10 great apps for college students

This article provides links to 10 great applications every college student could use. From Google Docs to help with bibliographies this blog highlights great tools to help you get things done. A favorite from the list is MyNoteIt.com.

There are definitely some good GTD tools and cloud computing tools that allow you to work from anywhere or any computer on the web.

Ustream - stream TV of your events

Ustream TV is an incredibly useful app to stream live TV from your event. It's free accessible and takes care of all of the technical details so that you can concentrate on content. Plus, there are lots of cool live web cam applications to watch. Head over to ustream and check it out.

As always, I would love to hear your ideas and input.
phree

GTD & Web Design Resources

Once again Mashable. com has put together two great lists of resources that are helpful for GTD (getting things done) and web design. So without further ado, I give you two get started sites for increasing your productivity and getting web design tools.

1. GTD toolbox 100+ tools for getting things done,
2. Web design tools: 100+ tools for web design.

Check them out and let me know which are most useful.

Use Acrobat.com as a meeting place

Adobe's new AIR/Flash platform is ripe for application development and they are showcasing the possibilities with the latest in web 2.0 cloud computing. Acrobat.com is a powerful little conferencing application that provides for three vital functions:

1. You can make PDFs online and share them with anyone using an email address.
2. It contains a full-featured web meeting application complete with easy to use white board, web cam conferencing and telephone call-in numbers for voice only conferencing.
3. A free word processor, Buzzword, also is available for generating quick documents on the fly. You can also export them to your favorite format and save them on your local disk which is convenient for the jump drive enthusiasts.
   

Though, I love google docs/apps too, this user interface is simple, sleek and efficent in delivering the goods, all for free! Try it out and move into the sphere of cloud computing.

Who Registered MY Name As THEIR Domain?!

Ever wonder who owns a domain and when it's up for grabs?

Stop wondering...

http://www.who.is/


NOTE: On certain domain registration sites, after you check the availability of a website, a bot automatically registers it. That's why you'll see so many domains owned by hosting companies. You are then forced to "make an offer" on the domain by "hiring a broker". In the end, you pay for the service to buy the domain and then pay more than necessary for the domain. I register my domain through dreamhost (my hosting company) and haven't had a problem.

Adobe AIR apps worth a look!

Below are two sites that feature cool Adobe AIR applications that take care of small tasks we often farm out to larger pieces of RAM hogging software. The applications run on the adobe AIR runtime platform which you can download for free here. Better yet, most of the applications are free too which means wonderful interfaces, open source design and responsiveness to user requests.

1. The first site is from Mashable and they featured a top 10 list.
2. The second site, Fresh AIR Apps, provides a stream of new tools, most of which are useful utilities you wish you had invented.

As always, feedback on these tools is appreciated.
later,
phree

Keep focused while working...

It is easy to get distracted and not get the most out of time set aside for work. Thus, in the spirit of fostering productivity, this post from Zen Habits provides numerous tips for keeping work time focused on must-do tasks. These tips fall into the "don't waste time and prioritize" categories. Though most seem like common sense, there are a few gems worth noticing:

1. Take more breaks,
2. Plan you day with details, and
3. Notice your lazy routines to name a few.

Klok is a cool Adobe Air application that allows you to keep track of the time you spend on projects. It might be useful for quoting jobs or just tracking a work session.

As always, I appreciate feedback on the application if you try it.

Now get to work!

Windows XP Quick Tip(s): The Status Bar

If you are constantly managing a lot of files, you will find this one small windows feature pretty helpful.

In any open explorer window, navigate to View> [check on] Status Bar.

You'll now see some info about the file size for the contents of the folder or the selected file(s).

That's it!

Scripting... isn't that just for programming geeks?

Silly cg artist. That's why you can't figure out why your software package won't 'work'.

The attitude that artists only make art is NOT embraced by lead cg artists. Maybe you do feel that you don't need to get a basic understanding of scripting (which is just a simpler version of programming) simply because you, "Just want to animate." Maybe that'll get you by. But do you really want to be so clueless about your tools? Every good painter knows how to use their brushes, pigments and surfaces. Can you honestly say you know how to use your software?

There are lots of resources to give you a basic idea of how programing works. That's easy to find. What isn't always so easy is finding out exactly how scripting helps you - the artist. Here's a short list of the benefits:

1. Trouble Shooting: When you understand what's happening 'under the hood', you'll be able to more quickly figure out exactly what's causing your current issue and fix or work around it. Example: You hit the "make pretty" button and nothing happens. You look in the script editor and see an error message that alerts you to the fact that you did not have an object selected to be 'made pretty' (it says something crazy like, "invalid input argument; operation failed"). You select an object, hit the button and now have 'the pretty'.
   
2. Automation: Making the computer do what is was designed for - let you be lazier more efficient. Have the software do more of the boring and/or repetitive tasks while you spend your time improving the mood of your shot. Examples: preparing characters for export to a game engine, building rigging elements you frequently use, creating automated secondary motion for tentacles, etc.
   
3. Consistency: When you script a task, you know you'll get the same result every time. This also helps to reduce human error. Example: You have scripts that build rig setups on the bones/joints you created. You don't have to spend time checking if the 291 controller objects are named correctly before passing the asset off. You can now leave work in time for your hot date AND not have your teammates later punch you in the throat for delaying the last shot for "The Land Before Time 17".
   
