IsildursBane's recent activity

  1. Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp

    IsildursBane
    Link Parent
    So Onyx has this thing called effects, in which you can have a fixture or a group of fixtures have a channel swing up/down in a constant loop. So this would allow you to have lights pulse to the...

    So Onyx has this thing called effects, in which you can have a fixture or a group of fixtures have a channel swing up/down in a constant loop. So this would allow you to have lights pulse to the beat of the music, or also used on the pan/tilt of moving heads to have them move around. With a group of fixtures, you can choose how many are changing at the same time, so you could have 50% of the fixtures changing at once. It is a really quick way to program in some dynamics into your lighting, but it does take a bit to get used to.

    Now for colour effects, it gets significantly more complex, because you have to line up multiple of your effects together, and think through which colours need to shift which way. For example, say your base colour is cyan (100% green, 50% blue) but you want to have the lights in a constant loop where a third of them are magenta (100% red, 50% blue). This requires two separate effects, one that swaps red from 0-100%, and one on green swapping from 100-0%. The two effects need to be in sync with each other, but also inverted. This sounds really complicated, But once you figure it out, it becomes really quick to program. It is also pretty easy once you understand the effects programming to have a colour shift so that it only goes up to 75%.

    I do find that once you understand Onyx effects, it is a really quick way to program dynamics. I have used ADJ's myDMX 3 and to program dynamics, you have to program each step in a chase, and then it would loop through that, which wouldn't scale as well for larger lighting rigs. Whereas with Onyx I can just tell it how many steps I want, and it cycles through them.

  2. Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp

    IsildursBane
    Link
    Different from most other projects on here, but I have been programming a lot of DMX lighting for dance recitals using Onyx for the past month. I am relatively experienced with Onyx, with the...

    Different from most other projects on here, but I have been programming a lot of DMX lighting for dance recitals using Onyx for the past month. I am relatively experienced with Onyx, with the ability to program lights to do what I want with ease. The one thing I have always struggled with is to program RGB lights to automatically shift between two colours. I understood the theory behind it, but I have never had the chance to fully sit down and experiment with it. Today was probably the first event where I felt I had enough freedom to experiment with colour shifts and enough time to experiment without running behind if it didn't work out. So I finally was able to figure out how to do colour shifts well, so it was really satisfying to be able to add that to the list of effects that I can easily program.

    4 votes

  3. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    IsildursBane
    Link Parent
    I remember playing a Jak and Dexter game for my PSP years ago at the recommendation of a friend. Once I get through my nostalgic catalog, I will check out that trilogy

    I remember playing a Jak and Dexter game for my PSP years ago at the recommendation of a friend. Once I get through my nostalgic catalog, I will check out that trilogy

  4. Comment on Tildes Minecraft Weekly in ~games

    IsildursBane
    Link Parent
    Yeah, I did have them, but I was done with them so put them back earlier today

    Yeah, I did have them, but I was done with them so put them back earlier today

    2 votes

  5. Comment on Tildes Minecraft Weekly in ~games

    IsildursBane
    Link Parent
    I will be willing to do some digging for you. Not sure how much I will be able to play over the next couple of days so no rush on immediately marking it out

    I will be willing to do some digging for you. Not sure how much I will be able to play over the next couple of days so no rush on immediately marking it out

    1 vote

  6. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    IsildursBane
    Link
    I have been playing emulated PS2 games using the PCSX2 emulator. Been playing on Linux, and it was simple to install. I grabbed my old PS2 controllers from my parents' place, and picked up a USB...

    I have been playing emulated PS2 games using the PCSX2 emulator. Been playing on Linux, and it was simple to install. I grabbed my old PS2 controllers from my parents' place, and picked up a USB adapter for PS2 controllers. I have been pleased with how simple of a setup it has been, as well as how smoothly the games have run. I have been playing two games primarily so far, with the plans to go through my whole childhood gaming catalog:

    Ratchet & Clank

    Growing up, we had the first four games. I was too young to be able to get through the first three games, although I did try. The first Ratchet & Clank game I beat as a kid was Ratchet Deadlocked, since it had difficulty options. When I got older, I never returned to try and beat the first three, so this is my first time playing it through.

    Overall, the first game has held up pretty good to modern standards. Due to the art style, the graphics do not look that dated (although it is 4:3 aspect ratio). The gameplay has been quite fun, with the occasional challenging portion, but nothing has stumped me that much. Normally by about the fifth attempt, I have figured out a strategy to get past a hard portion. With it being the first game in the series, there are a few minor mechanics that have not been polished yet, like the weapon wheel does not pause the game. I am also impressed on how well the first game has set the tone of the franchise, and established a lot of the core mechanics that carry through the rest of the franchise. I am looking forward to beating this game, so that I can continue on with the others in the franchise.

