Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Sweepstakes win for march

Wow it's the end of march already. I won one sweepstakes prize this month. I received an email today saying I had won Out at the wedding on DVD. I am happy to get the win because the last win I had was on February 10. I hope I win a prize next month.

Monday, March 30, 2009

I insalled appserv today

Today I installed Appserv on my computer so I can practice using php and mysql. I followed the instructions from an about.com web design article to install the program.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

What I am learing now

Today I'll write another post about programming. I have finished reading through the xhtml class lessons from about.com. That makes at least three or four times I have read through the class lessons in the past year. In the past after I have gone through the class I have stopped practicing xhtml not long after, so I end up having to lean xhtml all over again. This time I want to keep practicing xhtml ever day so I don't forget it.

Now I want to learn css and javascript so I am working through the javascript and css classes from about.com.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

I tried scratch today

I wrote a post about scratch in December. So anyway I installed scratch on my computer and then I read the getting started guide from the scratch website so I could make a project with scratch. I was able to complete the small project in the guide. Yes!! I thought scratch was fun, similar to putting together lego's. This post is over, see you tomorrow.

Friday, March 27, 2009

A riveting post about compiling my first Ada program

A riveting post about compiling my first Ada program. About two weeks ago I decided I wanted to write a hello world program in the Ada computer programming language. I already had mingw installed on my computer so all I needed to install was gnat, the Ada compiler.

So I installed gnat on my computer and then went to the Ada programming wikibook and copied the hello world program. I saved the file and tried to compile the program, it would not compile. I got a message saying the Ada compiler was not installed on my computer at the command prompt. So I thought I am sure I installed the Ada compiler what do I do now.

I decided to reinstall mingw and the gnat compiler which I did, but after the reinstall I still got the message that the Ada compiler was not installed on my computer, I was not feeling to good at this point. It took me a while, but I figured out that I needed to set the path manually at the command prompt.

After getting the path set right I need to figure out what command to give the compiler to have it make an executable because compile did not make an executable. I used compile and then after the program was compiled I tried the command link, but that did not work. Then I tried make and what do you know it worked. I typed hello at the command prompt and it said hello world.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

blah blah blah, more talk about nothing

I want to talk some more about my blog today. First up I wrote a post about posting a 3d model that I've made every day for a year on my blog. I am tossing that goal aside because there is no way I can post a 3d model to my blog every day. I tried to post a 3d model every day and it made using blender no fun because I felt pressure to find a tutorial and make the model and post it to my blog.

Another thing I don't want to do anymore is try to meet the goals that I said I wanted to accomplish. Last year I wrote fifteen posts that listed goals I wanted to accomplish, but I don't care about those goals anymore. Good by goals I wrote down.

Today I looked through some folders that I keep pdf files of books in and came across a pdf file called Berkeley Logo: An introduction and quick reference guide and decide to read it. I managed to get all the examples in the guide to work, Yay for me.

After reading the guide I looked for the blog post I wrote about logo last year. After reading the post I wrote about logo I thought wow that post does not make any sense, I hope I have improved my writing since that logo post.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

More thoughts about my blog

By original content I mean posting tips and tutorials on my blog. I got the idea stuck in my head that I need to post tips or tutorials on my blog and then people might read it.

Now after thinking about it I don't want to post that kind of stuff. There are many other websites that have tutorials on computer programming a computer graphics so why would anyone come here to read those types of posts when they can go to other websites and get better information.

Before I wrote my post yesterday I though my blog was horrible no one will ever read it, it's boring. Now I have come to the conclusion that it probably is boring and no one will ever read it, but it does not matter to me any more if anyone reads what I write because I enjoy writing and posting pictures of my sweepstakes prizes, and also posting pictures of the 3d models I have made using blender.So I don't want to worry if my blog is interesting and I want to keep blogging for as long as I have fun blogging.

One thing about this blog that makes me feel good is that I have posted ever day for almost a year. I wanted to become a blogger and now I am a blogger. It's not a great of even a good blog, but it's my blog. Yay!!!

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Wow, I have posted over 300 times

I have written over three hundred blog posts, so I want to write a post about my blog. when I started blogging I wanted to have a popular blog but, now I don't think my blog will ever be popular because I don't have anything interesting to write about.

