Random Ideas » Images

Screenshot: Proof of Concept for Hecatomb

cfgt — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:41:48 +0000

I've actually been building proof of concepts for a PC version of the game for a while now. I've been trying very hard to improve speeds using just the .NET CLR, but it looks like I'll have to begin looking into either making or borrowing a proper image library for this. My own very basic algorithms just aren't enough to keep up – I'm hoping to have it run on 512MB RAM computers, although it looks like whoever's interested is going to need 1GB to run this well – it currently runs using just 8MB of RAM – but it can easily balloon if I decide to preload resources into RAM. We'll see.

Oh yes, card images copyright Wizards of the Coast, or Hasbro, or whoever owns them. Definitely not mine.

Webcomic: Fast and Cheap

cfgt — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 13:42:55 +0000

Inferior" src="http://cfgt.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/webcomic_test_13.jpg" alt="Fast and cheap => Inferior" width="500" height="570" />

Photo: 00 Raiser Box!

cfgt — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 15:02:14 +0000

1/100 NG 00 Raiser Kit

After more than a month of thinking about it, and allowing it to run out of stock all over the place, I've decided to finally buy a 1/100 00 Raiser kit. I've yet to open it – since I bought it just so that when I do want to buy and build it (which is after exams) – I actually have a kit to buy. It's been awfully difficult to find at the right price – but I've finally bought it.

You can guess what this means: more photos in May or June once I'm done building it – of course, I don't paint, so it's bound to look like crap (although it does mean it'll only take me one afternoon, rather than one month).

Photo: My Calculators!

cfgt — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 01:05:48 +0000

Well, obviously, considering my course, I obviously use calculators. Here are the three I currently use the most. (besides my computer and my PDA)

TI-30X IIB, Casio fx-115ES, TI BA II Plus

Experimenting with CG Bokeh

cfgt — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 10:18:18 +0000

Now, I don't have the money for lenses with good bokeh – especially since I don't use them, so I started experimenting with other cheaper ways to simulate the effect – like generating the effect in Photoshop – no, not with Gaussian blur or lens blur. Something a little more convincing.

The starting point.

(Don't worry about the white line in the original, that's part of my selection work going a little awry.)

After a little selecting work, some third party filters, and the result is this:

The end result!

If you think it looks fake – look carefully at the table – and compared the two photos. You'll realise that only a very specific portion (or distance) from the Coke can has been blurred!

Photo: Imperfections in the Leaves

cfgt — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 02:39:16 +0000

Taken with a Nikon D90 and 18-200 VR at 112mm, f/5.3, 1/30 sec, ISO 450.

Photo: Random Flowers in the Garden

cfgt — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 13:03:32 +0000

Abusing out-of-focus as an effect on flowers. Hehehe.

Taken with a Nikon D90, 18-200 VR at 34mm, f/4.2, 1/40 sec shutter at ISO 200.

Photo: Cubesmith Sticker Texture

cfgt — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 07:39:34 +0000

I realised early on it was extremely difficult to get a photo that would give me an accurate idea as to how a Cubesmith tile sticker's texture was like.

And so now I present to you – a crop from a high resolution photo which gives pretty good detail on what the texture is like on the tile. (Hint, look at the red tile.)

Click on the photo and get a much better look.

I know the photo isn't the best, but it's painfully difficult to capture the texture of the smooth tiles since they look a little bit like noise too.

Photo: New Cube!

cfgt — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:42:53 +0000

My old cube began to fall apart, so I got a new improved one – the stickers eventually peeled off in less than 2 weeks, so I've replaced them with new Cubesmith tiles!

Cubesmith smooth tiles are awesome. Buy them if you need them.

I'm currently staying at someone else's place at the moment – which should be obvious since the table looks different.

Photos: Coin Towers

cfgt — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 02:18:02 +0000

A few weeks ago, I talked about optimizing coin pressure. Then, I didn't have any coins to photograph to illustrate how important it is to choose what coins to carry – now I can (and so here are the illustrations I didn't promise, but delivered anyway):

The optimized stack of coins - 8 coins - $4.95.

And the stack behind it? The remaining 25 coins that won't make my coin pressure any higher. Here's a photo if you feel like counting:

The remaining coins after optimization - preferably kept for feeding into machines.

(If I'm not mistaken, that's about AU$4.40 in change.)

So, optimize your change – your wallet will thank you for it by lasting longer.