Journals
My son has a new pet.
I'm going to keep doing this every day, if I get as lucky as I did today.
Logged on to TF2 before heading off to school, and let it sit in one of the specified IDLE servers until i got home. Found out I had lost connection though, not sure when, but I picked up an Ubersaw, Cloak and Dagger, and 2 Backburners in the time. Though now I have 3 Backburners... >_>
Logged on to TF2 before heading off to school, and let it sit in one of the specified IDLE servers until i got home. Found out I had lost connection though, not sure when, but I picked up an Ubersaw, Cloak and Dagger, and 2 Backburners in the time. Though now I have 3 Backburners... >_>
4400 writer Scott Peters is working on an upcoming television series remake of "V", to be broadcast on ABC sometime in fall 2009 and is based on the science-fiction franchise created by Kenneth Johnson.
As a V fan, im pretty excited about this. The question of course is: will it be of any quality of the original, as it is just a remake? Im gonna keep my eye on this.
Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahjPQjQGdbU
So, my 8800GTS has died on me.. 2 years now since that day we met.
Fortunately the shop i bought it from gives a 3 year warranty, so they gave me a videocard with the same price as the 8800 was new.
I present to you this:
Yes its actually alive!
Fortunately the shop i bought it from gives a 3 year warranty, so they gave me a videocard with the same price as the 8800 was new.
I present to you this:
WARNING: RANT.
You know what I hate about HL modeling? It's illogical and overly complicated. Every model has different bones and submodels, and there's no way to turn one NPC into another without renaming bones. It should work like this for all models:
1. ONE body, no two bodies like in Op4, the backpack attachments go in a category below.
2. Heads. No limit, but all the same thing, just heads, no arms or anything.
3. Weapons. This includes barney's guns, the Hgrunt's weapons, and the scientist's needle.
4. Extra submodels/acessories. Op4 backpack and anything a mod's npc might need.
5. ALL THE SAME BONES FOR HUMAN MODELS!!!!
If I want an Op4 medic mesh on a scientist model, I should be able to do it without pain, if I want a Female assasin mesh on barney, I should be able to do it, and there should be a way to tell milkshape and other softwares to ignore bones in the meshes, just for things like the example directly above.
Now, doesn't that sound easier?
You know what I hate about HL modeling? It's illogical and overly complicated. Every model has different bones and submodels, and there's no way to turn one NPC into another without renaming bones. It should work like this for all models:
1. ONE body, no two bodies like in Op4, the backpack attachments go in a category below.
2. Heads. No limit, but all the same thing, just heads, no arms or anything.
3. Weapons. This includes barney's guns, the Hgrunt's weapons, and the scientist's needle.
4. Extra submodels/acessories. Op4 backpack and anything a mod's npc might need.
5. ALL THE SAME BONES FOR HUMAN MODELS!!!!
If I want an Op4 medic mesh on a scientist model, I should be able to do it without pain, if I want a Female assasin mesh on barney, I should be able to do it, and there should be a way to tell milkshape and other softwares to ignore bones in the meshes, just for things like the example directly above.
Now, doesn't that sound easier?
Don't lynch me for this but I'd like to quickly share something I've been working on sparingly for a few weeks. I mentioned in a previous jounral about and I though I should follow up on it.
Just this link to my progress thread.
Post comments here so you don't have to sign up there.
Just this link to my progress thread.
Post comments here so you don't have to sign up there.
Well i'm downloading the XSI mod tool for source. I might as well start to make custom models for my maps seeing as how i don't map like valve, and therefore can't use any of their models. It'll be a tough learning process to model for source, but i'll get through it i'm sure.
Then i'll slowly transition into source mapping. Trying to utilize the models I've made.
My first project: Age of empires II Inspired HL2DM map
Small little castle village, plenty of open room. Some hallways and corridors.
I need custom models for this because... well I'm not making every little detail out of brushes. Screw that.
I'm also downloading the Artist's Guide to XSI. It's a bunch of video tutorials (Totaling 1.7 GIG) Showing how to use a lot of the tools and such.
