Friday, October 31, 2008
I'm done my family project!
Aha! Finally!I've finished my family project, incorporating everything I wanted and more! I put in an intro screen, planning on making it a user select screen (to fit the style of the program), but I didn't have enough time. It still looks really nice, so I'll give you the rundown.
This is the intro screen. I made it on photoshop, and it requires you to press the start button in order to get to the 'main menu' of the program.
This is the main menu of the screen. As you can see, it's almost the exact same as before, but this time the code is all done. Look further to see what I mean.
This screen is just like before, but, unlike before, it is now coded. When you press the start button, these are the options that pop up, displaying how to turn off the program and the start menu.
This is the notepad in the program. As you can see, just like I stated, when you press an icon, a notepad pops up with the information, with pictures being visible at the top. You can then press the "x button" to go back to the menu screen.
I worked really hard on this project, and I'm hoping I can continue my perfect streak. Perhaps I won't, but I'll at the very least be close.
Posted by Chris Kaminski at 4:05 PM
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Family Project in Visual Basic
So, for the last few days we've been working on our family project for Visual Basic. I'm planning on completely finishing it at school, as I can't do any work at my house because I don't have the program (and I can't find it on Google). I'm pretty sure I'll be able to do it, with the amount of progress I've already done, and it looks pretty cool so far.My objective is to have a computer screen, where icons will pop up on a notepad (which is scrollable), giving information about the icon you selected. Above the notepad will be their pictures. All of this information can then be taken off, using the 'x button' on the notepad. For example, if you would select me, it would contain my information in the notepad, with 4 pictures above me, where you can then press the 'x button' to turn everything off. To turn off the program, you, ingeniously, press the 'start button' on the toolbar, which pops up a menu, giving you the option to turn the program off. I think it's a pretty cool and interesting way to incorporate my data, fitting the idea of using a computer screen.
Here's what I have so far:
As you can see I'm pretty far. I should be adding the pictures and information in tommorow, which I'll be using from my Flash Assignment. It's a lot of content, that I just won't have enough time to finish by the due date.
Anyways, as you can see, I'm pretty busy with all this stuff. I'll just keep working on my project, hoping for the best.
Posted by Chris Kaminski at 4:50 PM
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Thursday at last!
Well, today's Thursday. I got my Civics ISU and the Science lab done, so I'm set for this weekend, which will be mostly about the ISU for TIK. Pretty angry that I left it for the last moment, but I'm sure I'll overcome that; I can always pull out great things :)!Today in TIK was just an extension of variables, and we learned more about how to use them. We learned about the code they can be used in, with how formulas work with them, and how you can apply them in different commands, forms, etc. I'm pretty psyched because we've been learning some cool stuff, which I'm sure will be useful in later projects, but I can only imagine how I'll remember this stuff without looking at examples for a source. I'm still waiting for that 'becoming acquainted thing', so I'm hoping it will work out. I really don't want to study this stuff, especially when I have all the time in class through reoccurring use to remember them.
We didn't learn a lot today, but the little we did learn is a lot to 'digest'. It's getting harder and harder for me to keep up with all these codes, so I'm still waiting for my brain to say "Okay, enough is enough! We're just gonna memorize this!", but I guess until that day I'll have my examples I've saved in my VB folder. Hopefully everything turns out well with my future tests and projects.
With that on the subject, I forgot to mention my new assignment! It's just like the last Flash assignment, the one about my family, but this time we're doing it in VB! I'm thinking of a cool idea, and I really want to think outside the box. I can only imagine how it'll turn out, but it sucks that we can't use the stuff we've learned from the last 2 days of lessons. I would have made something spectacular if we could have. Doesn't really matter, because I'm sure the thing I'll make will still be good!
Anyways, until next time.
Posted by Chris Kaminski at 8:12 PM
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Working hard, and I'm a lazy guy! That just doesn't fit!
Welcome, welcome, welcome!Ok, well, yeah. I'm kinda in trouble because I have a Civics ISU and a science lab due tomorrow. I made sure I finished up mostly everything I needed to for the ISU (the essay), but I need to finish up the poster, and the lab still needs a bit of work put into it. It's gonna take up a whole 'nother day, and that's pretty bad because I've been wasting a lot of days on homework. I don't know if 'wasting' is the correct term, because that's technically not wasting the day, but to me it is. The sad realization is that my TIK ISU is due on Monday, which makes me really, really sad. I haven't even started it! Time really does go by fast, and I've always been a procrastinator so that definitely isn't good. I can't even believe that I finished my essay for the Civics ISU 2 days before it was due! That was a miracle in itself!
Anyways, we've been learning a lot of new stuff in TIK. It has been much harder than last week because we're now getting into complex code, and something called variables. Variables are similar to the many tools we've been using (text-boxes, labels, commands, etc), but they are addressed in code. It's much harder because there are many specific rules, and one little mistake with a variable can make the whole program not work.
Anyways, just to express my sadness, I will use the Borat happy-time image from my last post, except 'Photoshopped' to show how I feel today-- sad.
Posted by Chris Kaminski at 7:53 PM
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Progressing in Visual Basic
Well, over the last few days we've been learning a lot about Visual Basic. It's kinda hard for me to get used to a completely different computer language when we've been using Flash and Actionscript for so long. Some new things we've learned about are text boxes, which are used for, well, writing text in boxes, scroll bars, which allow you to slide stuff including text and (I'm assuming) graphics, and pull-down menus, which allow you to select different options like a command. I understand most things, but I always need a source to remind me which code does what, and how everything works. I'm sure I'll get used to it once I'm more acquainted, but I can only imagine how much harder VB can get in the future. Chiarelli's "This is easy compared to the stuff we'll learn later" remarks have been getting me nervous. However, if my brother and a lot of other people can get through this, then I'm sure I'll be able to.Today we were asked to make a circle program, where the goal was to make the background and a circle switch between a selection of 3 colours (6 in total), and have pull-down menus with a horizontal scrollbar determining the width of the circle (the more to the right, the wider it is, and the opposite for the more you go to the left). I zipped through that, using up the rest of my short 'free' time on Thursday, but that means that on Friday I'll be able to have a whole free period to do whatever random things I want! I can't wait!
