I didn’t need to get hints. I guess the problem was musical, aerodynamic, shiny AND extremely cool looking!

We had game night tonight, more HeroQuest (yay!), so I didn’t have a lot of time to work on this. Basically, you’re digging out a lagoon into which lava will flow. Part 1 could easily be calculated using a basic flood fill algorithm, so I did it that way, got the first star for the day, and went to work. I’d already seen that, as expected, part 2 would resist something that easy. ...

Edsger Dijkstra is laughing at me from his grave.

/u/YellowZorro hasn’t posted any more art, so back to Dall-E 3 renderings. Today, we get ready to MAKE SOME LAVA TO SAVE CHRISTMAS!

The lack of hands is all that is keeping the world’s reindeer from lasering everyone to death. Luckily, THIS reindeer has YOU. Beware.

We’re almost to the mountaintop where everything begins… but first we need to start a little fire.

I think if I went to Iceland and stood on one of those lava fields, I would be convinced I was in another world.