Can't tell you how much i'm looking forward to this.
EDIT
The Artist Guide is highly recommended!! Get it if you want to do anything with XSI
Then i'll slowly transition into source mapping. Trying to utilize the models I've made.
My first project: Age of empires II Inspired HL2DM map
Small little castle village, plenty of open room. Some hallways and corridors.
I need custom models for this because... well I'm not making every little detail out of brushes. Screw that.
I'm also downloading the Artist's Guide to XSI. It's a bunch of video tutorials (Totaling 1.7 GIG) Showing how to use a lot of the tools and such.
Can't tell you how much i'm looking forward to this.
EDIT
The Artist Guide is highly recommended!! Get it if you want to do anything with XSI
I started my car up the other day after installing some new parts, and one of the lifter retainers spontaneously shattered. With nothing to keep the directional roller lifter from spinning in circles inside its bore, it ground off the edges of the roller against the camshaft, ruining them both. I now have to pull off my cylinder head, extract the shards of metal from my engine, and replace all the lifters and the camshaft.
On top of that, school's about to let out, it's stuck at my auto shop, and my courageous mother will not allow me to bring it home to work on it, so it will sit inside a fence for months in which time most cars there get vandalized.
Yay, perseverance.
EDIT: Just struck a deal with my mom, seems that she'll let me work on it at home as long as I can finish it in a short period of time.
Yay, perseverance.
EDIT: Just struck a deal with my mom, seems that she'll let me work on it at home as long as I can finish it in a short period of time.
I PASSED! GET IN.
Alright, I'm taking my theory test again tommorrow, I've been doing practice tests and passed all of them with a percentage higher than 90, and I've done the same with the hazard video clips too, so hopefully tommorrow I'll pass it. I'm not holding my breath on it though.
Apart from that I got my college report thing today, I'm working at a very high standard, my tutors are all impressed with me and I've never missed a day since I started. So atleast that's going well.
L4D version of Wetwork (Survival) is going well besides a few bot problems and nav mesh errors, for some reason infected will stop climbing the ladder just short of the ledge which causes them to fall, and rising the ladder does nothing to help, very strange and VERY annoying. That bloody Nav Mesh Error message won't go away either.
So yeah, I'll update this journal tommorrow to say wether I passed or not, my test is at 9:30am.
Alright, I'm taking my theory test again tommorrow, I've been doing practice tests and passed all of them with a percentage higher than 90, and I've done the same with the hazard video clips too, so hopefully tommorrow I'll pass it. I'm not holding my breath on it though.
Apart from that I got my college report thing today, I'm working at a very high standard, my tutors are all impressed with me and I've never missed a day since I started. So atleast that's going well.
L4D version of Wetwork (Survival) is going well besides a few bot problems and nav mesh errors, for some reason infected will stop climbing the ladder just short of the ledge which causes them to fall, and rising the ladder does nothing to help, very strange and VERY annoying. That bloody Nav Mesh Error message won't go away either.
So yeah, I'll update this journal tommorrow to say wether I passed or not, my test is at 9:30am.
EDIT:
FINALLY!
This semester is over.
The hardest thing was my physics 2 test. Which all of us in the class got together before class and it still took 5 hours to complete. (It was a take-home test)
I also got the highest grade in the class on my Circuits II Exam.
Second highest in Electronics, and i don't care in Calculus so long as i passed.
Now i can party all weekend, then i start working at the power company on Tuesday!
Woot woot.
This semester is over.
The hardest thing was my physics 2 test. Which all of us in the class got together before class and it still took 5 hours to complete. (It was a take-home test)
I also got the highest grade in the class on my Circuits II Exam.
Second highest in Electronics, and i don't care in Calculus so long as i passed.
Now i can party all weekend, then i start working at the power company on Tuesday!
Woot woot.
Goldeneye fail.
