like it? click it!
©2010 toomanytribbles
Saturday, July 31, 2010
children of the stars
this picture, children of the stars, was captured by james neeley:
click to source
what's so special about it? it's an extraordinarily beautiful shot, to be sure.... but what makes it particularly interesting is its orientation.
while most shots of the night sky have the ground below and the sky above, neeley rotated the image so that the plane of the milky way is horizontal. suddenly, this shot achieves another meaning, making our home an integral part of the cosmos, and not the central basis of it.
click to source
what's so special about it? it's an extraordinarily beautiful shot, to be sure.... but what makes it particularly interesting is its orientation.
while most shots of the night sky have the ground below and the sky above, neeley rotated the image so that the plane of the milky way is horizontal. suddenly, this shot achieves another meaning, making our home an integral part of the cosmos, and not the central basis of it.
a simple, easy twist can change your entire point of view.
image © james neeley, used with permission.
another reason i liked it is that i've been thinking that i should orient a future shot in this way -- and i'm so glad to see i'm not alone in these ideas.
image © james neeley, used with permission.
©2010 toomanytribbles
the god of the old testament
'the god of the old testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.'
- richard dawkins. image captured from my copy of the god delusion in december 2008.
©2010 toomanytribbles
Friday, July 30, 2010
quints
just for fun -- a cloning tutorial!
like this? click it!
set up your camera on a tripod or a stable surface, and set your exposure. focus manually.
have your subject (or your self) take several poses all over the place and shoot the pictures.
select one of your images as the base. open up all your images in photoshop so you can see them all... and drag'n'drop each picture into the base with the move tool. press shift before letting go to ensure that all images fall into the same position.
try to go from the figure in the back towards the figures in the front.
go to your layers palette and you'll see that each image is now a separate layer in your base image... you can close all the other images now.
select all your layers with the CTRL key and go to edit > auto-align layers. a menu appears: hit OK. this makes sure that the images line up in case your camera moved a bit between shots.
you might want to crop the image a bit because the edges are a little frayed from the aligning.
now... to reveal the clones:
turn off all your layers except the bottom two.
of these two, hit the one on top to highlight it and go to layer > layer mask > hide all. you'll see a black rectangle next to your layer. this is a layer mask and it's hiding the top layer.
hit white on your swatches palette. go to your paintbrush tool, select a brush, preferably a soft one. click on the black layer mask icon on your palette and start to paint with white on the mask itself to reveal the position of your subject on the top layer. you might have to get in very close with a small brush size to get the painting right. if you reveal too much and want to hide something, hit the black color and start painting again. remember: white reveals, black hides!
turn on the next layer directly above this layer in your stack. repeat the masking and revealing process.
rinse, repeat until you're all done.
any questions?
[ i shot these real quick before a class to prepare a practice session, so if something's not right with exposure/focusing, i don't want to hear it. of course, YOU will be much more skillful.]
©2010 toomanytribbles
like this? click it!
set up your camera on a tripod or a stable surface, and set your exposure. focus manually.
have your subject (or your self) take several poses all over the place and shoot the pictures.
select one of your images as the base. open up all your images in photoshop so you can see them all... and drag'n'drop each picture into the base with the move tool. press shift before letting go to ensure that all images fall into the same position.
try to go from the figure in the back towards the figures in the front.
go to your layers palette and you'll see that each image is now a separate layer in your base image... you can close all the other images now.
select all your layers with the CTRL key and go to edit > auto-align layers. a menu appears: hit OK. this makes sure that the images line up in case your camera moved a bit between shots.
you might want to crop the image a bit because the edges are a little frayed from the aligning.
now... to reveal the clones:
turn off all your layers except the bottom two.
of these two, hit the one on top to highlight it and go to layer > layer mask > hide all. you'll see a black rectangle next to your layer. this is a layer mask and it's hiding the top layer.
hit white on your swatches palette. go to your paintbrush tool, select a brush, preferably a soft one. click on the black layer mask icon on your palette and start to paint with white on the mask itself to reveal the position of your subject on the top layer. you might have to get in very close with a small brush size to get the painting right. if you reveal too much and want to hide something, hit the black color and start painting again. remember: white reveals, black hides!
turn on the next layer directly above this layer in your stack. repeat the masking and revealing process.
rinse, repeat until you're all done.
any questions?
