Thursday, July 17, 2008
#
I've decided to start a second blog. Some of the articles will make it to this one, however, more specific ones will stay only to the new one.
http://www.visionsofafar.com
It uses the Blog Engine.net v1.4 Blogging Software. It set up really easy, and I like it a lot.
Michigan Tech University is a college located in a small town in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, called Houghton. It's here that the minds of thousands of late teenagers start their journey every year to become something better. It's here that I started my journey into the world of education.
Before my trip up to Michigan Tech and far after the process of unloading all of my things into a tiny 15x8 foot box, formally called a dorm room, I knew I wanted to be in Michigan Tech's newly formed enterprise, Husky Game Development. If you were to browse Michigan Tech's course catalog you would find several entries related to it's enterprise classes. These classes are groups of students who get together to form, in essence, a structured club, and sometimes to the degree of a full blown business. These enterprises are counted as credit, and can replace a senior project at the end of your Michigan Tech days.
Husky Game Development is an enterprise that was started up only a few years ago. The concept is to get several people together to create video games within 1 or 2 semester intervals. There are several teams, and several games that are developed at all times. Each team consists of 1 team leader and usually between 2 and 4 team members. Sometimes it can vary, having multiple sub-teams under one team leader.
For 1 full year I was a team leader for Husky Game Development. I gave my team the name "Revolutionary Works". Our goal was to evaluate and attempt to use XNA for game development. For Semester 1 I had 4 people under me, and then for Semester 2 I had 2 teams of 4. I was in command of 2 games being developed for XNA under Husky Game Developments name.
I was excited to have been given command of 2 teams to develop games under the XNA platform. I was one of the first people to jump into XNA. The moment that XNA came out in beta, a friend of mine and I downloaded it and created one of the first few publicly created games that anyone could download. I was ecstatic about XNA and the possibilities that it created.
I was unfortunately brought down to reality when I was given my team. When Computer Science majors come to Michigan Tech they are taught Java for the first year and a half. They are taught nothing that's game development related nor .net related. In order for my team to even start developing a video game, I had to teach them how to use C#, and then I had to teach them how to use XNA, and then finally I had to teach them how to do 2D game development. 2D game development usually requires a minimal understanding of Vectors and at times a small understanding of physics for calculations. These freshmen had no previous knowledge on any of this.
Instead of building video games, the semester was spent teaching team members how to program a game in XNA. The idea of Husky Game Development is a great idea. The time allotment for Husky Game Development doesn't allow it to succeed to my liking. Most teams create a game based around Java. Unless you are creating a game for a mobile phone, you will not find any game studios using Java. Husky Game Development does not give a proper look into the gaming industry which is filled with C++, DirectX, OpenGL, Modeling, Texturing, Animating, 3D, etc...
Further yet, if a team in Husky Game Development were given 3rd year students, who have taken C++, at least Calculus 2 and may even have a general idea of 3D graphics, there is still a large problem. Michigan Tech is full of students who are absolutely brilliant. From getting out of homework, to acing it the legit way, these Students are some of the brightest people I will ever meet. They are not artists. They are logical, predictable robots. They can not create art.
With no art, and no 3D modelers, it creates a very poor introduction to the world of 3D game programming. The gaming industry thrives off the ability to create more stunningly beautiful 3D real time graphics every year. With HGD's inability to create a 3D game, or even it's ability to escape Java, it's headed for a hard and bleak existence.
Husky Game Development is a fantastic idea, but is best left alone unless you are completely new to game development. If you have any experience with 3D development it's best to stay on the path and learn on your own through the Internet and lots and lots of books.
Monday, June 30, 2008
#
I was hanging out in my apartment when out of no where three people come walking down the stairs with big sticks and little saucers in their hands. They looked all happy and giddy...I'm thinking to myself, what in the world are they doing?
So, I walked outside with them, and asked what was happening? It was Derek, Tim, and Ashley. It turns out they were randomly playing pigeons... With out the shooting part. They had their alcohol and their toys. They were ready for a night out.
So I took a shot at it, and having never tossed one before, I wasn't quite sure how to pull it off. I took a crack at it. Whipped the thing nice and hard. Pew! It narrowly missed the building window by a short couple of inches. That was enough pigeon throwing for me.
I headed back in, as they headed out, for some fun.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
#
Everything in life worth anything is worth waiting for. That's a common saying that most kids grow up to. Everyone wants to be different. From age, weight, fitness, hair color, eye color, intelligence, reputation. There are things that everyone wants to change and they all seem impossible to accomplish.
Since I was little I've always had one saying that stuck with me. If there's a desire and willingness, anything can be accomplished. Whether the accomplishment comes from within yourself or a physical problem, it can be overcome.