    Gran Tourismo 3

    Honestly, this game was not one that I was expecting to get into as much as I have. The graphics do feel a bit more dated, since the style is trying to be realistic. Also, some of the higher end cars in the game have lost their cool factor, since they are now 25 year old cars, and not the top of the line cars they were when the game was released.

    Gameplay has a lot more depth in this game than I was expecting. Cars handle differently based on what type of drivetrain they have. Tuning of cars is quite detailed, and you do need to understand cars a bit to understand how to properly tune your cars (something I have been struggling with). It is not just a "buy this upgrade to improve X", but instead you can dial in a lot of things, including your gear ratio, ride height, and camber. The racing itself has been quite fun, with a lot of things to manage at once if you are running manual gearbox (something I have just started doing). The driving challenges to get different racing licenses are tough, but do teach a lot.

    Overall thoughts

    I have quite enjoyed playing my PS2 childhood catalog, and do look forward to continuing through the rest of them. I still have tons of games to go through, and once I finish those, I will consider even expanding to games that I did not own, but have heard good things about

    2 votes

  7. Comment on An interview with Timo Furuholm, Finnish parliamentarian and former footballer – exploring why so many players lean right-wing and discussion on the upcoming World Cup in ~sports.football

    IsildursBane
    Link Parent
    Yeah, education levels might also play a factor. Within the article it also mentions that Furuholm tends to read more than other players, which might give a correlation between the difference in...

    Yeah, education levels might also play a factor. Within the article it also mentions that Furuholm tends to read more than other players, which might give a correlation between the difference in education. The article is quite good in not pointing the blame at a single factor, but that the culture around elite athletics tend to be more favourable towards conservativism for a variety of reasons.

    2 votes

  8. Comment on Tildes Minecraft Weekly in ~games

    IsildursBane
    Link
    Does anyone have a surplus of red sand? I have been commissioned to build a bridge in Poland, and am wanting to use red sandstone for it. @j0hn1215, I know you have been terraforming in a mesa...

    Does anyone have a surplus of red sand? I have been commissioned to build a bridge in Poland, and am wanting to use red sandstone for it. @j0hn1215, I know you have been terraforming in a mesa biome, so potentially you have some you do not plan to use?

    3 votes

  9. Comment on Tildes Minecraft Weekly in ~games

    IsildursBane
    Link Parent
    When I took a look at the end portal room a few months ago, I was quite impressed with it. Glad to hear you are continuing work on it. For stained glass, one trick I used heavily last season in my...

    When I took a look at the end portal room a few months ago, I was quite impressed with it. Glad to hear you are continuing work on it. For stained glass, one trick I used heavily last season in my citadel build was glazed terracotta with glow lichen. The one drawback of using glazed terracotta is that designs tend to prefer even numbers, so can be tricky to work into odd numbered builds

    5 votes

  10. Comment on Tildes Minecraft Weekly in ~games

    IsildursBane
    Link Parent
    I would be interested in participating, but also my weekends for the next couple of weeks are quite full so sadly may not be able to join depending on the day

    I would be interested in participating, but also my weekends for the next couple of weeks are quite full so sadly may not be able to join depending on the day

    2 votes

  11. Comment on An interview with Timo Furuholm, Finnish parliamentarian and former footballer – exploring why so many players lean right-wing and discussion on the upcoming World Cup in ~sports.football

    IsildursBane
    Link
    I thought this was a really interesting article. The most interesting quote to me was: One of the reasons proposed by this article is that athletes have worked hard and achieved success, so they...

    I thought this was a really interesting article. The most interesting quote to me was:

    I don't want to think that living an ordinary life should require the same kind of sacrifices and competition as elite sport

    One of the reasons proposed by this article is that athletes have worked hard and achieved success, so they apply that same mentality to the economy as a whole, which results in them leaning conservative. However, Furuholm argues that the grind required for elite sports should not be required for all people.

    2 votes

  12. Comment on Tildes Minecraft Weekly in ~games

    IsildursBane
    Link Parent
    If you are needing enderpearls, there is a huge supply of them on the nether roof at the piglin bartering farm

    Has anyone built an enderman farm? I will build one in the end if not.