Today I was playing runway with the basic cheats, invincibility, all weapons, infinite ammo, and I was on runway, for the sole purpose of racking up the kills. I decided to run into the builing where you get the plane key, and hide there to wait for soldiers to spawn. When I opened the door again, there was a good crowd waiting for me, so I tried it again after killing them all, but the soldiers started coming in the building, so I had the bright idea of blocking the door with the tank. The first time it blocked my entry from the top of the tank, so I backed it up ever so slightly and crouched in. It kept all but one of the soldiers out, but the tank made it so I could just wedge the door open enough to barely see out, and I could'nt get out. Needless to say, I was trapped and had to abort mission. Try it yourself, there's no way out.
Today I was playing runway with the basic cheats, invincibility, all weapons, infinite ammo, and I was on runway, for the sole purpose of racking up the kills. I decided to run into the builing where you get the plane key, and hide there to wait for soldiers to spawn. When I opened the door again, there was a good crowd waiting for me, so I tried it again after killing them all, but the soldiers started coming in the building, so I had the bright idea of blocking the door with the tank. The first time it blocked my entry from the top of the tank, so I backed it up ever so slightly and crouched in. It kept all but one of the soldiers out, but the tank made it so I could just wedge the door open enough to barely see out, and I could'nt get out. Needless to say, I was trapped and had to abort mission. Try it yourself, there's no way out.
I translated my grandmother's biography from Chinese to English last night:
A Brief Biography of Chang Yu-Ming Yuan
Mrs. Chang Yu-Ming Yuan was born on July 24th, 1919 in the district of Yong Nan, in the city of Wu Hu, in the province of An Hui. She was the third child in the family. Both of her older brothers died from measles, so her mother went back to her hometown and the entire family focused their attention on her during the birth and postnatal period. Being the center of attention of her doting family, she thrived and grew up to be a healthy child. She had three younger brother and two younger sisters.
Her maternal grandfather was a high-ranking official in the court, and her grandmother was the matriarch of a large and prominent family. Influenced by the compassion and fairness of her grandmother's attitude, the family became a role model household.
As she grew older, she returned to her parents, who owned the Heng Tai Sheng bakery with seven satellite stores in town. She learned respect for the elders in this large family.
She demonstrated her quick wit and physical fitness early in her academic career. She was the girl scout leader in high school. She was the foundation of the human pyramid during the scout convention, and she also carried the heavy camping equipment for her troop. Such tough training during the school years allowed her to tolerate the difficulties of the war-torn China.
When the Japanese invaded, she left her hometown with her cousins and became refugees. As she parted with her grief-stricken mother, she comforted her mother by saying "I will study hard, and I will return to take care of you." Her mother told her "Wherever you go, you must treat everyone with respect. When people praise your character, I would feel comforted."
Unexpectedly, this farewell was forever. She never saw her mother again. Her mother's parting words became her mantra. She excelled academically and later received her degree in education.
As the war continued, General Sun Li Ren recruited her to become the teacher for the troop's family. It was there where she met her future husband, Mr. Yuan Zi Lin, who was the general's personal secretary. They were married on March 10th, 1941 in the city of Dou Yun. The general himself officiated the wedding.
Beside teaching, she handled all the house chores. As the battle front swept through the city of Kung Ming, Cheng Dou, Chang Chun, and Song Hua Jian, she migrated with her family cross country, until the family moved to Taiwan in the winter of 1947.
To better focus on parenting her four children, she quit her job as a teacher. A few years later, she gave birth to two more daughters. The hectic family life was made harder by the harsh living condition of early Taiwan. Life without refrigeration and natural gas for cooking meant waking up before dawn to prepare the day's meals for the entire family. While taking care of the infants, dropping off older children at school, and shopping for groceries, she never complained and she raised her children into successful adults.
In 1985, she immigrated to the United States to be with her children, most of whom already reside in Southern California. Her favorite job was taking care of her grandchildren. Her greatest reward was seeing her grandchildren becoming adults and starting their own families.
Even in her senior years, her drive for self-improvement continued to motivate her. Despite her advanced age, her memory remained sharp. In 2004, when she was already 85 years old, she passed the citizenship exam and became an American citizen.
In her golden years, she continued to have a busy social life at her senior apartment complex. She attended Christian fellowship twice a week, and she helped countless new immigrants to ease their transition into their new country.