We may not all be created equal, but I believe we are given the tools to compete, to struggle, and to live life as happy as we want it to be.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
#
I was on campus today walking towards one of the cs buildings when I caught sight of a man walking on crutches. His right leg was in a cast and it looked as though he was struggling to get where he was going. It didn't take long as I watched and he took a seat on a nearby bench.
I went up to him, told him my name, and asked what happened to his leg. He told me that he had broken his foot chopping wood. A log had rolled off the stack and onto his foot. So I asked if he needed any help and he gratefully accepted. I took his bag for him, and I walked him to his class. He was a nice guy, on his last year at tech as a Cival Major. Pretty nice guy. If I see him again, I'll be sure to give him another helping hand.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
#
Computer Science majors have always been given the title of social outsiders. If you were to walk into an apartment and spot computer parts, computers, monitors, and wires spread out everywhere, you would instantly think Computer Geek. In that same notion of thought, you would probably find a superiority in yourself, a feeling of being more socially accepted, or in other words, higher on the totem pole.
Since the time that High School structures were put into place, jocks have always been at the top, right along side cheerleaders. They are the people everyone wants to be, and the ones that seem to have all the fun.
I've noticed that I've captured the CS majors inability to communicate towards unknown people. I seem to have a fear for the unknown and a fear of society itself. So I've come up with a decision to help make a step for all geeks that have become social outcasts, or have become socially awkward in public. I'm going to make one friend every day for a year.
On June 25th of 2009, I should have 365 new friends. Will you be my new friend?
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
#
College or no college? Jump into work, or push through the education.
I've decided to go back to college full time again. Michigan Tech was a fun time filled with lots of friends and lots of very good times. Now it's time to go back to those fun times, full time. I have two years left to get my bachelors degree in Computer Science and now I'm serious about getting it. I've worked in the tech industry in New Hampshire for 8 months now for one company. Now, they're either going out of business or they're getting sold off...
So, now is the best time to get out while I can. I'll be headed back to Michigan Tech from Salem, NH. It's a 1,250 mile trip over a 2 day period.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
#
So I just finished spending approximately an hour and a half trying to figure out why my very simple javascript code wasn't working...
function changeColor()
{
mb.style.backgroundColor = "#000000";
}
Basically, I had an image in the html page, when the mouse went over the image it called that function, which would change the background color of the TD named mb to Black.
I opened up IE and it worked. I opened up Firefox...and nothing happened.
Finally after searching and searching, I found the culprit.
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
Can anybody tell me why that's preventing Firefox from changing the background color of a TD?
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<head>
<script type="text/javascript">
function changeImage()
{
mb.style.backgroundColor = "#000000";
}
</script>
<title>
Untitled Page
</title></head>
<body>
<a href="#"><img border="0" src="sham.jpg" id="sham" onmouseover="changeImage()" /></a>
<table style="width:100%;">
<tr>
<td width="50" height="50" id="mb" bgcolor="#cccccc">
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</body>
</html>
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
#
In the IT world a person tends to learn something new every day, if not hourly. It's a fast paced world that we all live in, especially once we start talking about computers. Today I learned a new feature of e-mail that I had never known about.
When you visit a web site and you subscribe to their newsletter you are often asked if you would prefer an html or a text version of their newsletter. Seeing this over the years off an on, I always assumed the only way to send html and text campaigns/newsletters out correctly was to keep two separate lists. Well, it turns out I was wrong.
There's a way to send out both the html and the text at the same time. The client will then decide if it wants to, or can, display the html or the text version. The technology for this is called Multipart/Alternative MIME.
This little bit of information crossed my path when I was trying to create a simplistic Mass Mailing application. I have an html version that the program creates, and a text version that the program creates. I then have a huge list of e-mails that need to be sent out to people. So I created some C# code.
private void btnSendEmails_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{ string time = DateTime.Now.ToString();
SmtpClient client = new SmtpClient("smtpserver"); lblTotalEmails.Text = "100";
progressBarEmails.Maximum = 100;
progressBarEmails.Minimum = 0;
progressBarEmails.Value = 0;
for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++)
{ client.Send(createMail("AdressToSendTo")); lblSent.Text = "" + i;
progressBarEmails.Value++;
this.Refresh();
}
MessageBox.Show(time + " : " + DateTime.Now.ToString());
}
private MailMessage createMail(string to)
{ MailMessage mail = new MailMessage();
AlternateView viewTxt = new AlternateView(txtLoc, System.Net.Mime.MediaTypeNames.Text.Plain);
AlternateView viewHtml = new AlternateView(htmlLoc, System.Net.Mime.MediaTypeNames.Text.Html);
mail.AlternateViews.Add(viewHtml);
mail.AlternateViews.Add(viewTxt);
mail.To.Add(to);
mail.From = new MailAddress("FromAddress"); mail.Subject = txtSubject.Text;
mail.IsBodyHtml = true;
return mail;
}
Basically all that needs to be done, is to add the alternative views. Once the e-mail is sent out, the client then decides which version to display.