[ i shot these real quick before a class to prepare a practice session, so if something's not right with exposure/focusing, i don't want to hear it. of course, YOU will be much more skillful.]
©2010 toomanytribbles
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
published in geo saison
i just got news that my image, sunset at the acropolis and its museum,
has been published in the august 2010 issue of Geo Saison in germany for a feature on athens!
yay!
see more of my posts and images from the acropolis museum.
©2010 toomanytribbles
has been published in the august 2010 issue of Geo Saison in germany for a feature on athens!
yay!
see more of my posts and images from the acropolis museum.
©2010 toomanytribbles
about 'does hitchens have a prayer?'
by garret keizer, on (A)theologies.
of all the nonsense that's being written by theists and atheists alike, this essay was more to the point for me, ending with:
'... there is an ancient petition expansive enough to cover every case i’ve mentioned and brief enough for tweeting: kyrie eleison, “lord have mercy.” lord have mercy on us who wander like sheep without a shepherd, harassed and helpless, fleeced at every turn, bleating and blogging about the existence of god and the curse of the vuvuzela and the passion of lindsay lohan and the sweet christ knows what else while children starve and are blown to pieces by bombs dropped in our name, while the skies and seas and the future itself are blighted by our waste, arrogance, and frivolity. lord have mercy on us, because on top of all that, a man in the prime of his life and at the height of his powers and in the full confidence of having hit his stride can be slapped with something like cancer of the esophagus, as any of us might likewise be slapped with brain cancer, bone cancer, colon cancer, rendering us even more stupid, spineless, and full of crap than we already are, which is not fair, or if fair, not funny at all.
lord have mercy. it covers a multitude of sins and an even greater multitude of creatures, including poor christopher hitchens, poor me, and—unless you happen to be a bodhisattva or one of the lamed vov or the lamb of god that taketh away the sins of the world—poor you, and even then, poor you.'
my suggested reading for today.
©2010 toomanytribbles
of all the nonsense that's being written by theists and atheists alike, this essay was more to the point for me, ending with:
'... there is an ancient petition expansive enough to cover every case i’ve mentioned and brief enough for tweeting: kyrie eleison, “lord have mercy.” lord have mercy on us who wander like sheep without a shepherd, harassed and helpless, fleeced at every turn, bleating and blogging about the existence of god and the curse of the vuvuzela and the passion of lindsay lohan and the sweet christ knows what else while children starve and are blown to pieces by bombs dropped in our name, while the skies and seas and the future itself are blighted by our waste, arrogance, and frivolity. lord have mercy on us, because on top of all that, a man in the prime of his life and at the height of his powers and in the full confidence of having hit his stride can be slapped with something like cancer of the esophagus, as any of us might likewise be slapped with brain cancer, bone cancer, colon cancer, rendering us even more stupid, spineless, and full of crap than we already are, which is not fair, or if fair, not funny at all.
lord have mercy. it covers a multitude of sins and an even greater multitude of creatures, including poor christopher hitchens, poor me, and—unless you happen to be a bodhisattva or one of the lamed vov or the lamb of god that taketh away the sins of the world—poor you, and even then, poor you.'
my suggested reading for today.
©2010 toomanytribbles
a cool change
like it? click it!
at sxinias, the beach at marathon, greece -- i've placed it on the map.
i never really liked little river band's cool change -- so i'm linking to lady instead.
©2010 toomanytribbles
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
belated
like it? click it!
this is from a few weeks ago. i didn't have time to do any celebrating as my classes would run till 10pm, with only a few short breaks for a breather.
i didn't expect mr.G to drop by with these and save the day.
i took a rushed picture of the cake because, for several years, i'd been insisting that a birthday cake should have a candle for EVERY year -- and not a representative one or two -- and there they were... all 48.
i took another quick shot the flowers after the class, which were already succumbing to their vaseless ordeal.
