[MWForum]new member sketch
Jeff Knope
mwforum@lists.mathcats.com
Wed, 1 Jan 2003 11:11:26 -0800
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Dear Forum,
Moderator Wendy has asked I offer something about my experience and =
interests in MicroWorlds and in this Forum.
In the Beginning (circa 1985), I discovered Apple Logo, which ran on my =
64k 1Mhz Apple II. Actually (and I think this maybe important for =
teachers), what I discovered was the fan-fold Quick Reference Card for =
that program, which presented the entire language, neatly organized by =
catagory (graphics, lists, math, conditionals, etc.). It was instantly =
obvious that with this, I could persuade a computer to do whatever I =
wanted. It was one of the great "Ah-ha!" moments of my life. =20
Before long, I migrated to pc's and LCSI's original IBM Logo (as well as =
every other implementation I could lay my hands on). As an architect, =
my dream was a program that could examine a set of inputs about a design =
and the construction methods to be used, and generate a set of drawings =
that implements those methods with that design. This dream remains my =
personal Holy Grail.
Pursuing this dream was interrupted by the necessity of putting my kids =
through college. Now, in semi-retirement, I have resumed the chase. =20
I have been using MW Pro for only one year. I'm very impressed with its =
parallel processing capability (launch and forever), and have learned to =
use it effectively. Still, not a week goes by I don't discover =
something new.
I've written a number of utilities I'd be happy to share:
One permits drawing a polyline which keeps a list of vertices, =
rubber-bands from the last point to the current mouse position, allows =
switching modes (orthogonal or angled) on the fly, has a reverse =
sequential undo, and and allows either a blind ending or a close to the =
beginning. I've written an arc procedure for it, but don't yet have it =
integrated.
Another is a revision of towards (I call it toward) which overcomes the =
weakness of towards that it returns the heading as an integer, which =
isn't nearly accurate enough for my purposes. Also, it accepts any =
point [x y] as input, rather than only another turtle's pos.
My immediate project is a GPS (Global Positioning System) program with =
utilities for downloading and assembling free USGS maps from the =
internet. It accepts input from an inexpensive (US$110) GPS reciever, =
and plots where you are and where you've been on the maps. A floating =
instrument panel follows behind the plotting turtle, reporting time, =
distance travelled, elevation, speed, and heading. =20
Well, this already a lot more about me than anybody wanted to know.
Wendy's third question was why I joined the Forum, and what I hoped to =
gain. Besides the pleasure of sharing with others of similar interests, =
I do have an immediate question and frustration:
I recently got a digital camera that has a video mode for short film =
strips. It creates video files in the .AVI file type, which is listed =
as supported in MicroWorlds. =20
The videos play fine in both Quick-Time and Windows Media Player. When =
I try to import them into MicroWorlds, a video window of the correct =
size and filename appears. Usually, the window is just black. =
Sometimes it has a wide strip along the top or bottom that a jumble of =
colors. Rarely, I get a slightly flickering gray window, and the =
soundtrack plays accurately. But never have I gotten an actual image.
Can anybody tell me what I'm doing wrong?
Regards,
Jeff
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Dear Forum,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Moderator Wendy has asked I offer =
something=20
about my experience and interests in MicroWorlds and in this=20
Forum.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>In the Beginning (circa 1985), I =
discovered Apple=20
Logo, which ran on my 64k 1Mhz Apple II. Actually (and I think =
this=20
maybe important for teachers), what I discovered was the fan-fold =
Quick=20
Reference Card for that program, which presented the entire language, =
neatly=20
organized by catagory (graphics, lists, math, conditionals, etc.). =
It was=20
instantly obvious that with this, I could persuade a computer =
to do=20
whatever I wanted. It was one of the great "Ah-ha!" moments of my=20
life. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Before long, I migrated to pc's and =
LCSI's=20
original IBM Logo (as well as every other implementation I could =
lay my=20
hands on). As an architect, my dream was a program that could =
examine a=20
set of inputs about a design and the construction methods to be used, =
and=20
generate a set of drawings that implements those methods with that =
design. =20
This dream remains my personal Holy Grail.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Pursuing this dream was interrupted by =
the=20
necessity of putting my kids through college. Now, in =
semi-retirement, I=20
have resumed the chase. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I have been using MW Pro for only one =
year. =20
I'm very impressed with its parallel processing capability (launch and =
forever),=20
and have learned to use it effectively. Still, not a week goes by =
I don't=20
discover something new.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I've written a number of utilities I'd =
be happy to=20
share:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> One permits drawing a polyline =
which keeps a=20
list of vertices, rubber-bands from the last point to the =
current mouse=20
position, allows switching modes (orthogonal or angled) on the fly, has =
a=20
reverse sequential undo, and and allows either a blind ending or a close =
to the=20
beginning. I've written an arc procedure for it, but don't yet =
have it=20
integrated.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Another is a revision of towards (I =
call it toward)=20
which overcomes the weakness of towards that it returns the heading =
as an=20
integer, which isn't nearly accurate enough for my purposes. Also, =
it=20
accepts any point [x y] as input, rather than only another turtle's=20
pos.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>My immediate project is a GPS (Global =
Positioning=20
System) program with utilities for downloading and assembling =
free USGS=20
maps from the internet. It accepts input from an inexpensive =
(US$110)=20
GPS reciever, and plots where you are and where you've been on the=20
maps. A floating instrument panel follows behind the plotting =
turtle,=20
reporting time, distance travelled, elevation, speed, and heading. =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Well, this already a lot more about me =
than anybody=20
wanted to know.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Wendy's third question was why I joined =
the Forum,=20
and what I hoped to gain. Besides the pleasure of sharing with =
others of=20
similar interests, I do have an immediate question and =
frustration:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I recently got a digital camera that =
has a video=20
mode for short film strips. It creates video files in the .AVI =
file type,=20
which is listed as supported in MicroWorlds. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The videos play fine in both =
Quick-Time and=20
Windows Media Player. When I try to import them into MicroWorlds, =
a video=20
window of the correct size and filename appears. Usually, the =
window is=20
just black. Sometimes it has a wide strip along the top or bottom =
that a=20
jumble of colors. Rarely, I get a slightly flickering gray window, =
and the=20
soundtrack plays accurately. But never have I gotten an actual=20
image.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Can anybody tell me what I'm doing=20
wrong?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Regards,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Jeff</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
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