23 votes

Topic deleted by author

37 comments

  1. lmn
    Link
    I'm currently learning a bit about web development. I created a website for ranked choice voting, like strawpoll, but instead of voters picking one or multiple options they order them by...

    I'm currently learning a bit about web development. I created a website for ranked choice voting, like strawpoll, but instead of voters picking one or multiple options they order them by preference. It looks pretty amateur, but is functional at this point.

    I'm currently working on redoing it using react to learn a bit more.

    http://rankem123.com

    8 votes
  2. Ephemere
    Link
    I have a bunch of electronic projects in flight, generally on the 'lame IOT' side of things. Anyway, I got it in my head that it would be really fun / pretty to be able to 3D print cases for all...

    I have a bunch of electronic projects in flight, generally on the 'lame IOT' side of things. Anyway, I got it in my head that it would be really fun / pretty to be able to 3D print cases for all of them, so this weekend I picked up a creality ender 3. That has sort of sidelined any other such projects, as now I'm just playing around with it.

    So I suppose specifically, today's efforts have been spent trying to add my wife's initials embossed to the wings of a small models of a Bee I found on thingverse. Mostly just to try out the workflow and toolchain, but I hope she likes it.

    6 votes
  3. [4]
    JohnLeFou
    Link
    Working on a cigar box guitar I made from cedar pickets I got at the big box store https://m.imgur.com/a/8Ra6c6j I need to make some sound holes or maybe f-holes. I’m anxious about doing it...

    Working on a cigar box guitar I made from cedar pickets I got at the big box store

    https://m.imgur.com/a/8Ra6c6j

    I need to make some sound holes or maybe f-holes. I’m anxious about doing it without a scroll saw.

    6 votes
    1. [3]
      gergir
      Link Parent
      Oh wow. Could you make a traditional jazzguitar, you think?

      Oh wow. Could you make a traditional jazzguitar, you think?

      3 votes
      1. [2]
        JohnLeFou
        (edited )
        Link Parent
        I think I could make something that made noise but a lot of that is beyond my skills. What makes good guitars is good jigs. To make a proper guitar it takes 5x the work making the jigs first. Jazz...

        I think I could make something that made noise but a lot of that is beyond my skills. What makes good guitars is good jigs. To make a proper guitar it takes 5x the work making the jigs first. Jazz is one of the most demanding because you need such a responsive and low action that can play electric and acoustic well. Blues you can do on some fence wire strung over a shovel with a broken bottle for a slide.

        Check out cigar box nation for folks making homemade instruments on (sometimes literally) a shoestring budget and no woodworking experience.

        5 votes
        1. gergir
          Link Parent
          Okay, I understand. Plus you'd need to cut the top and back inside like a violin, right? I forgot that. Cigar Box Nation looks fun, thankee.

          Okay, I understand. Plus you'd need to cut the top and back inside like a violin, right? I forgot that. Cigar Box Nation looks fun, thankee.

          1 vote
  4. [6]
    flip
    Link
    Learning Python from scratch (super fun, even if it does make you feel stupid from time to time). Trying to get a cultural production (theather) made, currently fighting for money. While that...

    Learning Python from scratch (super fun, even if it does make you feel stupid from time to time).

    Trying to get a cultural production (theather) made, currently fighting for money. While that doesn't happen, we're turned into a webseries and are in the process of casting and location selections to start shooting.

    Since none of these has anything to do with my actual job, I classify them as creative work.

    5 votes
    1. [5]
      Deimos
      Link Parent
      What are you using to learn Python (e.g. book, online tutorial)? And are you learning it with a particular goal in mind, like something specific you want to be able to build with it?

      What are you using to learn Python (e.g. book, online tutorial)? And are you learning it with a particular goal in mind, like something specific you want to be able to build with it?

      4 votes
      1. [4]
        flip
        Link Parent
        Oh boy, a question from Deimos! Well that's a good Monday. I was using a couple of books, now I've joined DataQuest (tried DataCamp, the video part doesn't work for me). I keep reading the books,...

        Oh boy, a question from Deimos! Well that's a good Monday.

