Archives for the month of: February, 2009

Let’s ban plastic – not shopping bags, but sharpeners

February 27, 2009 //

plastic_v_metal

In the name of all that is good, can we just ban plastic-bodied pencil sharpeners? Please?

My daughter loves to draw. I have purchased several little sketchbooks and a multitude of pencils and pencil crayons to help feed her creative wants. Of course she also has the obligatory pencil case and a wide assortment of little plastic bodied pencil sharpeners. They come in loot bags, they find their way home from friends, they somehow magically appear in various places at various times. However I don’t think I have purchased a single one of them directly out of my own pocket. Why? Because I hate them.

Yes, hate is a strong word. The darn things are so colourful, they’re practical in that most of them provide a place for all those pencil shavings to go (although invariably they end up on the floor anyway when little one wants to empty them out). But still I hate them because they just don’t work.

Her own use of them always ends in frustration. She holds up the sharpener and the rounded, flattened or plain broken pencil crayon silently demanding some assistance. As the father-hero figure of course I try. I hold the pencil as squarely in that hole as humanly possible and slowly turn it. But it hardly ever ends well. The lead or pencil crayon core breaks off just inside the tapered wood end of the pencil or worse yet, a small piece of the lead gets stuck in the end of the sharpener itself.

If you’ve done this, don’t put it down to your own ineptitude. Yes, you were holding the pencil arrow straight. Yes, you were rotating it at a smooth enough cadence. Quit blaming yourself. The problem is not you.

I making a vow to fall off my wallet and buy ten metal-bodied sharpeners (maybe even Staedtler’s if I’m in an overly generous mood). I will sprinkle them throughout the house, and maybe keep two in the car (she’s got a sketchbook and pencil that stays in the car).

There’s even a good looking twin sharpener with a place to store and subsequently spill the shavings. It’s a Staedtler, so I’m assuming there are metal bodied sharpeners within it.

So let’s end the frustration and ban the plastic bodied sharpener once and for all. Let’s make the move to metal.

And listen, don’t even get me started on cheap pencil crayons…

Categories drawing, family, humour

It’s funny cuz it’s (probably) true…

February 26, 2009 //

Awesomely funny post over at Stuff White People Like.. here’s a tidbit:

One of the strangest side effects has been the puzzling situation whereby a white person will sit in an independent coffee shop with a Moleskine notebook resting on top of a Apple laptop. You might wonder why they need so many devices to write down thoughts? Well, if a white person has a great idea, they write it by hand, if they have a good idea, it goes into the computer.

Not only does this help them keep their thoughts organized, but it serves as a signal to the other white people in the shop that the owner of both instruments is truly creative. It screams: “I’m not using my computer to check email and read celebrity gossip, I’m using it to create art. Please ask me about it.”

While I’m a fan of using paper notebooks, I’m not an Apple guy, nor do I enjoy paying for overpriced coffee. But I do admit I wouldn’t mind people asking me what I’m writing in that notebook.

Categories Uncategorized

Big Arse Snowflakes

February 26, 2009 //

I was driving home late tonight after teaching and found myself confronted by what could be described as a flurry of fat arse snowflakes. The Flip camera was lying on the seat so I thought what the heck. I dubbed in some nice piano music just to hide the fact that I was blastin’ Miley Cyrus from the stereo…

And yes, I know handholding a video camera while driving on a snowy road isn’t the smartest thing in the world to do, let’s just put it down to old age…

Biggy Snowflakes from Richard Querin on Vimeo.

Categories blender, life, video

Okay.. I know you might not have much space but….

February 24, 2009 //

Just spotted this on Lifehacker:

http://lifehacker.com/5159336/diy-under+sink-cat-litter-box

As an experienced cat owner all I can say is just pray you never drop your toothbrush…

Categories Uncategorized

Bed jumping.. slow-mo now included

February 24, 2009 //

Thanks to heathenx for pointing out that I could achieve slow motion on a single clip by adding a speed generator effect to it, setting an IPO curve for the speed gen effect and making sure the ‘use ipo as velocity’ button was enabled. It all sounds so logical to me now, but I was so befuddled and frustrated last night trying to achieve it. Isn’t that always the way? Things look impossible, and then you find out they’re much easier than you thought. That concept seems to pervade my life.

Anyway, I’ve replaced the original video with this one, slow-mo effect included. Thanks heathenx, you’re a smart guy.. despite what everyone says.

Bed Jumping - revamped from Richard Querin on Vimeo.