    If you are needing enderpearls, there is a huge supply of them on the nether roof at the piglin bartering farm

    1 vote

  13. Comment on Do you prefer to 100% games, or to move on to new experiences? in ~games

    IsildursBane
    Link
    It depends on the game whether I 100% it or not. Some games I feel that 100% will either be a fun challenge or make me have to try different play styles. However, if it requires high precision in...

    It depends on the game whether I 100% it or not. Some games I feel that 100% will either be a fun challenge or make me have to try different play styles. However, if it requires high precision in a rarely used game mechanic, I tend to be less a fan of 100% it unless I really enjoy that mechanic. In the past few years I have been playing my old PSP, and I have found that since the games are relatively short, that they are fun to 100%

    9 votes

  14. Comment on Tildes Minecraft Weekly in ~games

    IsildursBane
    Link Parent
    Yeah, no pressure to build a fancier design. Just thought I would mention the possibility of adding a more complex system if you want

    Yeah, no pressure to build a fancier design. Just thought I would mention the possibility of adding a more complex system if you want

    2 votes

  15. Comment on Hot or Not : Temperature guessing game in ~creative

    IsildursBane
    Link
    Been playing this a decent amount over the past few days, and it is a really fun game. It is fun having to calculate both timezone difference as well as geographical location. Being Canadian, it...

    Been playing this a decent amount over the past few days, and it is a really fun game. It is fun having to calculate both timezone difference as well as geographical location. Being Canadian, it is always easy for me to guess when a Canadian city comes up, but I have learned with the US I have no clue with most cities. My best streak was somewhere in the low 20s

    2 votes

  16. Comment on Tildes Minecraft Weekly in ~games

    IsildursBane
    Link Parent
    Yeah, if people want to build their own systems in that style, we can definitely add a section for that in the enderstasis hall under storage

    Yeah, if people want to build their own systems in that style, we can definitely add a section for that in the enderstasis hall under storage

    2 votes

  17. Comment on Tildes Minecraft Weekly in ~games

    IsildursBane
    Link Parent
    @GravySleeve I know you have built some fancier ender stasis chambers for personal use. If you want, I could designate a wing of this area for yourself and others to build that design themselves...

    @GravySleeve I know you have built some fancier ender stasis chambers for personal use. If you want, I could designate a wing of this area for yourself and others to build that design themselves if wanted

    4 votes

  18. Comment on America’s tech-filled classrooms are facing a backlash against school-assigned devices in ~life

    IsildursBane
    Link Parent
    I graduated high school a bit over 10 years ago and I am shocked that these seem to be gone already. In middle school our teachers would book time in one of several computer labs. In highschool, a...

    Bring back computer labs.

    I graduated high school a bit over 10 years ago and I am shocked that these seem to be gone already. In middle school our teachers would book time in one of several computer labs. In highschool, a significant portion of the library was the computer lab, and if teachers wanted students to use computers, they booked time in that. Even the argument that was made in the article about "tech is the future so kids should be learning it as soon as possible" doesn't hold water because there is a difference between being given a computer and the computer classes that I had back in elementary school (All the Right Type anyone?). There is a difference between learning a computer and using a computer, and I feel like now they are given computers, but do not understand it.

    Leave your phone at home.

    More people need to do this. People can wait a few hours to contact you

    20 votes

  19. Comment on Tildes Minecraft Weekly in ~games

    IsildursBane
    Link
    I have been less active on the server recently due to playing emulated PS2 games, but I did manage to complete the ender stasis chambers in the transit hub. There is lots of space, and easy to...

    I have been less active on the server recently due to playing emulated PS2 games, but I did manage to complete the ender stasis chambers in the transit hub. There is lots of space, and easy to expand so feel free to claim your own space

    6 votes

  20. Comment on Any sound engineers on Tildes? Help! in ~hobbies

    IsildursBane
    Link
    I think as others have mentioned, ask others who have used the system how they have been getting the volume. They could be using a separate sound system. If you are not experienced, I would not...

    I think as others have mentioned, ask others who have used the system how they have been getting the volume. They could be using a separate sound system. If you are not experienced, I would not recommend adjusting the amps, and only adjusting the mixer. I think the first step should be meeting with whoever runs the sound for the other events and asking them for tips. Especially since they are locking everything up to be adjusted, then it seems like a low trust environment. Building up the trust by meeting with them and asking questions will hopefully give you the opportunity for them to unlock the case, so that you can make the adjustments you need to get the necessary volume (and hopefully by just adjusting the mixer, and not the amps).