        I was using a couple of books, now I've joined DataQuest (tried DataCamp, the video part doesn't work for me). I keep reading the books, but I'm following the program closely, the books are now supplementary. I tried a few online courses with other places, but they all feel so shallow.

        Also will do the CS50 course, starting this week.

        Goal? Not have my brain rot. Learning something new that can be useful and might enable me to make a reality of a couple of data projects I have in mind and am using Excel for (and the results aren't what I expect). If it all goes well and I truly learn, who knows, maybe I can do it for money as well.

        I hate having the same job, over and over and over again (I'm mainly a lawyer), so I'm always looking for stuff. Right now, I have four different projects, all in different areas. Variety is the spice of life for me.

        Also, I think I've said this before, but thank you for creating Tildes. I love it and it's been better than I could ever have hoped for. I hope it's been as satisfying for you.

        5 votes
        1. [2]
          Deimos
          Link Parent
          Haha, I don't know if I deserve that level of excitement, but thanks! I appreciate the praise for Tildes too—I think we've got a great base built up now and mostly need to just keep bringing in...

          Haha, I don't know if I deserve that level of excitement, but thanks! I appreciate the praise for Tildes too—I think we've got a great base built up now and mostly need to just keep bringing in new people and communities.

          I don't know if you've already looked at it, but I've seen a lot of positive opinions of Automate the Boring Stuff with Python as a (free) book that teaches programming and Python from a practical perspective. It specifically covers how to use Python to interact with Excel as well, which might be useful for some of what you're hoping to do.

          4 votes
          1. flip
            Link Parent
            Yes, you do deserve that level of excitement. What you created with Tildes is quite remarkable and impressive. And you are welcome, the compliments are more than deserved. I did not know that...

            Yes, you do deserve that level of excitement. What you created with Tildes is quite remarkable and impressive. And you are welcome, the compliments are more than deserved.

            I did not know that book, and I'll certainly take a look at it. I'm all for practical learning and from skimming a few chapters, it looks like just my type of learning. Thank you so much.

            3 votes
        2. [2]
          Comment deleted by author
          Link Parent
          1. flip
            Link Parent
            Thank you! I did glance around it and it's indeed right up my alley. And a big part of what I'm hoping to do with Python involves scrapping information from the web, so I'm also hoping I can sort...

            Thank you!

            I did glance around it and it's indeed right up my alley. And a big part of what I'm hoping to do with Python involves scrapping information from the web, so I'm also hoping I can sort those issues out when it's time!

            Thank you again for the help and I'll be sure to hang around ~comp a bit more.

            1 vote
  5. [7]
    moocow1452
    Link
    Fine, still working on my comic which has nothing to do with Technology, except that I'm scripting it out in WriterDuet, and my artist is using MangaPro, and we might be releasing it online......

    Fine, still working on my comic which has nothing to do with Technology, except that I'm scripting it out in WriterDuet, and my artist is using MangaPro, and we might be releasing it online...

    Anyway, am thinking about doing something similar to this, after I'm done with what I'm working on. Maybe based in a Marvel like Anime Universe where mechs fight magical girls, ancient spirits go to high school, and our viewpoint character comes from a long line of overpowered protagonist types, and just wants to get though his day without getting sucked into another universe, saving the world, getting in the robot or navigating a love triangle. More or less he's the only person around actually dealing with his problems instead of retreating into escapism, and I'm not sure if that makes him insufferable.

    5 votes
    1. [6]
      mrbig
      Link Parent
      Hey! Film major/screenwriter/nerd here! Let me know if you need any help!

      Hey! Film major/screenwriter/nerd here! Let me know if you need any help!

      1 vote
      1. [5]
        moocow1452
        Link Parent
        Well, if you want to help me become a writer without having to write and work on my time management skills, or fill that melicholoic void in my being that I usually fill with empty praise and...

        Well, if you want to help me become a writer without having to write and work on my time management skills, or fill that melicholoic void in my being that I usually fill with empty praise and validation until it loses all meaning, that would be much appreciated!

        1. [3]
          mrbig
          Link Parent
          hahahaha I'm not sure what that means, but I can look at what you've done, tell you what I think and give you the best advice I'm able to come up with!

          hahahaha I'm not sure what that means, but I can look at what you've done, tell you what I think and give you the best advice I'm able to come up with!