©2010 toomanytribbles
Monday, July 26, 2010
on moonlight bay
well, at porto rafti, actually. it's on the map!
i've used a bit of photoshop for in recent years, and i've been teaching autodesk software forever... but actually teaching a course on photoshop? that was new.
i didn't do too badly [i think].
anyway, that's why i've been posting next to no photos. now i hope to be getting back to shooting, and visiting favorite photostreams on flickr.
like it? click it!
on moonlight bay, by four blokes from liverpool
©2010 toomanytribbles
i've used a bit of photoshop for in recent years, and i've been teaching autodesk software forever... but actually teaching a course on photoshop? that was new.
i didn't do too badly [i think].
anyway, that's why i've been posting next to no photos. now i hope to be getting back to shooting, and visiting favorite photostreams on flickr.
like it? click it!
on moonlight bay, by four blokes from liverpool
©2010 toomanytribbles
Sunday, July 25, 2010
my favorite photographers: theresa lasichak
click to the gallery!
memories are so.
so sharp they rip through our well-planned pace
but others
blurred in motion, dissolved in time
the bits we neglected
but they set the stage
and conveyed the substance
we discovered tiny wonders
became one with a color
floated into a flavor
tingled with words and art
scampered with best friends,
long lost
now conclusions
in a memoir, yearning to be written
merged with paper
... or denied
theresa's work speaks for itself, but it made me want to say something, too.
such is art, especially from one who is so multi-talented, it flows through her life like a strand... or a thread of wool.
for the insatiable:
her photostream on flickr: t does wool
and her blog of wonderful creations
©2010 toomanytribbles
you must first create the universe
the title, a fragment of carl sagan's apple pie quote...
references and sources are in the video description.
references and sources are in the video description.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
randy newman: god's song
one of my life's highlights was seeing randy newman live in athens. just listen to the man:
©2010 toomanytribbles
©2010 toomanytribbles
neil degrasse tyson: the cosmic perspective
you. must. read. it. all.
here's a generous snip:
"
the cosmic perspective flows from fundamental knowledge. but it's more than just what you know. it's also about having the wisdom and insight to apply that knowledge to assessing our place in the universe. and its attributes are clear:
the cosmic perspective comes from the frontiers of science, yet it's not solely the province of the scientist. the cosmic perspective belongs to everyone.
the cosmic perspective is humble.
the cosmic perspective is spiritual—even redemptive—but not religious.
the cosmic perspective enables us to grasp, in the same thought, the large and the small.
the cosmic perspective opens our minds to extraordinary ideas but does not leave them so open that our brains spill out, making us susceptible to believing anything we're told.
the cosmic perspective opens our eyes to the universe, not as a benevolent cradle designed to nurture life but as a cold, lonely, hazardous place.
the cosmic perspective shows earth to be a mote, but a precious mote and, for the moment, the only home we have.
the cosmic perspective finds beauty in the images of planets, moons, stars, and nebulae but also celebrates the laws of physics that shape them.
the cosmic perspective enables us to see beyond our circumstances, allowing us to transcend the primal search for food, shelter, and sex.
the cosmic perspective reminds us that in space, where there is no air, a flag will not wave—an indication that perhaps flag waving and space exploration do not mix.
the cosmic perspective not only embraces our genetic kinship with all life on earth but also values our chemical kinship with any yet-to-be discovered life in the universe, as well as our atomic kinship with the universe itself.
"
by neil degrasse tyson
from natural history magazine, april 2007
here's a generous snip:
"
the cosmic perspective flows from fundamental knowledge. but it's more than just what you know. it's also about having the wisdom and insight to apply that knowledge to assessing our place in the universe. and its attributes are clear:
the cosmic perspective comes from the frontiers of science, yet it's not solely the province of the scientist. the cosmic perspective belongs to everyone.
the cosmic perspective is humble.
the cosmic perspective is spiritual—even redemptive—but not religious.
the cosmic perspective enables us to grasp, in the same thought, the large and the small.
the cosmic perspective opens our minds to extraordinary ideas but does not leave them so open that our brains spill out, making us susceptible to believing anything we're told.
the cosmic perspective opens our eyes to the universe, not as a benevolent cradle designed to nurture life but as a cold, lonely, hazardous place.
the cosmic perspective shows earth to be a mote, but a precious mote and, for the moment, the only home we have.
the cosmic perspective finds beauty in the images of planets, moons, stars, and nebulae but also celebrates the laws of physics that shape them.
the cosmic perspective enables us to see beyond our circumstances, allowing us to transcend the primal search for food, shelter, and sex.
the cosmic perspective reminds us that in space, where there is no air, a flag will not wave—an indication that perhaps flag waving and space exploration do not mix.
the cosmic perspective not only embraces our genetic kinship with all life on earth but also values our chemical kinship with any yet-to-be discovered life in the universe, as well as our atomic kinship with the universe itself.