She returned to God's embrace on May 10th, 2009, Mother's Day. She awaits another family reunion and enjoys eternal bliss.
A Brief Biography of Chang Yu-Ming Yuan
Mrs. Chang Yu-Ming Yuan was born on July 24th, 1919 in the district of Yong Nan, in the city of Wu Hu, in the province of An Hui. She was the third child in the family. Both of her older brothers died from measles, so her mother went back to her hometown and the entire family focused their attention on her during the birth and postnatal period. Being the center of attention of her doting family, she thrived and grew up to be a healthy child. She had three younger brother and two younger sisters.
Her maternal grandfather was a high-ranking official in the court, and her grandmother was the matriarch of a large and prominent family. Influenced by the compassion and fairness of her grandmother's attitude, the family became a role model household.
As she grew older, she returned to her parents, who owned the Heng Tai Sheng bakery with seven satellite stores in town. She learned respect for the elders in this large family.
She demonstrated her quick wit and physical fitness early in her academic career. She was the girl scout leader in high school. She was the foundation of the human pyramid during the scout convention, and she also carried the heavy camping equipment for her troop. Such tough training during the school years allowed her to tolerate the difficulties of the war-torn China.
When the Japanese invaded, she left her hometown with her cousins and became refugees. As she parted with her grief-stricken mother, she comforted her mother by saying "I will study hard, and I will return to take care of you." Her mother told her "Wherever you go, you must treat everyone with respect. When people praise your character, I would feel comforted."
Unexpectedly, this farewell was forever. She never saw her mother again. Her mother's parting words became her mantra. She excelled academically and later received her degree in education.
As the war continued, General Sun Li Ren recruited her to become the teacher for the troop's family. It was there where she met her future husband, Mr. Yuan Zi Lin, who was the general's personal secretary. They were married on March 10th, 1941 in the city of Dou Yun. The general himself officiated the wedding.
Beside teaching, she handled all the house chores. As the battle front swept through the city of Kung Ming, Cheng Dou, Chang Chun, and Song Hua Jian, she migrated with her family cross country, until the family moved to Taiwan in the winter of 1947.
To better focus on parenting her four children, she quit her job as a teacher. A few years later, she gave birth to two more daughters. The hectic family life was made harder by the harsh living condition of early Taiwan. Life without refrigeration and natural gas for cooking meant waking up before dawn to prepare the day's meals for the entire family. While taking care of the infants, dropping off older children at school, and shopping for groceries, she never complained and she raised her children into successful adults.
In 1985, she immigrated to the United States to be with her children, most of whom already reside in Southern California. Her favorite job was taking care of her grandchildren. Her greatest reward was seeing her grandchildren becoming adults and starting their own families.
Even in her senior years, her drive for self-improvement continued to motivate her. Despite her advanced age, her memory remained sharp. In 2004, when she was already 85 years old, she passed the citizenship exam and became an American citizen.
In her golden years, she continued to have a busy social life at her senior apartment complex. She attended Christian fellowship twice a week, and she helped countless new immigrants to ease their transition into their new country.
She returned to God's embrace on May 10th, 2009, Mother's Day. She awaits another family reunion and enjoys eternal bliss.
My exploration in the electic Universe is on-going.
But I dislike theory, I only learn it when it helps me do practical things, because I love DIY and practice.
I made a speaker, and it turned out I put too few wires in the coil, so this is a prototype. Also, the magnets were kinda weak, so if I find somewhere some neodymium magnets I'll buy some and use those, they're very strong.
Here's the link : http://sjackm.wordpress.com/2009/05/20/home-made-speaker-test-1/
But I dislike theory, I only learn it when it helps me do practical things, because I love DIY and practice.
I made a speaker, and it turned out I put too few wires in the coil, so this is a prototype. Also, the magnets were kinda weak, so if I find somewhere some neodymium magnets I'll buy some and use those, they're very strong.
Here's the link : http://sjackm.wordpress.com/2009/05/20/home-made-speaker-test-1/