Categories blender, family

It takes cojones to be disingenuous too I guess

February 23, 2009 //

Okay, I understand that you want to build a commercial (ie. for pay) closed source piece of software and make it only for Linux,

“Here we go! RadicalComic 1.0 Beta 1 is out. And, of course, it is only for Linux.” (my emphasis)

Challenging indeed. In fact, although I’m a free software guy, I’m all about people being free to do what they want - including using, buying, selling proprietary software. This was interesting. Though I don’t read comics, I was still keen to see how it worked out. It was interesting for someone to ‘be so bold’ as to try it in front of everyone.

That takes some cojones.

And although I’m a proponent of free software, I still wished him all the best (and still do). But I have to say the whole premise now seems disingenuous when I read that:

“Once the Beta testing started I began receiving emails, from Linux users, asking if a Windows version was in the works”

While I don’t doubt that it’s possible, I’m really suprised that with all those emails, I don’t remember one commenter to his series of posts that asked for a Windows port. Of course Bryan doesn’t say how many emails he received. By rights, it could have been two and he’d be perfectly golden.

And now, six days after it’s 1.0 release for Linux, we have a Windows version.

Now if Bryan hadn’t purported this whole thing to be an experiment of sorts to show how commercial closed source software could be developed for Linux, I would feel differently. As it stands now, with both Linux and Windows versions available, I fail to see any remaining logic to that experiment.

Indeed Bryan’s comments on one of his posts states,

“Actually, the more I thought about it, the more sense this made. If there is a Windows and Linux version that allows us the ability to directly compare download and sales numbers. Then we can take those numbers and make a much more detailed case of what sales of applications can look like on Linux.”

Huh? Wouldn’t you need to know the breakdown of comic book reading linux folks vs. comic book reading windows folks? I would imagine that ratio to be wildly different than the overall Windows/Linux market share numbers that are out there. And from what I read, buying one version of the license will allow you to download and run the other anyway. Somehow from this information you will deduce some meaningful data about ‘what sales of applications can look like on Linux’?

Don’t bother Bryan.. it’s not worth it. Just keep developing code, it’ll be much more worth your while.

I must mention that I’m a fan of cross platform apps. I love being able to use Inkscape on Windows at work and at home on Linux. Same goes for the GIMP and OpenOffice. But those are all free software applications and none of those so proudly stated that “of course, it is only for Linux”.

Bryan, I wish you the best of luck. But at the same time, it comes as no surprise to me if you get bashed. (No doubt, ThreeThirty is having a field day right now. ) Many people (some very passionate) were really expecting to watch and/or support your idea. But the whole premise of that idea just went away. So no matter if you were for it or against it, pissing away the premise is disappointing.

But I guess it still takes cojones.

Categories linux

More Blender thoughts and Bed Jumping

February 22, 2009 //

I’ve been battling what I’m pretty sure is strep throat for a day and a half now. Unfortunately a combination of extremely crappy sleep and my poor excuse for a desk chair have conspired to give me the gift of a major back ache at the same time. Oh joy.

Tonight I turned to Blender for a little distraction (do you know I have been able to go about 15 full minutes with nary a painful swallow?). One of the first things Troy Sobotka suggested to me was having a screencast to show how to set up the Blender video sequencer for more efficient editing, and in the process give people some insight into the customizability and power of the Blender interface. The main problem with that is I am not all that familiar with the Blender interface. So I’m trying to use it in more little projects and get accustomed to it.

I did manage to get it laid out somewhat like Troy had suggested to me, with the most frequently used tools in places that make sense:

I’m thinking that the next screencast I do will show the novice Blender user how to go from the default Blender Video Sequencer window layout into something like I’ve shown in the screenshot.

I’ve also posted up another little diddy using footage that I shot with my Flip camera on a tripod (although being a complete novice, I moved the tripod slightly during the filming duhhh). The one thing I was trying a few times to get right was applying slow motion to a single clip. I used this wiki page as a reference for achieving that effect, but I still kept having problems getting things to pick up full speed at the end of that segment. More to learn I guess… Anyway, here’s what I came up with very quickly. I didn’t include the slo-mo clip, I just wasn’t happy with it. It’s a short little flippy video thing. The sort of thing I wanted a video editor on Linux to do quickly for me. Blender is making me so happy these days. Now if it could only cure strep throat and massage my back.

Update: Video now revised to show one segment in slo-mo. Thanks heathenx!

Bed Jumping - revamped from Richard Querin on Vimeo.

Categories blender, family, linux, technology, web

Really basic Blender video editing screencast: Part 2

February 14, 2009 //

A few weeks back I did my first Blender screencast showing how to do a few simple things with video using Blender. In that one we covered editing and joining clips, fading between clips and exporting our video. In this second screencast I cover how to fade into and out to black, add a simple title screen and how to add a soundtrack to your video.