"
from natural history magazine, april 2007
Friday, July 23, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
o hai!!1 i can haz lite?
the lolcat bible translation project:
click to source
3 'at start, no has lyte. an ceiling cat sayz, i can haz lite? an lite wuz. 4 an ceiling cat sawed teh lite, to seez stuffs, an splitted teh lite from dark but taht wuz ok cuz kittehs can see in teh dark an not tripz over nethin. 5 an ceiling cat sayed light day an dark no day. it were FURST!!!1'
click to source
3 'at start, no has lyte. an ceiling cat sayz, i can haz lite? an lite wuz. 4 an ceiling cat sawed teh lite, to seez stuffs, an splitted teh lite from dark but taht wuz ok cuz kittehs can see in teh dark an not tripz over nethin. 5 an ceiling cat sayed light day an dark no day. it were FURST!!!1'
Monday, July 19, 2010
hitch on gibson
'this is extraordinary. we live in a culture where the terms fascist and racist are thrown about, if anything, too easily and too frequently. yet here is a man whose every word and deed is easily explicable once you know the single essential thing about him: he is a member of a fascist splinter group that believes it is the salvation of the catholic church.'
mel gibson isn't just an angry narcissist, on slate, by christopher hitchens
mel gibson isn't just an angry narcissist, on slate, by christopher hitchens
inside insides
what would a watermelon look to a flatlander?
at inside insides's magnetic resonance imaging of foods:
click pic to source
here's carl's explanation:
click for more food!
©2010 toomanytribbles
at inside insides's magnetic resonance imaging of foods:
click pic to source
here's carl's explanation:
click for more food!
©2010 toomanytribbles
Sunday, July 18, 2010
not-so-famous-quotes xvi
'imagine the people who believe such things and who are not ashamed to ignore, totally, all the patient findings of thinking minds through all the centures since the bible was written. and it is these ignorant people, the most uneducated, the most unimaginative, the most unthinking among us, who would make themselves the guides and leaders of us all... i personally resent it bitterly.' - isaac asimov
via a facebook friend.
via a facebook friend.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
my favorite photographers: gaston batistini
when he travels, gaston batistini takes multiple pictures at a location and stitches them together into wonderful panoramas that beautifully convey the feel of a place. each image is a work of art:
click!
for the insatiable:
his photostream on flickr
his website
more favorite photographers
©2010 toomanytribbles
click!
for the insatiable:
his photostream on flickr
his website
more favorite photographers
©2010 toomanytribbles
Friday, July 16, 2010
reaching for immortality
on cosmic log:
'the quest for immortality goes back to adam and eve, but now some smart people are getting serious about actually bringing it within their grasp. and they're getting more attention as well.'
transcendent man film trailer:
'ultimately, we are information. i believe that we're fundamentally a pattern of information. there's an analogy to water in a stream. the pattern that water makes as it goes around a particular rock can be the same for years, but obviously the water is different from second to second. am i the same person that you talked to years ago? actually, the particles are completely different. the pattern isn't exactly the same, either, but the pattern does have continuity.
so we are a pattern of information. and that information, ultimately we'll be able to capture that. that's another aspect of extending our lives. right now we can back up all the valuable information we have on our computers. but it's not just a poem or a metaphor to say this information in our brains, it's very literally data, but we have no backup for it. ultimately we'll be able to back it up and retain it.'
-ray kurzweil
i was very excited to read this. i've often tried to tell my friends that we're waves... waves, streams, the analogy is similar.
i'm so glad people are getting serious about extending life... and i'm very puzzled as to why people are born, live, and die, and not spend more resources to answer these questions.
©2010 toomanytribbles
'the quest for immortality goes back to adam and eve, but now some smart people are getting serious about actually bringing it within their grasp. and they're getting more attention as well.'
transcendent man film trailer:
'ultimately, we are information. i believe that we're fundamentally a pattern of information. there's an analogy to water in a stream. the pattern that water makes as it goes around a particular rock can be the same for years, but obviously the water is different from second to second. am i the same person that you talked to years ago? actually, the particles are completely different. the pattern isn't exactly the same, either, but the pattern does have continuity.
so we are a pattern of information. and that information, ultimately we'll be able to capture that. that's another aspect of extending our lives. right now we can back up all the valuable information we have on our computers. but it's not just a poem or a metaphor to say this information in our brains, it's very literally data, but we have no backup for it. ultimately we'll be able to back it up and retain it.'