I mean I have a few interests, I enter sweepstakes, I like drawing, I enjoy computer programming, and making computer graphics but, I don't know enough about those subjects to write an entertaining blog.

Sweepstakes - I only post pictures of my prizes on this blog and I don't consider myself knowledgeable enough to post sweepstakes tips or anything else about sweepstakes.

Drawing - I am still drawing every day, but I don't know enough about drawing to post tips or tutorials. Maybe I should post some of the things I draw on my blog although now I just do figure drawing from magazines and so I need to come up with other things to draw. Maybe I could draw comics that might be fun.

Computer programming - I enjoy computer programming, but I still have not made a website or made a useful program. I know the names of some programming languages and hopefully I will learn how to build a website, but I don't think my blog will ever be as good as the blogs hacker news links to. I would love to be a great programmer, but I am nowhere near being even a good programmer.

Computer Graphics - All I can do now is post the pictures I make with blender after completing a tutorial and the models are not good. And I only use gimp to crop and scale photo's for my blog.

So because I don't know enough about the subjects I want to blog about I end up mostly linking to other sites like about.com and not creating original content of my own. If I end up doing a blog long enough I hope to make more original content.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Here is my 3d car model

I got most of the car modeling tutorial that I found at CGTutorials done so I'll say my car is finished. The model still needs a lot more work, but I want to model something else.

When I started modeling the car I thought oh, it won't take that long to model maybe a day or two. I was wrong, it took me probably about ten, maybe twenty hours to model what you see in the picture. It was a fun ten plus hours though.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

I finished the back fenders and trunk lid


Today I finished the back fenders. I also made the trunk lld. I think I need to adjust the trunk lid it looks to flat.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

The car model contitues

I am still doing the car tutorial I got from CGTutorials. Today I modeled most of the rear of the car. I hope I get my car model done be the end of this year.

Friday, March 20, 2009

My car model again

Today I made most of the back quarter panel of my car model. The panel came our pretty smooth yay for me.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

I got the trim around the door windows finished

I got the trim around the door windows finished today. I can't come up with anything else to write so I am done.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

I finished more of the car 3d model


I am still doing the car tutorial I got from CGTutorials. Today I made the back window and some of the side of the car model. I also tweaked the hood of the car to make the hood scoop.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

I made the piece under the car door today

Today I made the bottom piece that goes under the door of the car, follow the white arrow. I started out today wanting to make the side of the car from the front quarter panel all the way to the back of the car, minus the door which I made yesterday, I accomplished my mission but ended up deleting the whole piece because I could not get it shaped right. Then I made the piece under the door.

Monday, March 16, 2009

I made the doors, side windows and roof of my car today


I am still doing the car tutorial I got from CGTutorials.

I spent about two hours today making the doors, roof and side windows for my car model. I am happy that they turned out smooth compared to the front part of the car. I think I am improving, but it could be that the parts I made today are easier to make.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

More 3d car model talk

Today I finished modeling more of the front of the car. The modeling I did today looks smoother although it's still pretty bumpy. I hop I can figure out how to make the parts turn out smooth. I got the car tutorial from CGTutorials.

Also today I uploaded a page to my website. I read some beginning articles about xhtml, css, on javascript so I decided to create a web page and post it to my website.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

I have the front part of my car model finished

I'm still doing the car model tutorial I got from CGTutorials.

I have the front part of my car model finished. It looks terrible but, it does look like the front of a car. I tried using set smooth on the model but, set smooth made it look worse so I set it back to set solid.

It took me 2 or 3 hours to get the front finished but, I had a lot of fun. I just hope that the next car model I make looks better.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Today I worked on a 3d car model

Today I worked on a 3d car model. I have wanted to make a 3d car model for a while but every time I have seen a car modeling tutorial I think some day I want to try that tutorial but, I need more experience using blender. But recently I saw a car modeling tutorial at CGTutorials and decided to do it.

So about a week ago I started modeling the car by making the hood then did not do the tutorial again until today. Today I worked on the font of the car which took me a while and was very frustrating. But the time went by fast. I think when my model is finished it will look like a wrecked car instead of a nice shiny new car.

