TripTheWideSky

Classes are over... for the next two weeks.  Me = faceplant.  At least when it starts again I'm only teaching one class (in person - I hafta show up! LOL!) and taking one class. in digital photography (online).

I am...tired.  But in a good way...

I'm going to show some artwork again at the local sf con as I did last year - this year it should be much better work, I hope!  Now I have to decide what to put up and how...

A lull in our generally scheduled programming...

The new semester has begun.  That's a duck-and-cover on its own.

I'm also getting to know Mandelbulb 3D.    So yeah, we should all run away.  Me, too, but I'm the one who can't.  Ha.  About three weeks and I have yet to produce anything worth looking at, but at least I know more or less how it works now...

I take and teach classes - teaching university in one field, working toward a degree (I want my research!) in another field related to my own but not the same, and taking art classes.  Registered for one art class and... calculus.  If I survive, then there are two more calc classes to go, but I'll make it count by bugging my prof endlessly for help with fractals.  

Yeah, JWildfire has its definite drawbacks, particularly its reliance on Java and its memory-hogginess.  However, most of this is tolerable for me with a 64 bit system and Java for 64 bit systems -- i.e. a newer, decently powerful computer with Windows 7 (Mac... dunno!), sufficient RAM, and a bit of work to get the "right" Java versions going.

I also honestly don't like JW's ability to render stunning, almost ready-to-go randoms.  I won't use them - makes me feel like I'm plagiarizing instead of doing my own work!

So, Apo still has it over JWildfire, however, there is one glaring exception -- the simple, intuitive, easy to use and seriously important pseudo 3d shading options.

I can set the intensity and position of multiple light sources.  On all three axes.  And diffuse, ambient, and phong lighting/shading with color.  Using slider bars (call me a dummy, surefinewhatever).

ZOMG!

Heh.  If you celebrate, Merry Christmas.  If not, have a good day!

Okay, I admit it.  Count me clueless.  I don't get the llama thing.  I appreciate it if you've given me a llama, and I saw that I now have nine!  I wasn't paying attention!

Ummm... what do I do with them?  I know, I've been here for months, you'd think... but no.