Oh yeah, I got my mark for my Family Flash Assignment, and I got an overly impressive (and I mean over) mark-- 51/50! Wow, you can't believe how large my smile was once I saw that mark; it was through the roof! I worked really hard on that assignment, wasting my whole Thanksgiving Monday to finish it up, and I'm glad Chiarelli appreciated it. I just can't wait till my next assignment, which I'm hoping I can ace as well!
Posted by Chris Kaminski at 7:34 PM
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Family Assignment is Done!
Finalllyyy!After so many grueling hours I finished my family assignment, and if I must say so it looks pretty snazzy. Here it is:
http://www.trportfolio.net/upload/view_upload.php?id=838671
As you can see I found a new uploader! Yay! The bad part? I don't know how to get the source code, so I can't place it in my blog. However, this is pretty good for now, and I'm sure (once my friend tells me how), I'll be able to get it in here eventually.
If you look at my prior posts, you'll notice that the flash looks pretty different. I re-did the chalkboard, walls, and other stuff, giving them a much more detailed feel, and a lot better textures. I then later airbrushed some shadows and lighting, giving it a more realistic and 'alive' look. I'm pretty proud with the result since I've been working on it for a long time. In case you're wondering why the intro is so different from the 'meat', or the main part of the flash, it's because my creativity got ahead of me. I was planning one thing, and something else started unfolding, so I just let it go. It looks really good, but I kinda regret that I didn't make them the same style. Other than that, I think I did pretty darn good.
Anyways, I guess I'll see-ya later for now. Just to keep things longer for next time, I'll save all the interesting stuff I learned in Visual Basic for next time!
Posted by Chris Kaminski at 5:14 PM
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Visual Basic (a new unit)
Ah, Thursday.Today I wasn't feeling too well, with my concurrent migraines, etc, so I stayed home. Luckily, I'm better right now and can write my blog.
For this week, we've been learning about the beginner's stuff for Visual Basic. We had a quiz yesterday, and I'm sure I did pretty well, or at least I hope I did. I gotta catch up on what we did today, so I'm gonna have to ask some people in class, but I hope it wasn't too advanced from the prior lesson.
However, we've so far learned about how everything works. We learned about how we have to give names to everything in the program, as that's what helps us associate with the objects in our code. From what I've been taught so far, the program seems pretty helpful in that it explains to you what you're changing in the properties, and it even gives you scroll-down menus, etc, to help you out when you're writing your code. Last year, when my brother took programming, I used to watch him write some very complicated stuff, with such an amazing outcome. Just from looking at how much he wrote, and how much more advanced it was from what we've learned so far, I know I've barely scratched the surface of Visual Basic. However, I can't wait to get into the details of the program.
Also, news with my family assignment. I've been fiddling around with it, but I haven't done much since last time. I'm sure once the due date rolls around, you'll see a much better looking project. I personally can't wait.
Posted by Chris Kaminski at 5:24 PM
Monday, October 6, 2008
Progress, Progress, Progress
Ah, Tuesday, what a great day to write a blog.I’ve recently been working on my family assignment, which if I must say so looks pretty cool. For my new little effect, I decided to have a overhead projector screen that goes down, which is where all the pictures and description/info will go. I will also have a wide selection of images for each category, with each picture having it’s own specific description when you go over it, but a general description for the category you’re in.
For example, when you hover over first son, my name will appear. When you press my name, the screen will slide down, the lights will turn off, and the description of me in general will show up, with a selection of different images. When you press one of the images, that image will become enlarged, and a short description will be displayed (where I am, what’s happening, my age, etc) when you hover over it. If you ask me, it sounds pretty good, and will probably give me a great mark in both style and content. I hope the teacher will like it.
Here's what I got so far in my assignment.
Flash Progress
As you can notice, it's the exact same as before but there is now an overhead screen. I'm also still using the same uploader for the SWF files as before, which is getting annoying, but I have to. This is not what the final product will look like, and it will not be grossly over-sized.
Anyways, yup, that's my Family assignment. I would like to get into our new unit, Visual Basic, which is a programming software, but I'm a bit short on details for now, so I’ll get into specifics for my next blog.
Posted by Chris Kaminski at 7:56 PM
Friday, October 3, 2008
Gumball Machine is done, but a new assignment comes out on the horizon!
Hello my few, and I mean very few, readers.I finished my gumball machine finally! I got a perfect 20/20, and I’m very happy with not only my marks, but how the flash turned out in the ending. I’ve learned a lot about Flash in these past few weeks, and I’m really excited to start up my next assignment which is about my family. Before I get into that, I’ll show some images of my gumball machine:
I, unfortunately, cannot show you the SWF of the file because I am unable to find any free SWF uploaders. The site I used before, which could have already been better, cannot upload the size (3mb) of my flash, so this is all I can give to you. I’m sure it’s enough, or at least I hope it is.
I guess, since I’m done with my other project, I can show you what I’ve done on my new flash assignment, the family one.
As you can see I finished up my chalkboard which I did in Photoshop. I used some textures to give it that realistic but at the same time cartoonish look. Once I get more into it, I’m sure it’ll look much better. However, as of right now, I’m speculating on what effects I could do to make it stand out from the bunch. Only time can tell, and I’m sure I’ll eventually figure something out.