I don't necisarily support the threads idea, but what you might have to do is have the player determine which input corresponds to what output inside of the condensed block GUI itself. here is what I imagine it to look like
and code for input and output aliases would look like:
public Class CoallescedConnections
{
public ArrayList<logic_object> logic_reference_array;
public int max_size;
public int logical_size;
CoallescedConnections(int max_numberof_connections = 8)
{
max_size = max_numberof_connections;
logical_size = 0;
}
... // copy constructor, isEquals operator, etc..
//member functions
public void addConnection(logic_object logic_reference)
{
if(logical_size < max_size)
{
logic_reference_array.add(logical_size, logic_reference);
logical_size ++;
}
else
{
throw warning message of some sort to the player
that they will have to remove other connections
before adding newer ones.
}
}
public void removeConnection(int index_of_connection)
{
if(index is within logical_size bounds)
{
logic_reference_array.remove(index);
logical_size --;
}
else
{
//throwing is expensive actually, and the player shouldn't even be capable of doing this.
}
}
... //additional member functions, methods etc.
}
public Class PlayerLogic extends logic_object
{
protected CoallescedConnections input
protected CoallescedConnections output
protected ArrayList<ArrayList<logic_object>> playerLogicGrid;
...
//assumed logic_object methods
onConnectionTo(logic_object logic_reference)
{
input.addConnection(logic_reference);
}
onConnectionFrom(logic_object logic_reference)
{
output.addConnection(logic_reference);
}
onRemoveConnectionTo(int index)
{
input.removeConnection(index);
}
// you get the picture
...
}