4. Extensibility: Sometimes the tool you need hasn't been made yet or doesn't work the way you need it to. You can often make it yourself. Additionally, you have more control and understanding of the tool, so modifying or re-purposing a part of it becomes a very appealing option.
   

Q: "Hey, I don't do 3d. This is worthless!"
A: Motion graphics artists sometimes need to write expressions for animating certain elements. They also occasionally need to duplicate a layer 243,917 times, change each new layer's overlay mode to something unique, and then derive the name from that overlay mode setting, etc. You can automate both of these silly task lists (as long as your software supports scripting). I'm willing to wager that if you started looking through this glorious world view, you'll find all sorts of ways to make your workload lighter, productivity faster and output quality higher. :D

Q: "But.. PHOTOSHOP doesn't support scripting?!! Oh, nos!"
A: You are not not not correct. Please check the first two links below, dear friend.

Further reading:

• http://www.tutorialized.com/view/tutorial/Photoshop-scripts-An-introduction/12077
  
• http://www.kirupa.com/motiongraphics/ps_scripting.htm
  
• http://www.xsibase.com/forum/index.php?board=26;action=display;threadid=16336;start=0
• http://www.bernardlebel.com/tutorials/learnscriptingxsi.htm

The Pipeline? Yes, the Pipeline.

Pipeline.

For those unfamiliar to the term, I'll describe it this way:
Every asset, chunk of code, or change request that is generated to make a movie or series or commercial can be looked at as data. The 'pipeline' describes all the pathways this data can and will flow until it is eventually mixed to become the final deliverable(s).

Why the term 'pipeline'? Because pipes break... A LOT. They have many twists and turns. They divide and merge. When things go down the pipe, they're usually going where you want them to and when they come back up - you tend to get stuck cleaning up a mess. I can think of no term more appropriate.

You can look at a pipeline in it's basic form as 'development', 'previzualization', 'production' and 'post-production'. From there, it all breaks down into smaller and smaller steps and how they interact. Knowing your production at this level helps to insure that more time is spent on the art - the entertaining, than fixing your tools/workflows.

Here are a few links to give you a little insight into the world of building, using and maintaining a media production pipeline...

Dreamworks CG Pipeline
http://akeigher.wordpress.com/2007/10/16/dreamworks-cg-pipeline/

Interview with Olivier Ozoux
Associate Digital Supervisor on Happy Feet - Animal Logic
http://www.xsibase.com/articles.php?detail=125

Interview with Brett Feeney
Digital Supervisor on Happy Feet - Animal Logic
http://www.xsibase.com/articles.php?detail=126

Meet the Artist: Kenn MacDonald
Animation Supervisor on Beowulf - Sony Pictures Imageworks
http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=165&t=566843


I HIGHLY recommend that all students training up to be professional CG artists get a hold of all parts of The Art of Rigging. These training resources do an excellent job of helping the reader to understand the depth of thinking that goes into CG production. You can take a look at it here... http://www.cgtoolkit.com.

Logo Design - Top 50 Tutorials

For graphic designers working on projects that require logo design, the following tutorials may provide insights and inspiration: http://www.elogodesign.com/logo-design-tutorials/.

The site contains various pointers and tips for thinking about design concerns and is highly recommended for those having a creative block.

Use it to get a jump start on projects.

2 Useful Utilities

If you are a windows user who works with images and attachments, then the following utilities may help you streamline your workflow.

First, XnView is a utility for viewing and converting graphic files. It allows you to batch process many images at once,is a big time saver if you are a Photoshop user.

Second, clip path is one of many utilities that can save time navigating to attach files in email programs like gmail, hotmail or yahoo mail. Visit the lifehacker download of the day site for clip path here. There is a great discussion that lists other path copying programs as well so be sure to read the whole page.

Happy Holidays!

Fix Your Gadgets, MAC XP, ipod, etc

If you own a computer and other gadgets, then you have to visit the following sites for cool fix it and mod advice:

1. Mac Fix It (http://macfixit.com/).
   
2. Fix my XP (http://fixmyxp.com/). Also check out their list of freeware too.
3. Finally for more ipod juice and to fix the Ipod check out crunchgear.com
   

That's it for now...
phree

40+ Excellent Free fonts For Professional Design - Smashing Magazine

Are you a web designer in search of new, professional looking fonts? Look no more. Smashing magazine comes to the rescue with 40 free fonts that actually look good. No more Klingon or kitchy grunge. Check out the fonts @ http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/11/08/40-excellent-freefonts-for-professional-design/.

Smashing Magazine is also quite cool for everything graphic!

Happy Veteran's Day!
phree

Use File Hippo to get cool utilities

File Hippo is a cool download site that allows you to get updates for quality utilities. You can filter for freeware or non beta items only. If you're into system maintenance (especially for PC), this is the site for you.

Take your office on the road

This post is productivity oriented in that it links to an article, Rolling Your Own Online Office, that shows you how to keep all of your information handy when you are on the road. The best feature of the article is that it addresses all sorts of project/workplace needs and gives links to freeware for each and every application. Need IM, flowcharting or documents on the road? If so, Josh Catone provides an all-in-one resource center with links for getting things done (GTD). If you find a tool that is particularly useful, please leave a comment below so that others can benefit from your experience.