jepara13 @ LedakJitu Build a $2 Computer

In 1936, Alan Turing conceived of a machine that helped lay the groundwork for modern computing. These extremely simple machines, dubbed Turing machines, are in theory able to simulate the logic of any known computer that can possibly be constructed. While Turing originally conceived of his machine only as a thought exercise and never constructed it, it is possible to build and program a simple version of Turing’s computer for only a few dollars worth of basic office supplies.

This is a fun afternoon project for all ages, and a great way to introduce both kids and adults to the fundamentals of computer programming.

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megbet @ LedakJitu Bolts vs. Screws

This is one of my favorite government publications ever: Distinguishing Bolts from Screws. Sure, for most bolts and screws it’s pretty easy–or is it?–but for all of the specialty fasteners in-between, the difference can get a bit hazy. Why does it matter, you ask? Apparently, they are subject to different import tariffs! Ouch. The poor engineers who have to deal with design changes because of this. And people wonder why it costs so much money to design a car or anything else.

My second-favorite government publication: Suspicious Activity Report-Casinos and Card Clubs. Casinos can use this Internal Revenue Service form to report customers who they believe might be a terrorist. I understand reporting this to the police or the FBI… but the IRS?

I guess we all know who wields the real power. 🙂 Yes, yes, in truth I can think of good reasons to do this… if someone ended up extorting money from me, I guess it seems there should be some kind of tax implication. And after all, it was the IRS that did in Al Capone. But still, it wasn’t a form I would have thought of! How on earth do people ever find these things come tax time?

gagak500 @ LedakJitu New Gallery Image: "Pierce"

Click for larger view, or download the high-res image.

This image is hybrid 2D\3D. The underlying female form is a 3D mesh, but the hair and other details were added later in 2D.

arista888 @ LedakJitu Sculpted Prims from Existing 3D Models

The AC3D “sculpted prim” exporter for Second Life has some unique capabilities versus other sculpt map exporters; it is one of the very few that is capable of exporting an arbitrary polygonal model. While not all models are good candidates to become sculpties due to limitations of the sculpted prim format, a surprising number of models can be converted quite well–including many pre-existing models that were never designed for Second Life.

This tutorial provides a quick walk-through on how to setup a pre-existing model for import into Second Life using AC3D.

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gomax45 @ LedakJitu First Post!!!!!

Sorry, couldn’t resist. 🙂

Hi, I’m Lisa and welcome to my blog. I’m an independent software developer, and the owner of a small studio that goes by the name TFPSoft. We make video games and multimedia applications. I’ve been in the games industry for a long time, and I’ve been a computer programmer even longer–in fact, both my parents are programmers. My dad is still in the tech industry and works for a major technology company in San Jose. My mother doesn’t code per se any more, but she knows an awful lot of Visual Basic for someone who “doesn’t program”. My brother also codes and my children seem to be taking an interest in computers, too.

I also love art, although debatably I’m a better programmer than an artist. Nonetheless, I did spend several years as a graphic artist doing electronic prepress before getting into programming, and I still do a lot of art even now.

Why start a blog? Well, several reasons…

The first and most obvious reason is that despite all my years in software, I’ve never really had my own homepage. Silly, isn’t it? I’ve done plenty of web work all the back to before 1993, but never built much of anything for myself. So, I’m finally taking this opportunity to post some fun links, crazy ideas, and half-baked projects all for the joy and bewilderment of total strangers. 🙂

I’d also like to share my love of both code and art with you–especially if you’re someone who’s just getting started in 3D graphics, because I’m keenly aware of just how much material there is to slog through. I know how much benefit I’ve gotten from other people’s online tutorials, Siggraph papers, research notes and books. I’d really like give back at least a little bit of that knowledge to other people if at all possible.

I can’t promise that I’ll write very fast, as my schedule is always a bit swamped, but when I do write I promise I’ll do my best to make it as clear, concise and understandable as possible. I resolve to avoid using jargon without explaining the terms first, and I will do my best to explain things in a way that anybody can understand. As I go, if you run into things that are unclear or topics you’d like to see covered, by all means, leave me a comment!

Since this site is aimed at novices, I may mention high-end tools occasionally but for the most part I’m going to try to keep my discussions limited to tools that cost less than $250. I think it’s amazing the things that are happening with free and inexpensive 3D tools these days. It’s really becoming a medium that anyone can enjoy, and I think that’s wonderful.