Time to go learn something new.
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
#
I've turned 21 years of age and I've experienced the wonderful joys of drinking alcohol legally... It takes all the fun out of drinking. My birthday is always shortly after the holidays, which means everyone is just finishing up their present giving, and then they see my birthday. So for Christmas I received $100 in Barnes and Noble gift cards. Then for my birthday I received yet another $50 in Barnes and Noble gift cards. So today I walked myself into the store to look for some books, knowing full well that with $150 of gift cards I'd be able to get 2, maybe 3, computer books. So I walked in to this great big huge Barnes and Noble and found the computer section. Oh My Gosh! There's books everywhere, and I can't decide what I want to get.
I've learned so many things about computers through books. I've never really mastered a single subject, however, I've become advanced in every subject. Which means, if I come across a problem, then I know I can fix it, or make the solution even though I may not know immediately how to do it, and/or possibly what the absolute best/perfect way to do it is.
So I've learned C#, ASP.net, Managed DirectX, XNA, Windows 2003, SQL, ADO.net, Flash, CCNA Networking, and HLSL. There are hundreds of technologies out there. Tons of things that I would love to learn about.
Maya Modeling, Character Rigging and Animation
Advanced SQL Development / Programming
Flash CS3 Action Scripting
Advanced C++ Concepts
CCNA Study Books
GPU Gems Books
ASP.Net 3.5
Silverlight
Unix
Those are some of the technologies I would love to learn about right now. I know there are more technologies that I want to learn about. What I don't know though, is what books I should buy right now. What technology is the best thing I could learn to further my career/money making capabilities. So...
What books should I spend my $150 dollars on? Any suggestions?
Friday, December 28, 2007
#
So we've had a national do not call list for a while now. It seems to work pretty well too. The annoying telemarketers get farther and farther between, and you get rid of those exasperating calls. So if we've done this, why can't we have a Do not spam list? It could be a giant list of e-mails that say, you better not e-mail us, or you're going to be in big trouble.
I can understand why it might not work. It'd be easy to get around any kind of punishment simply because they don't live in the same country, and their country doesn't have any will to enforce it. I still want one though...Pretty please?
Thursday, December 27, 2007
#
Ebay Auction
Why would you spend $125 dollars on a $100 gift card? ...
I'm not understanding it? Can somebody please fill me in? lol
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
#
Today I saw this puzzle on the Internet. I love puzzles like these, which is probably why I like to program so much. It took me about 30 minutes and a couple sheets of paper to rifle through it all and get the answer.
How fast can you guys get it? Comment, and I'll let you know if you're right or not.
Einstein's Logic Puzzle
So you want a hard brain teaser! Well, here it is.
It's purported that Einstein said 98% of the world's population could not figure out this logic problem. Try your hand at it.
A logical question.
There are 5 houses each with a different color. Their owners, each with a unique heritage, drinks a certain type of beverage, smokes a certain brand of cigarette, and keep a certain variety of pet. None of the owners have the same pet, smoke the same brand of cigarette or drink the same beverage.
Clues:
- The Brit lives in the red house.
- The Swede keeps dogs as pets.
- The Dane drinks tea.
- The green house is just to the left of the white house.
- The green house's owner drinks coffee.
- The person who smokes Pall Malls raises birds.
- The owner of the yellow house smokes Dunhill.
- The man living in the center house drinks milk.
- The Norwegian lives in the first house.
- The man who smokes Blends lives next to the one who keeps cats.
- The man who keeps a horse lives next to the man who smokes Dunhill.
- The owner who smokes Bluemasters also drinks beer.
- The German smokes Prince.
- The Norwegian lives next to the blue house.
- The man who smokes Blends has a neighbor who drinks water.
Who owns the fish?
Thursday, December 13, 2007
#
Just saw this when I went to my GMail page. Thought you guys might find it humurous.
What's Your Gmail Story
I get out of work 2 hours early for a snow day! This is the first snow day I've ever gotten for work. School days, sure all the time, but never for work.
I'm liking it. I can spend my extra time coding with the newly released XNA 2.0! W00T(Newly added to the dictionary, as I'm sure you all know by now)!