-ray kurzweil
i was very excited to read this. i've often tried to tell my friends that we're waves... waves, streams, the analogy is similar.
i'm so glad people are getting serious about extending life... and i'm very puzzled as to why people are born, live, and die, and not spend more resources to answer these questions.
©2010 toomanytribbles
Thursday, July 15, 2010
knife
verse that stabs like a knife, unleashing thoughts that have indiscreetely accompanied me daily for almost exactly 34 years:
the sure extinction that we travel to
and shall be lost in always. not to be here,
not to be anywhere,
and soon; nothing more terrible, nothing more
true...
and specious stuff that says no rational being
can fear a thing it will not feel, not seeing
that this is what we fear...
philip larkin's aubade, as quoted and emphasized by christopher hitchens in his memoir, hitch 22.
©2010 toomanytribbles
the sure extinction that we travel to
and shall be lost in always. not to be here,
not to be anywhere,
and soon; nothing more terrible, nothing more
true...
and specious stuff that says no rational being
can fear a thing it will not feel, not seeing
that this is what we fear...
philip larkin's aubade, as quoted and emphasized by christopher hitchens in his memoir, hitch 22.
©2010 toomanytribbles
matt ridley: when ideas have sex
the meeting and mating of ideas by the collective brain:
things to ponder, when thinking about copyright.
©2010 toomanytribbles
things to ponder, when thinking about copyright.
©2010 toomanytribbles
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
smile or die
perpetually bubbly optimists and gobbledygook quantum sharers of secrets annoy me to no end, which is why i welcome this nice dose of realism.
via pharyngula
©2010 toomanytribbles
via pharyngula
©2010 toomanytribbles
christopher hitchens on the hugh hewitt show
a long, rich interview of christopher hitchens at the hugh hewitt show has a short update on health matters before moving on to material more rarely mentioned in the book tour we have seen up to now.
'HH: now christopher, since we last spoke, your illness you disclosed on the web, and people will want to know off the bat how you are doing, and how your treatment is going.
CH: oh well, i have, in case people are just tuning in, i have cancer in my esophagus, which has i think spread a little to my lymph nodes as well. and i’m two weeks into the chemotherapy course. so i feel pretty weak, and my voice isn’t what it was, but that’s supposed to be a good sign in that the amount of poison i’m taking is presumably working on the bad stuff as well as the good stuff. and this morning, i found that my hair was beginning to come out in the shower, which is a bit demoralizing, i have to say, even though it’s the least of it.'
i have to say, i'm pleased with the way he responds to people who are praying for him:
'well, i mean, i don’t mind. it doesn’t hurt me. but for the same reason, i wish it was more consoling. but i have to say there’s some extremely nice people, including people known to you, have said that i’m in their prayers, and i can only say that i’m touched by the thought.'
the entirety is a good read [transcript]. i'll add a link to the audio when i find it.
©2010 toomanytribbles
'HH: now christopher, since we last spoke, your illness you disclosed on the web, and people will want to know off the bat how you are doing, and how your treatment is going.
CH: oh well, i have, in case people are just tuning in, i have cancer in my esophagus, which has i think spread a little to my lymph nodes as well. and i’m two weeks into the chemotherapy course. so i feel pretty weak, and my voice isn’t what it was, but that’s supposed to be a good sign in that the amount of poison i’m taking is presumably working on the bad stuff as well as the good stuff. and this morning, i found that my hair was beginning to come out in the shower, which is a bit demoralizing, i have to say, even though it’s the least of it.'
i have to say, i'm pleased with the way he responds to people who are praying for him:
'well, i mean, i don’t mind. it doesn’t hurt me. but for the same reason, i wish it was more consoling. but i have to say there’s some extremely nice people, including people known to you, have said that i’m in their prayers, and i can only say that i’m touched by the thought.'
the entirety is a good read [transcript]. i'll add a link to the audio when i find it.
©2010 toomanytribbles
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
googlebot
googlebot pays me visits regularly but today it scanned 88 of my posts. what's up with that? does anyone out there understand the deep recesses of its mind?