          1. [2]
            moocow1452
            Link Parent
            I'm just griping that I haven't put enough time into my writing to really call myself in a Writer which I know is an arbitrary measure of productivity and worthwhileness and that I have to work on...

            I'm just griping that I haven't put enough time into my writing to really call myself in a Writer which I know is an arbitrary measure of productivity and worthwhileness and that I have to work on a Holiday.

  6. JakeTheDog
    Link
    Maybe this one is different: grant writing! For many people it's a dreaded chore but I find it one of the few tasks that allows one's imagination to run wild, within the bounds of feasibility. I...

    Maybe this one is different: grant writing! For many people it's a dreaded chore but I find it one of the few tasks that allows one's imagination to run wild, within the bounds of feasibility. I generally get good feedback for mine re: the creativity so that also keeps me motivated through the 50+hr weeks leading up to the deadline(s).

    I can't share the details of my current proposals (secrets and personal). But they're to do with studying an infectious disease at the molecular level.

    It's pretty fun for me not least because of the real-world setting, it's non-fiction yet also creative because it's precisely at the boundary of the un/known. Making order out of chaos. There's also a rhetorical aspect - you must convince the readers that what you're doing is important and possible / worth spending money on. So in that case it goes against the stereotype of being in an Ivory Tower, it's very much so orientated towards the betterment of humanity. So all in all you have to be creative in the project design, synthesizing the current leading-edge of knowledge, and also maintaining a sense of style in writing and rhetoric used, to provide a force behind your ideas.

    4 votes
  7. Mulligan
    (edited )
    Link
    I'm working on my novel, a modern day literary adventure. I'm 450 pages deep with a target page count of 600-700. I recently started a new job and I've been waking up an hour early every day to...

    I'm working on my novel, a modern day literary adventure. I'm 450 pages deep with a target page count of 600-700. I recently started a new job and I've been waking up an hour early every day to get a couple pages down. I don't know what I'm doing but I'm enjoying myself. I figure as long as I'm making forward progress I'm golden. I'm working on at least one thing in service of my dream and not at the behest of someone else.

    During a recent bout of reading/editing I realized my antagonists were weak. The scenes without the protagonists were boring and mainly expository. They were the kind of scenes that I hate in books and film. After a few weeks meditation and study I had a major epiphany regarding my baddies.

    I started from the beginning and I've worked my way back to page 150, rewriting with them in mind. It's been interesting to see the work change. Not only are the scenes with the antagonists stronger, but thanks to their realness, the actions and reactions of the protagonists feel genuine. The rewrite has been a lot of work but I'm happy with my decision.

    4 votes
  8. gergir
    Link
    People send me music for me to sing on it. Often it's just a guitar or piano, so when they're done and send me the mix it's fun to be surprised.

    People send me music for me to sing on it. Often it's just a guitar or piano, so when they're done and send me the mix it's fun to be surprised.

    4 votes
  9. [7]
    skybrian
    Link
    I'm thinking about building an electronic instrument based on the bass side of accordion. So far, do-it-yourself electronics seems to involve... shopping? Maybe not to start, but at some point I...

    I'm thinking about building an electronic instrument based on the bass side of accordion. So far, do-it-yourself electronics seems to involve... shopping?

    Maybe not to start, but at some point I will need to buy 72 or more buttons. There seem to be an enormous variety of switches available, most of which won't do what I want. It seems that "momentary" and "panel mount" are two of the adjectives I should be looking for, and making sure they're cheap since I'll be buying a lot of them. I guess I should be buying a few samples to see if I like how they feel?

    An alternative might be buying an old accordion and modifying the button panel, in which case I will need to replace the levers with springs and buy at least 72 sensors to somehow detect button presses. I guess that would be essentially making the buttons myself?

    3 votes
    1. [6]
      Akir
      Link Parent
      If you're just looking for something tactile that doesn't require a lot of pressure to activate, you'll probably want to look at microswitches. Those are the kinds of switches they use in tandem...

