Processing: How to Load All Images in a Sketch Folder
Did you know you can create an array of images?! I just learned this. And the really exciting part is that you can rig up Processing to look through your Sketch folder to get the names of images to load into that array.
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Processing: How to Hide Messages in Static
Poltergeist was hands down the scariest movie I saw as a child. It hard coded my brain to associate static on television with sinister messages from the beyond. Now that I’m older, I’ve come to the realization that static is a great place to hide all kinds of messages (thanks Poltergeist). And Processing is the obvious place to make that happen.
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Processing: How to Code a Scrolling Timeline
mouseMoved() never seemed like a particularly useful tool in Processing until I started experimenting with different timeline set-ups. Turns out, it’s marvelous.
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YouTube: Tips for Making a How-To Video
This is my first and possibly only foray into the madness that is constructing a YouTube video. I’ve been watching the Vlog Brothers for years, and I’ve never appreciated the effort that goes into it. Pick a topic, write a script, animate the graphics, trim clips, find background music, and also, cut around all your foul language because YouTube does not take kindly to that.
I did that after doing a lot of other research on the basics of YouTube for a non-YouTuber.
So, as a supplement to this VBA video tutorial, I’ve condensed my background research for anyone out there who might also be considering a jump from WordPress to YouTube.
VBA: How to Jerry Rig an HTML Scraper
I’ve found that many people see Python, the programming language, much the same way they see Pythons, the scary-ass snakes. If you haven’t dealt with it before, chances are you’re going to think it’s not to be trusted. There’s no way I could convince my mom, for instance, to open up a .py file on her computer.
She will, however, open up a Word document no questions asked.
Python: How to Automate Shape Keys in Blender
The human mouth is kind of a bastard. Animating it frame-by-frame requires a patience that I just don’t have. Blender has shape keys that can help you mold lips into different configurations for each sound, but you still have to set keyframes to match up with a particular word at each and every frame.
Or you can be lazy. Like me.
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Processing: How to Control Game Screens with Mouse Clicks
Back to my Spanish language Processing project. The original version is scripted to operate as flashcards, but what I really want is a game that’ll keep me more engaged. I’m a millennial with a raging case of undiagnosed ADD. I need game screens.
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Six Programs for Starving Artists
Like most freelancers out there, I don’t have spare cash for subscription fees. Approximately 99.9% of my disposable income goes toward coffee, booze, and books. Side-note: If you haven’t read Stiff by Mary Roach, you should. Informative but also surprisingly lighthearted.
Back to the point. Graphic design, photo editing, 3D modeling, GIS packages—the serious stuff can swallow your wallet whole. Luckily, the internet is a magical place, full of open-source alternatives to help level the playing field. Here’s my top picks.
Processing: How to Script Spanish Verbs and Pronouns
I’ve been on siesta for about a month now, so today I’m starting a new series. This one is going to be an experiment in building language-learning scripts.
Picking up a second language is really friggin’ hard. There are apps, but those seem to be tailored for total beginners. I took Spanish in high school, so I remember a lot of the rules. I don’t want to build from the ground up. I want something closer to a crash course. An interactive one.
So I turned to Processing.
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