©2010 toomanytribbles
©2010 toomanytribbles
Monday, July 12, 2010
waking life
this came on late night tv several years ago, and i wasn't sure what i was seeing. i eventually searched for it and viewed it again.
i was reminded of this today and found it on google video.
i was reminded of this today and found it on google video.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
my favorite photographers: leslie thomson
serene, fresh, intimate. leslie thomson's images inhabit a world i imagine i want to share.
click to gallery!
for the insatiable:
leslie's photostream
©2010 toomanytribbles
click to gallery!
for the insatiable:
leslie's photostream
©2010 toomanytribbles
large hadron rap
when LHCb sees where the antimatter’s gone
ALICE looks at collisions of lead ions
CMS and ATLAS are two of a kind
they’re looking for whatever new particles they can find.
the LHC accelerates the protons and the lead
and the things that it discovers will rock you in the head!
lyrics and mp3 here!
thanks, julia.
ALICE looks at collisions of lead ions
CMS and ATLAS are two of a kind
they’re looking for whatever new particles they can find.
the LHC accelerates the protons and the lead
and the things that it discovers will rock you in the head!
lyrics and mp3 here!
thanks, julia.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
1945-1998
by isao hashimoto
'2053 - this is the number of nuclear explosions conducted in various parts of the globe.'
'2053 - this is the number of nuclear explosions conducted in various parts of the globe.'
Friday, July 09, 2010
autoCAD: dynamic door block
i almost never blog about autoCAD, much less an obscure problem few people hit, but i've seen people asking about this on forums so i thought i'd write up a solution. if you use autoCAD and are interested in dynamic blocks, read on. if not, never mind :-]
the problem: how to create a door symbol that stretches dynamically and flips horizontally and vertically. for some users, the flipping action screws up the size of the door panel, so it doesn't behave as expected. here's a step-by-step tutorial for creating the symbol, with a special note on the detail that's the problem:
1. draw a door symbol to preference. for brevity, mine is as simple as it gets:
2. create the block and load it into the block editor.
the problem: how to create a door symbol that stretches dynamically and flips horizontally and vertically. for some users, the flipping action screws up the size of the door panel, so it doesn't behave as expected. here's a step-by-step tutorial for creating the symbol, with a special note on the detail that's the problem:
1. draw a door symbol to preference. for brevity, mine is as simple as it gets:
2. create the block and load it into the block editor.
first, you're going to make the door stretch-able. you have to handle the door panel and the arc separately:
3. add a linear parameter by hitting two points from left to the right. select the parameter, right click and hit grip display > 1. it should look like this:
4. add a stretch action by selecting the linear parameter, hitting the red node on the right blue arrow grip, drawing a frame around the top of the door panel, and then selecting the door panel ONLY... and NOT the arc.
5. select the stretch action, go to properties, find the angle offset property item under overrides, and enter 90. ( this will make the panel stretch vertically while you're stretching horizontally with your mouse.)
6. add a scale action by selecting the linear parameter and then the arc. (this will change the size of the arc without distorting its shape.)
at this point, your work should look like this...
8. add a flip action by selecting the parameter and then, at the select objects prompt, enter ALL.
this bit is the main problem. do NOT select objects with your mouse: make sure you type ALL. if you try both methods, you'll notice that, with ALL, you select two objects more than you do with your mouse.
now we need to make sure that the flip arrow always stays in position on the symbol's centerline as you stretch. here's how:
you're going to make sure the first arrow also flips the new one:
15. hit the first flip action, right click, hit action selection set > modify selection set, and at the select objects prompt, select the basepoint parameter.
i didn't get into the issue of listing standard sizes for your door via the linear parameter -- but you already know how to do that, right?
try it!
let me know if it works -- or not -- or if i've mucked up the description somehow. i'll gladly edit.
©2010 toomanytribbles
3. add a linear parameter by hitting two points from left to the right. select the parameter, right click and hit grip display > 1. it should look like this:
4. add a stretch action by selecting the linear parameter, hitting the red node on the right blue arrow grip, drawing a frame around the top of the door panel, and then selecting the door panel ONLY... and NOT the arc.
5. select the stretch action, go to properties, find the angle offset property item under overrides, and enter 90. ( this will make the panel stretch vertically while you're stretching horizontally with your mouse.)
6. add a scale action by selecting the linear parameter and then the arc. (this will change the size of the arc without distorting its shape.)
at this point, your work should look like this...
this includes the linear parameter and the two action icons for stretch and scale (in the bottom right corner).
so far, so good, time to flip horizontally...