      If you're just looking for something tactile that doesn't require a lot of pressure to activate, you'll probably want to look at microswitches. Those are the kinds of switches they use in tandem with springs for arcade joysticks and buttons You can also purchase them with actuators to make it even easier to press them.

      The downside is that they're relatively large and expensive. You can make them a bit cheaper if you purchase "normally off" switches, which is basically a switch with one less terminal.

      Alternatively, you can try keyswitches (as in keyboard keyswitches). They are board-mounted, but they're big enough that it might not be too hard to work around. The benefit is that you can purchase keycaps in just about any variation you can imagine and they are perfectly finger-sized.

      4 votes
      1. [5]
        skybrian
        Link Parent
        I don't quite understand all the adjectives yet, but I think "tactile" is some kind of snap-action switch? An accordion button has a relatively long travel and just stops when you push it down all...

        I don't quite understand all the adjectives yet, but I think "tactile" is some kind of snap-action switch? An accordion button has a relatively long travel and just stops when you push it down all the way.

        I am thinking of drilling a bunch of holes in a wooden board and using panel-mount switches to avoid designing my own circuit board, since the layout doesn't match a computer keyboard. Or maybe that's not a big deal? I don't know enough to say.

        For wiring it up, apparently computer keyboards use a matrix, but I'm looking at getting 6 16-to-1 multiplexers.

        Some possible parts:
        Push button: https://www.jameco.com/z/R18-29B-Push-Button-Switch-Single-Pole-SPST-NC-ON-MOM-Round-Plunger-3A-125VAC-Solder-Lug-Panel-Mount-Chrome-Threads_26649.html?CID=MERCH
        Breakout boards: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/9056

        1 vote
        1. [4]
          Akir
          (edited )
          Link Parent
          By tactile, I mean something that provides some kind of feedback. There are many kinds of feedback, but for the sake of simplicity, let's just say that it's the click when you press the button....

          By tactile, I mean something that provides some kind of feedback. There are many kinds of feedback, but for the sake of simplicity, let's just say that it's the click when you press the button.

          You may have to design your own PCB if you use board mounted switches, but you may have luck using perfboard depending on the pin layout. You don't need to worry about matrixing with keyboard switches if you don't want to. They are just simple switches.

          The button you picked out probably isn't going to be ideal. The biggest problem is that it requires about 300 grams to activate, which means they will be very hard to press. Keyboards and arcade buttons typically have an actuation force in the range of 30-50 grams. The switch you selected is also an NC switch, which stands for "normally closed". You may be able to use them, depending on the hardware you are using and your abilities to program them, but they are basically the opposite of what you normally want. An NC switch will let power through until you press the button. An NO switch will only let power through when the button is pressed.

          I have never done a project with multiplexers, though, so I am afraid I won't be able to help there.

          Edit: Doing a little research, it looks like Cherry MX keyboard switches can be panel-mounted, so if it's an option to machine a metal mounting plate, this may be an ideal solution for you. They are very inexpensive and there are knockoffs that are even cheaper.

          3 votes
          1. [3]
            skybrian
            Link Parent
            Thanks! Unfortunately, computer keyboard switches are too big for this. The buttons on my accordion are about 14mm apart horizontally, on center, and the rows are 9mm apart vertically. (The rows...

            Thanks!

            Unfortunately, computer keyboard switches are too big for this. The buttons on my accordion are about 14mm apart horizontally, on center, and the rows are 9mm apart vertically. (The rows are offset, similar to a keyboard.) Cherry switches are 15.6mm square.

            1 vote
            1. [2]
              Akir
              Link Parent
              Hopefully this search might help you then:...

              Hopefully this search might help you then:

              [https://www.digikey.com/products/en/switches/snap-action-limit-switches/198?k=microswitches&k=&pkeyword=microswitches&sv=0&pv235=14&sf=1&FV=2080007%2Cffe000c6%2C11400e1%2C1140004%2C1140006&quantity=&ColumnSort=0&page=1&pageSize=25](here you go).

              This is just a tiny sampling of options you have.

              1 vote
              1. skybrian
                Link Parent
                This switch looks good, unless I missed something (likely): https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/c-k/D6R10-F1-LFS/401-1973-ND/1466330 We measured the force on my accordion's buttons to be...

