Tuesday June 16: almost there!

Gentlemen,
What else is there to say? get everything emailed or uploaded. That way, we will have the final exam day to simply spend in one another's company as a last hurrah before the summer begins

You know what needs to be done. As the Nike commercials say: "JUST DO IT!"

Cheers,
Mr. L

PS If you've forgotten what you need to do, simply consult yesterday's post (and those in the past two weeks if necessary)

Monday June 15: today and tomorrow and the exam day

Greetings once again!

Today, we will be doing several things. Tonight, hopefully, you will be doing one. Here we go!

A) Today I will hand back your corrected "e pluribus unum" quiz collections, graded and recorded. THIS IS NOT THE SUM TOTAL OF YOUR EXAM GRADE!!! You've all done a lot of other stuff, and we have a few more things to get finished between today and tomorrow

B) Last week when we were up in room A323, I had you do this:
" you will be setting up and sending me by EMAIL a "rough draft" of the topic you picked the last time we were in the lab. That was covered under point "E" in this posting http://theskunkwerx.blogspot.com/2009/06/june-3rd-end-game-part-two.htmlYour "rough draft" must include at least the following:a relevant picture to do with the topic of your choosingat least two relevant facts about this topic that you got from EACH of the five websites you were asked to gather when we were last in lab A323At least one complete paragraph of three complete sentences explaining why you chose this topic, why you think it was important for the development of computers, and any uses you yourself have ever made of it --in other words, how its affected YOU"

Tonight, you may want to work on that "rough draft" in preparation for tomorrow, when we will be upstairs one last time in A323. That's because tomorrow I will be having you completing the following:

C) submit your topic as a group discussion posting. The posting should be labeled with the specific name of your topic plus your full name. It should be composed of at least four distinct paragraphs. The first paragraph will be the paragraph you (theoretically) emailed to me last week, explaining why you chose the topic, etc etc (see above, in blue)

The other paragraphs will be a compilation of the complete sentences you composed to tell me about the facts you discovered for each website source you discovered for the purposes of this topic (see above in green)

You might also want to get that image I had mentioned (see above in red)

In other words, tomorrow you'll be putting it all together. Then we go home

D) Also, while we're up there, ANYONE who did NOT upload the files they created here in C206 OR did not send me a link to wher those files are stored, you have to get that done. I need these links in my email

E) Anything else you've got to get finished up down here in C206 today, get 'er done!

Cheers,
Mr. L

Wednesday June 10: end game part four

Greetings one and all!

Before we begin, I would like to remind you that the "e pluribus unum" giganto quiz will be on Thursday June 11. Remember, this will be a compilation of all the quizzes you have taken this semester. And all those practice quizzes are available here: http://www.geocities.com/unclepaulie2009/CET.html

Now then, for today, we are upstairs in room A323. There are two things we will be doing up here:

1) you will be setting up and sending me by EMAIL a "rough draft" of the topic you picked the last time we were in the lab. That was covered under point "E" in this posting http://theskunkwerx.blogspot.com/2009/06/june-3rd-end-game-part-two.html

Your "rough draft" must include at least the following:
a relevant picture to do with the topic of your choosing
at least two relevant facts about this topic that you got from EACH of the five websites you were asked to gather when we were last in lab A323
At least one complete paragraph of three complete sentences explaining why you chose this topic, why you think it was important for the development of computers, and any uses you yourself have ever made of it --in other words, how its affected YOU

2) You will also be uploading at least three of the files you created downstairs in lab C206. The instructions were kept very broad so that you would be free to create something from any four of these applications: Belarc Advisor Everest Ultimate CPU-Z MASH Goldwave Multiquence Reptile ChaosPro GameMaker
OR, a program of your choosing

ALL of your files can be found at one of the following locations:
http://freedrive.com/folder/222753
OR
http://www.box.net/shared/ql7a3nmehp
OR
http://www.divshare.com/folder/558998-ca0

Please note: if you cannot find your files in anyone of these folders, you need to let me know IMMEDIATELY. This process is part of your final, and it simply must get done one way or the other

All you have to do is download your files, re-upload them to the file hosting website where you have an account (as you did at least a week ago), then send me a link to where your files are stored.