7. add a flip parameter to the center line of the symbol.
7. add a flip parameter to the center line of the symbol.
8. add a flip action by selecting the parameter and then, at the select objects prompt, enter ALL.
this bit is the main problem. do NOT select objects with your mouse: make sure you type ALL. if you try both methods, you'll notice that, with ALL, you select two objects more than you do with your mouse.
i assume that the crucial difference is the two points that determine the stretch frame, which are not visible, therefore unselect-able with the mouse.
now we need to make sure that the flip arrow always stays in position on the symbol's centerline as you stretch. here's how:
9. add a move action for the flip arrow. select the linear parameter, then hit its right red arrow node, and finally select the flip parameter.
10. select the new move action icon, hit preferences, and enter 0.5 for the distance multiplier under overrides.
finally, we have to make the door flip vertically...
11. add a second flip parameter as shown in the image below.
12. add the flip action for the new flip parameter and enter ALL in order to select all objects. it should look like this:
12. add the flip action for the new flip parameter and enter ALL in order to select all objects. it should look like this:
you're going to make sure the first arrow also flips the new one:
13. select the first flip action, right click, hit action selection set > modify selection set, and at the select objects prompt, select the second flip arrow parameter. this will add the second flip arrow to the original, horizontal flipping action.
14. add a baspoint parameter to your 0,0 coordinates (the block's insertion point). this will prevent your door symbol from moving around in the wall opening as it's being flipped all over the place.
14. add a baspoint parameter to your 0,0 coordinates (the block's insertion point). this will prevent your door symbol from moving around in the wall opening as it's being flipped all over the place.
again, we're going to want the basepoint parameter to flip along horizontally with everything else:
15. hit the first flip action, right click, hit action selection set > modify selection set, and at the select objects prompt, select the basepoint parameter.
i didn't get into the issue of listing standard sizes for your door via the linear parameter -- but you already know how to do that, right?
try it!
let me know if it works -- or not -- or if i've mucked up the description somehow. i'll gladly edit.
©2010 toomanytribbles
oh my
i've been posting a LOT of videos lately -- but no time! no time!
i feel like i'm cramming for exams all over again.
©2010 toomanytribbles
i feel like i'm cramming for exams all over again.
©2010 toomanytribbles
Thursday, July 08, 2010
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
carl sagan: a universe not made for us
an excerpt from pale blue dot: a vision of the human future in space, with beautiful imagery from stephen hawking's into the universe and brian cox's wonders of the solar system.
my advice: view full-screen.
my advice: view full-screen.
via RDF
tradition has its place...
... but not where factual knowledge is concerned by richard dawkins.
snip
there are many ways in which people differ from one another by virtue of traditions handed down through the generations, and these are often admirable and worthy of respect. but there is a qualitative difference between a cultural tradition and factual evidence, and we should not feel obliged to respect, or encourage the perpetuation of, beliefs about reality which we know to be untrue, simply because they form part of a tradition, even an ancient tradition. when you put it like that, i find it hard to imagine how any person of goodwill and intelligence could seriously disagree. yet because it is usually not put like that, there are many people, even non-religious people, who have been duped into confusing the ‘cultural tradition’ side of religion with the ‘statement of facts’ side, and endowing both with the respect due only to one.
snip
the entire essay on RDF.
©2010 toomanytribbles
snip
there are many ways in which people differ from one another by virtue of traditions handed down through the generations, and these are often admirable and worthy of respect. but there is a qualitative difference between a cultural tradition and factual evidence, and we should not feel obliged to respect, or encourage the perpetuation of, beliefs about reality which we know to be untrue, simply because they form part of a tradition, even an ancient tradition. when you put it like that, i find it hard to imagine how any person of goodwill and intelligence could seriously disagree. yet because it is usually not put like that, there are many people, even non-religious people, who have been duped into confusing the ‘cultural tradition’ side of religion with the ‘statement of facts’ side, and endowing both with the respect due only to one.
snip
the entire essay on RDF.