                This switch looks good, unless I missed something (likely): https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/c-k/D6R10-F1-LFS/401-1973-ND/1466330

                We measured the force on my accordion's buttons to be about 140 grams (1.4 newtons), sometimes a little more, and the data sheet says .8 to 1.8.

                1 vote
  10. [3]
    krg
    (edited )
    Link
    Dipping my toes in electronic music production some more. Here's a rough arrangement/mix of a track I'm working on, at the moment. Edit: After taking a break from listening to it, subsequently...

    Dipping my toes in electronic music production some more. Here's a rough arrangement/mix of a track I'm working on, at the moment.

    Edit: After taking a break from listening to it, subsequently forgetting what it sounds like, and coming back to it...I gotta say I'm diggin' the sounds. I need to work on the "rising action" some more ...maybe shift into a B section for a bit.. but overall I think this little diddy shows some promise.

    3 votes
    1. [2]
      Deimos
      Link Parent
      Nice, sounds quite good! What software/tools are you using for that?

      Nice, sounds quite good! What software/tools are you using for that?

      2 votes
      1. krg
        Link Parent
        Thanks. Just Ableton with some of the included instruments and effects (tweaked to my liking, of course). I actually was using some sounds from Spitfire Audio when I started, but when I opened the...

        Thanks.

        Just Ableton with some of the included instruments and effects (tweaked to my liking, of course). I actually was using some sounds from Spitfire Audio when I started, but when I opened the session yesterday the sounds weren't loading, so I did the arrangement sans those sounds. Worked out better, I think, as I as able to figure out the problem afterward and realized the Spitfire sounds I was using didn't really fit the vibe after all.

        2 votes
  11. Chris
    Link
    I'm currently building Nonprofit HQ It's a collection of 3 things: Recorded tutorials on how to integrate startup marketing best practices into nonprofit fundraising Interviews with nonprofits...

    I'm currently building Nonprofit HQ

    It's a collection of 3 things:

    • Recorded tutorials on how to integrate startup marketing best practices into nonprofit fundraising
    • Interviews with nonprofits about the techniques they used to raise funds for their cause
    • A collection of nonprofit discounts to SaaS tools like Trello, Github, AWS and more
    2 votes
  12. mrbig
    (edited )
    Link
    I decided to write a novella. 17500 words is enough for me, I’m basing myself on the minimum length from both the Nebula and Hugo awards. Not that I have any shot, it’s just a baseline. A short...

    I decided to write a novella. 17500 words is enough for me, I’m basing myself on the minimum length from both the Nebula and Hugo awards. Not that I have any shot, it’s just a baseline.

    A short story doesn’t motivate me enough and a novel is too daunting. I already have the screenplay so it’s easier.

    It’s a horror story but there’s some beauty into it. It’s about the rise of the shadows that spent millennia in the mantle core after mankind ignored them after the invention of writing.

    Before writing came along the Shadows had a symbiotic relationship with pre-humans, providing the storytelling we could not make. They used to draw energy from humankind’s love and now they’re pretty pissed to say the least. And after thousands of years, the last solar eclipse provides an opportunity for them to rise again.

    There’s a whole prelude that is largely based in the first 40 minutes of The Exorcist.

    It will not be a peaceful encounter.

    The protagonist is a badass female sheriff based on my badass cousin.

    I’d love to share a bit but it’s still in Portuguese.

    2 votes
  13. xstresedg
    Link
    I did finally buckle down with Godot, though not with my previous project. My current project is an action platformer a la Mega Man X. Just building out the game's functionality and testing...

    I did finally buckle down with Godot, though not with my previous project. My current project is an action platformer a la Mega Man X. Just building out the game's functionality and testing everything, but here are some screenshots (they're Discord links but hopefully they work):

    Movement, Dash and Jump

    Bullet failure 1

    Bullet failure 2

    Current state with two characters, an X type named Bob and a Zero type named Dot

    1 vote
  14. [2]
    mrbig
    Link
    This thread is very representative of Tildes current population: all projects are somehow technology-related.

    This thread is very representative of Tildes current population: all projects are somehow technology-related.

    3 votes