Cheers,
Mr. L

Friday June 5: end game part three

Greetings one and all!

Before I begin, I would like to make a few brief announcements:

A) your quiz on hard drives is going to take place next Tuesday June 9

B) the "e pluribus unum" giganto quiz will be on Thursday June 11. Remember, this will be a compilation of all the quizzes you have taken this semester. And all those practice quizzes are available here:
http://www.geocities.com/unclepaulie2009/CET.html

C) next Wednesday June 10, we will be upstairs in room A323. There are two things we will be doing up there:

1) you will be setting up and sending me by EMAIL a "rough draft" of the topic you picked the last time we were in the lab. That was covered under point "E" in this posting
http://theskunkwerx.blogspot.com/2009/06/june-3rd-end-game-part-two.html

your "rough draft" must include at least the following:
a relevant picture to do with the topic of your choosing
at least two relevant facts about this topic that you got from
EACH of the five websites you were asked to gather when we were last in lab A323
At least one complete paragraph of three complete sentences explaining why you chose this topic, why you think it was important for the development of computers, and any uses you yourself have ever made of it --in other words, how its affected YOU

2) You will also be uploading at least three of the files you created downstairs in lab C206. The instructions were kept very broad so that you would be free to create something from any four of these applications:
Belarc Advisor Everest Ultimate CPU-Z
MASH Goldwave Multiquence
Reptile ChaosPro GameMaker

Naturally, I will need these three files from you by the end of class next Tuesday, if not before then. Fear not, and be creative!

Cheers,
Mr. L

June 3rd: End Game part two

Greetings, everyone!

Today we are in A323, for several good reasons, all of them having to do with the fact that we need an Internet connection today:

A) You will have your last quiz sometime before the end of this week. It will be on hard drives, and the practice quiz for it will be found here:
http://www.geocities.com/unclepaulie2009/CET.html

B) At some point next week, you will be taking the "e pluribus unum" part of your final. Remember, it is a combination of all the quizzes put together, so those practice quizzes should come in handy. Please make use of them!

C) On the first day of this process, you were asked to begin creating some "demonstration files" using any four of the many different applications we have explored this year. What you need to do now is to make a group discussion posting stating your progress, how many files you have created, how they were created, which programs you used, what you were trying to accomplish with them, what you want them to be able to do. Also, all ideas for the remaining items you are going to create should be listed here.

D) Another part of this process involves uploading at least three of the files you will have created to a "file sharing" website where you have an account. You should have already set up such an account, using the instructions found here All you need to do now is to upload some "practice files" to this account, and then send me by email a link to where you have stored these practice files

E) Finally, you need to pick a topic for some basic research, something that has to do with the development of computers. It could be a person who had a profound impact on computer development, it could be a "killer app", a program which totally changed how we use computers, it could be about the invention of some component or piece of hardware, or it could be some important event or milestone that has taken place during the (ongoing) history of computers. Please email me the following (remember to put your name and "my topic" in the subject line :

• a topic
• why you chose this one
• five things you'd like to be able to discuss or discover about it
• at least three websites that have something to say about it

OK, that should be enough to get you started!

Cheers,

Mr. L

June 1: End Game Part One

Greetings, fellow computer jocks!
As of this moment, we have two full weeks before the onset of the exam week, which is scheduled to begin June 18th. Because of the nature of our class, and due to the fact that I never like waiting to the last minute anyway,we are going to commence work on your final projects, beginning right now. Before I begin, let me give you a very simple outline of what we will be accomplishing over the next two weeks:

A) Quiz e pluribus unum: You will be given a compilation of all the quizzes we have had this year, including the one we haven't actually had yet on hard drives. Naturally, that means that this part of your final will have to wait.