©2010 toomanytribbles
Monday, July 05, 2010
omnimeme
i was a big fan of omni magazine from the very first issues up until i moved back to greece and it wasn't readily available here. but up until then, i consumed them, voraciously.
i remember the covers very well -- the artwork was beautiful and arresting. this issue featured carl sagan's white dwarfs and green men and tales of ancient astronauts:
here's a sample of cool:
i remember the covers very well -- the artwork was beautiful and arresting. this issue featured carl sagan's white dwarfs and green men and tales of ancient astronauts:
here's a sample of cool:
©2010 toomanytribbles
Sunday, July 04, 2010
my favorite photographers: kozology
be warned: john will see things you missed -- and he'll challenge you to think about their multiple levels, repeatedly.
click!
click!
christopher hitchens at NYPL w. paul holdengräber
i enjoy listening to hitchens speak. he's rich in language, references, humor and ideas, almost always casually, yet deliberately, delivered. this video is no exception, as would be expected in an interview about his memoir, hitch 22, in the new york public library.
i was especially attentive in the 4th and 5th parts, where he speaks about matters related to greece:
paul holdengräber, his interviewer, reads an excerpt where hitchens catches a glimpse of the acropolis for the first time, from the room where his mother's body was discovered. the tangle of personal loss, political crisis -- the then military junta's tanks were in the streets -- and the optimism of brilliance that shines through millennia -- embodied in the parthenon -- is overwhelming.
hitchens continues with his arguments in support of the elgin marbles being returned to their proper place in athens, making a case that has nothing to do with nationalistic or personal interests, and everything to do with our struggle to preserve and appreciate our collective human heritage.
i hold in high regard his ability to take issues that others exploit for petty, divisive gain and transform them into unifying concepts, a thing i welcome in the face of insufferable nationalism too often expressed, everywhere.
the full discussion, 9 parts
©2010 toomanytribbles
i was especially attentive in the 4th and 5th parts, where he speaks about matters related to greece:
paul holdengräber, his interviewer, reads an excerpt where hitchens catches a glimpse of the acropolis for the first time, from the room where his mother's body was discovered. the tangle of personal loss, political crisis -- the then military junta's tanks were in the streets -- and the optimism of brilliance that shines through millennia -- embodied in the parthenon -- is overwhelming.
hitchens continues with his arguments in support of the elgin marbles being returned to their proper place in athens, making a case that has nothing to do with nationalistic or personal interests, and everything to do with our struggle to preserve and appreciate our collective human heritage.
i hold in high regard his ability to take issues that others exploit for petty, divisive gain and transform them into unifying concepts, a thing i welcome in the face of insufferable nationalism too often expressed, everywhere.
the full discussion, 9 parts
©2010 toomanytribbles
happy 4th
if only every constitution could begin so... boldly.
if only everyone in the U.S. fully understood its meaning...
i've posted this before [preamble trek], but was reminded of it by trekmovie... and it's a fitting video for today.
©2010 toomanytribbles
Saturday, July 03, 2010
michael specter: the danger of science denial, with greek subtitles
i've posted this before, but it's worth reposting a version with greek subtitles:
and there are more TEDtalks translated into greek! yay!
thanks again, julia.
©2010 toomanytribbles
and there are more TEDtalks translated into greek! yay!
thanks again, julia.
©2010 toomanytribbles
pathetic jerk of the day
i saw this*.. and the second thing i thought (the first being, what a pathetic incarnation of pascal's wager) is that i should send this to pz myers for comment.
'god is not great. but his followers are worse.'
he did not disappoint.
*obviously, linked with a no follow html tag.
©2010 toomanytribbles
'god is not great. but his followers are worse.'
he did not disappoint.
*obviously, linked with a no follow html tag.
©2010 toomanytribbles
Thursday, July 01, 2010
@hitch: get well soon
several days ago i heard the news that christopher hitchens had to leave a plane because of breathing problems -- but the info was sketchy and rumor-like and i tend to avoid posting heresay.
...however... yesterday on vanity fair, hitchens posted an update that he would be undergoing chemotherapy on his esophagus and had to cancel many engagements.
i'm very sorry to hear that he's having to face this.
but, you know, cancer has never met a contrarian as formidable as hitch.
get well soon: i need more brilliant arguments for my christopher hitchens label!
©2010 toomanytribbles
...however... yesterday on vanity fair, hitchens posted an update that he would be undergoing chemotherapy on his esophagus and had to cancel many engagements.
i'm very sorry to hear that he's having to face this.
but, you know, cancer has never met a contrarian as formidable as hitch.
get well soon: i need more brilliant arguments for my christopher hitchens label!
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