Also today I decided to put up a website even thought I have no idea what I want to put on it. So today I stared learning xhtml again by reading the first lesson of about.com's xhtml class.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Some thoughts on why I want to program

I have not talked about programming for a while so I want to write about that today. I was going to write a post about clojure and say I have installed clojure on my computer, but then I erased it because I thought how uninteresting. It seems to me that all the posts I have written on programming just say I have installed such and such programming language on my computer. I want to write something better. So I'll try to write more interesting posts on programming.

I think sometimes about why I want to program a computer and the only answer I come up with is to make computer games. Then I start thinking that maybe I am wasting my time trying to learn how to program because I don't have any reason for wanting to program other than making games.

But sitting here thinking about what I want to write in my post I thought to myself well I don't need to have a goal about what type of programs I want to make. Solving problems like the ones at project Euler, maybe that's reason enough to learn how to program.

Writing this post has made me realize that I should stop worrying about what programs I want to make and that I need to have fun programming. If I never have an idea for a website or a great program oh well, solving problems at Project Euler will have to be a good enough reason to learn how to program.




Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Today I tried to make a knot

Today I tried to make a knot. I got the knot tutorial from blender.org. I did not do a very good job modeling the Celtic knot as you can see from the picture. I moved all the circles into the right position but, when I had to start shaping the knot I made a horrible mess. Also I did not light the scene very well so it's hard to see the the knot.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

I made an ice cube using blender

I made an ice cube today. I found the tutorial at blender.org. I probably should have added snow for the ground but, I added grass instead. I can't think of anything else to write so I'm done.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Look at the carpet I made


Look at the carpet I made with blender today. I followed the carpet tutorial on blender 3d noob to pro. I have got nothing more to write.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

I made a ring with blender


I made a ring with blender today. The model was easy and quick to make.

I love things that are easy to make but, who doesn't. Now all I need to do is put the ring on a makehuman Model.

I found the tutorial at blender.org.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Today I made a chess pawn







Today I followed a chess pawn tutorial I got from CGTutorials. The chess pawn was fun and easy to make. My model even looks like a chess pawn, Yes

Friday, March 6, 2009

Not quite earth



Today I followed a making earth tutorial I got from CGTutorials. The model has the shape of the earth, but I did not have the right textures created so the model does not look like the earth. I thought maybe I should try another tutorial, but then I thought I'll post it on my blog anyway.

A spirial staircase, Not a very good one though

Here is a picture of a spiral staircase I made using blender. I did a terrible job on my blender project today. One improvement I could make would be to scale the first stair so it's not as wide because the stairs look to wide.

On problem I had was with the ipo curves. I could not get them to look like they did in the tutorial. I am not sure why I could not get the ipo curves to look right. Maybe if I make the stairs again they will come out better next time, I hope.

I found the spiral staircase tutorial on CGTutorials.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Here is a glass I made with blender


Here is a glass I made with blender. Yep another tutorial I found at CGTutorials. I can't put a link to the tutorial because you need to download it as a zip file.

This was an easy project to make, even I could not screw it up, that's amazing. For a finishing touch I added some grass to the scene. I was surprised I remembered how to make grass, yippee.

Do you like the neon sign I made with blender

Do you like the neon sign I made with blender. I found the neon tutorial at CGTutorials. The neon tutorial was simple and fun to do. I think the martini glass I made came out pretty good considering I do not have much experience using beizer curves.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

I am out of ideas today

I am out of ideas today. I read one tutorial, but it was a lighting tutorial and I do not have any models I want to try the lighting on. So I went looking for tutorials of mesh models, I tried a turtle tutorial, but I could not get the turtle to look right. I just said oh, well and made the picture above. I hope to make a new model tomorrow.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Today I watched my first blender viceo tutorial


Today I watched my first blender video tutorial. I have never watched a video tutorial before because the videos are to large, but this video tutorial was not to big for me to download. In case your wondering I found the link to the tutorial on CGTutorials.

Anyway I thought the end result of the tutorial looked like a camera so I added some text and scaled the box. It looks nice.

Monday, March 2, 2009

Look at the house I made

Look at the house I made today it looks like I drew it by hand. But I made it in blender following this tutorial I got from CGTutorials. It was very easy to make. I had fun today!!

Sunday, March 1, 2009

I am lazy today


Today I did not do much of a project. I just added some text and input the title of my blog, very exciting I know. I'll make something better tomorrow. That's all I have to write today.