B) "Naming of parts" a brief quiz designed to see how well you recognize various physical components inside the typical computer. Details to follow soon
C) Individual demonstration projects: each of you will be required to create a file of some kind using at least four of the following programs (precise details to follow soon):

Belarc Advisor Everest Ultimate CPU-Z
MASH Goldwave Multiquence
Reptile ChaosPro GameMaker

any program found on the Dynebolic Linux Live CD (limit of two, and they must be able to produce some file that you can save and pass in

D) research topic: each of you will need to research a particular topic pertinent to the development of computer technology. Please understand that I'd rather have you demonstrate something rather than just write about it Details to follow soon
E) "year in review": details to follow soon

F) a "how to" video produced using CamStudio, demonstrating how to do something in one of the programs mentioned above. Must be a distinct and separate video from the one you created previously. It must be exported as an mpeg file, saved with your name plus the phrase "exam requirement". It must run for at least 3 minutes, and demonstrate how to do at least one thing in the program which you are recording.

G) Finally, you must be able to upload to a file sharing site at least three files which you have created and make them accessible to me

Cheers,
Mr. L

PS Please note that for this Wednesday we will be upstairs in A323

Tuesday May 26: first day working with Gamemaker

OK, to start this week right, we are going to begin using a program called GameMaker. It allows you to make some simple yet compelling side scrolling computer games without knowing any code. The first step is to install the program, which is included on the CD I have passed around. Also included are a sample game I have made, along with some picture files



OK, so here's what you do after you install the program



turn on the program

stay in simple NOT advanced mode

dont upgrade (obviously)




the first thing to do is add a room. Rooms are like levels,its where the action takes placeto do this click on RESOURCES at top of screen, then click on "Create Room" This will create a room called "Room0"
your room will have three tabs. Click on the "Backgrounds" tab to change the background color
run your program to see if your room works by hitting the little green arrow at the top of the program
The next thing to do is to add some "sprites" that you will use in creating objects. Sprites are picture files, while Objects are things that exist inside your program. Some objects use more than one sprite, but most use only one. You'll see why in a little bit! But first, lets add those sprites:
click on RESOURCES at top of screen, then click on "Create Sprite" the next step is to give your sprite a name. Name this first sprite "PacLeft"then clcik the LOAD SPRITE button, goto the folder I have given you and choose the "PacLeft" image file. Then, Click OK
Repeat this process three more times, adding Sprites that are named PacRight, PacUp, PacDown. Use the other Pacman Images that are available...its easy to figure it out! You can also add any other sprites you like, just make sure to name 'em so you remember what the heck they are!
The next step is to create an object. In most games, the first object you create is the main character, the one that you make run around and do stuff. So lets start with that:click on RESOURCES at top of screen, then click on "Create Object"
Name your Object "PACMAN" and then, assign it a sprite. To give your object a sprite, click the little blue button right next to the word "sprite1", then choose one of the Pacman sprites you've already loaded. I chose PacRight, but thats just me
Once you've done that, its time to add your object to your room. You do this by clicking the "objects" tab on your room, then go down to the bottom left where you see the word "undefined", clcik the little blue button right next to it, then choose PACMAN.
Then, click somewhere in your room to add your object. Run the program to make sure it works!
Crap, he doesn't move! Hmmm... we'll have to change that! Right click on your PACMAN object, then click Properties.
Next, we will add an event and an action that happens because of the event.The first action we want is to make our Pacman move, and the best event for that is a keyboard event.SO, click on the "ADD EVENT" button, then click KEYBOARD, then choose
Now let's make something happen when we hit that key: an action. At the top right right, you will see a button that looks like eight red arrows pointing in eight different directions. Drag that into the ACTION window
A little dialog pops up... click the word "object" then choose the Pacman object from the listClick the arrow thats pointing right, then set a speed of 3CHECK the "relative" check box, then click OK
BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE, we are going to add an action for what happens when you are not pushing a key...otherwise, your pacman will just fly off the edge of the screenclick on the "ADD EVENT" button, then click KEYBOARD, then choose For the action, choose that same eight headed red thingmabob and drag it into the Actions windowchoose the PacMan object, then click the dot in the center of all the arrows. Set the speed to "0", and check the "relative" box, then click OK
Now, run your program and see what you get
Your final challenge for today is to make your PacMan move in all four directions
Cheers,Mr. L