It’s all pretty simple once you get the hang of it, and keep in mind that I’m very much a newbie at Blender so expect a few flubs. In fact there’s a slight train wreck about 3/4 of the way through when I forgot how to create a new node for editing sound curves. I didn’t edit it out simply because I couldn’t be bothered and I also thought what the heck.. if I’m learning this application, then why pretend to know every little thing about what I’m doing when I clearly don’t. Feel free to shake your head in disgust when you watch that part.

Also, as you might have seen in this post, unlike me, Troy knows what the hell he’s doing with Blender. Two good things have come of this, we’re discussing what other in-depth tutorials might be worthwhile when it comes to introducing people to video editing in Blender and even better yet, he asked me how I screencast. I think it would be great if someone who really knows this stuff was able to do a little teaching.

Even though we’ve started this discussion I still thought it would be worthwhile to throw out this second screencast because I think once people get over the initial hurdle and actually produce something (anything) with Blender it only gives them more confidence to spur them on and learn more. That’s how I am anyway. I like to try challenging things, but it’s damn nice to actually achieve something worthwhile quickly to maintain and build my enthusiasm.

Anyway, I’m likely rambling (as I started to at the end of this screencast btw) so let’s cut to the chase. Here’s the link: http://screencasters.heathenx.org/_misc/bve/bve_02.html

Note: If you change the file extension on the above link from ‘.html’ to ‘.flv’ you can download the FLV file directly and watch it offline in something like VLC if you’d prefer. This goes for the first Blender screencast as well.

Categories blender, linux, screencast, technology

Do You Ever Feel Guilty About Using Free Software?

February 13, 2009 //

Lately, I’ve been reading and commenting on a post by Bryan of the Linux Action Show podcast titled “Why 100% Free Software Destroys Linux”. And while the title of the post is definitely (and purposely) inflammatory, I think it’s an interesting discussion. Just so you know where I’m coming from, although I’m a huge fan and user of Free (as in speech) software, I think I’m more of a proponent of its inevitability. But reading those comments brings up a point in my mind that I don’t hear often: Do you ever feel guilty using Free Software?

Now I have made donations in the past to free software projects, but by no means anything that would even begin to compensate the use I get out of them. And I’ll be the first to admit that if I were graded on how much money I gave to the free projects that I use, I’d fail with flying colours. And maybe I’m naive or just trying to make myself feel better about it, but I think the vast majority of free software users are probably just like me.

But the question is, should I feel guilty about using Free Software and not directly compensating those who create it? I don’t think there is anything in the GPL compelling me to do so (like just about everything else in this world I could be wrong about that), and if the people developing free software really wanted money in exchange for the result of their service, wouldn’t they take their toys and go elsewhere?

I just think it’s an interesting discussion that I don’t hear a lot about in the circles I run in.

Categories Uncategorized

What REAL talent, a disposable video camera and Blender will get you…

February 12, 2009 //

Troy James Sobotka has left a few very constructive and useful comments on my blog from time to time. We’re now doing a little back and forth related to how best introduce people to using Blender as a video editing application with some screencasts. And while I haven’t yet posted another quickie screencast on Blender (I’m at war with my arch nemisis Free Time right now) my discussions with him have led me to believe he knows quite a bit about it. But aside from that, if you visit his blog and read his ‘About Me’ blurb, you’ll see he’s got a penchant for creative endeavours. In fact, he just blew me away with this comment to one of my posts about the Flip Video camera and the resulting link:

Hard to believe it but some of those teeny, fixed plastic lens, fixed focus, disposable cameras can now do a relatively crude 720P HD!

It’s all your fault Richard! I started reading your Blender articles and decided I’d give it a go.

I set out on a project to create a music video (of sorts) out of the output from one of these cameras and post it onto YouTube. Here are the details:

$160.00 for a pocket, disposable camera like the Flip.
Two hours of shooting.
Four hours of distracted production.

Couple that with a few hundred Blender developers and you end up somewhere around where the following link led.

So Richard, without further ado:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_XwOQELT20

Thanks for sparking the mind again.

Troy, I find it hard to believe you needed someone like me to ‘spark’ your mind. I am completely amazed at that video. Only two hours of shooting and four hours of distracted production?

You sir, need to screencast.

Although I have a whole bunch of ”how the hell did you do that” sort of questions, I’ll keep it to just one or two:

- I’m assuming maybe you used a tripod for the rotational shots, but how the hell did you do the nice smooth pans? I refuse to believe it was handheld.

- The out of focus shots and the over-exposure type effects.. were they done manually somehow or was that some sort of effect processing done in Blender?

Simply beautiful and so well done Troy.

I now happily call BS on anyone doubting what can be done with video in Linux.

Categories Uncategorized