Little Updates Here and There

Artificial Intelligence? I'm doing it right!

So I've been working on that Math Wonder game a lot lately.  I've got most of the functionality for the plants working, but it is time to start developing the behavior of the pests.  I first started with the bird.  Now I've made code to for the bird to find a garden plot with a plant, and to check and double check to see if it is already being eaten by another pest.  The bird flies down (in horror because it's not smooth yet, ha!) and lands on the plant.  So far, I haven't had two pests land on the same one since the double checking system, and it all works fine for a first prototype.

However, when I decided to go to bed, I was feeling kind of bummed.  I thought to myself, "wow, I'm totally faking AI.  I wish I could really program AI.  That'd be awesome."

I then took a moment to think about that word, artificial intelligence.  It's definition is practically faking intelligence.  So if I'm faking the fake intelligence, I must be doing it right!  I'm really programming AI.  I didn't feel so bad anymore.

Grand Paws Pet Sitting and Home Care

I've been diving really far into programming lately, and all of it has gotten my creative juices flowing.  I needed an outlet.  I currently work with Grand Paws as a Pet Care Professional, but their Facebook logo was so blurry, and (no offense) their website looked like something my mom would have designed for them when she was into the glittering doll graphics phase (the ones that were like a digital version of paper dolls with changeable outfits).

Regardless, I've taken it upon myself to redesign their logo and website to help give them a more professional appeal to potential clients.  So last night, I came up with this:

Julie, our coordinator in Arizona, liked it and will be transitioning to use it on their documents and company profile photos.  You can visit their website at www.GPPetSitters.com.  I'm currently working on creating wire-frames for the website, but I won't be showing them to anyone anytime soon!

Lifestyle Changes

Hello World! I hope you had a great Thanksgiving holiday! I enjoyed mine as much as possible. Unfortunately, my domestic life is going under construction, so my interactivity on this blog and my website will be limited. I'd like to congratulate my previous photographer, Courtney Lynne Brush, on her success as an Airman and her recent engagement. She decided to move in with her fiance immediately, so I will be spending my time looking for a new roommate or a new place. Speaking of searches, I've had luck in finding a reliable, field-related job in the area. I've been scheduling appointments for interviews, phone screenings, etc. I hope to announce that I've gotten a job in the near future. Another new change has yet to come! I have plans on attending the Pittsburgh Technical Institute (PTI) for their Associate's Degree program on Computer Programming. While my Bachelor's Degree at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh exposed me to the wonders of game-play programming, I feel like I lack the classical training of a true programmer. Furthermore, I'd like to expand my knowledge in the subject so that I can work a job in what I truly love to do.

First Breath in the Real World

I haven't posted a blog in a while, but I sure have not been idle.  I graduated from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science last month and I'm definitely showing it off!  I've been keeping up with Twitter and Facebook  with the more daily and weekly news in my professional life, but I think I've collected enough to warrant a blot post.

I received an email from a previous instructor, Jon Amakawa, the night of the Portfolio Show regarding a contract job for Columbia University of New York, NY.  I accepted the job, of course, and it's practically finished already.  I'm waiting on feedback from the client regarding the files I sent them.  I hope they like the progress!

I also recently signed a contract with Carnegie Learning in their collaboration with the students of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh.  This project isn't paid, but they want to create educational Flash games (which uses my personal favourite language, AS3) for students of various ages.  This connection may provide job opportunities for students or myself in the future.  Regardless, it will look nice on my portfolio page.

Alongside that project, I'm still available to 7th Level Studios as a Consultant for their newest project, Modus Operandi.  While my work there was nearly finished, there is still more to be done and I'm not the type to just leave a team hanging.  You can watch the progress for Modus Operandi on their blog.

Oh, and I'm not done yet.

I also signed up to be a Pet Care Professional in my free time with Grand Paws Pet Sitting and Home Cleaning.  You can email them for services at GrandPawsPetSitting@yahoo.com or visit their website at www.GPPetSitters.com.  You can also call them at (412) 400-4531.  Not only do they visit your pet, but there are sitters available as a pet taxi service that can provide transportation for you and your pet to the veterinarian, airport, and other locations.  I have a diabetic dog to take care of at home, so the well-being of my little girl is important to me.

But wait, one more!

Today I joined with Olopezo, Inc. to work on developing their latest Kickstarter project, Double Life: Music.  We're creating an online, social networking game for musicians and music fans all over the world.  Imagine Facebook, The Sims, and Rock Band being smashed together inside a browser or your mobile device.  This game is an innovative way for musicians to get their music heard, collect income, and even get record deals IN REAL LIFE through a video game!  You can check out the company website or Double Life: Music's Kickstarter page for more information on them.

Don't feel shy, pledge some money to help fund this project!

Preparing for the Portfolio Show

All this week, I'll been preparing for the Portfolio Show for Thursday and making sure I have everything I wanted to give away ready.  For starters, my custom pens arrived early this morning:

They're the twisting kind so you don't stab yourself in the pockets.

I also had gotten most of the printing done on yesterday (all except for the DVD labels that I had to go home and fix in Photoshop).  But this is essentially what I will be giving away!

Custom pens in my custom mug, DVD demo reels that include a resume insert, business card, and the DVD with a custom label and case cover.  You can find a total of five logos on a single DVD give-away.

I also got a really sexy logo printed that I'll be cutting out to display at the top of my booth:

Sexy logo by Catzi Lacerenza.

Wish me luck!

Deep Breath.

I hope you all had a great Labor Day weekend.  I had a lot of work going on for me, such as programming the HUD for Modus Operandi, trying to make Pretend a little more appealing, brainstorming for a better demo reel, and working on the construction of my portfolio booth.  However, the portfolio booth is the only thing that I have pictures of right now.  The rest have their own respective places on the internet and you can click on their links to learn more about them.  So without further ado:

Latest photo of the semi-assembled portfolio booth.

This is my portfolio as it sits in my bedroom, minus the top-middle piece of fabric.  I haven't quite decided how I want that part to look yet; but whatever I do with it, it'll need to be done at the beginning of the show because it wouldn't be able to fold up neatly otherwise.  The two on the sides have been folded and stapled nicely.

Also, I got the monitor to stay up!

My monitor staying on the booth wall like a boss.

Last weekend, I was having an issue because it was too top-heavy.  My mother thought it would be a good idea to make a lip in the front for the monitor to sit on, but it is actually too narrow.  Naturally, I asked my mom for help because she's the construction woman of the year, and this is what I got.

Yes, that is indeed crayon.  No, I didn't get my drawing skills from her.

So... It was pretty close.  I just made this instead.

Displaying my awesome girl scout knots (not).

Those are absolutely, without a doubt, lanyards.  Three lanyards, actually.  But unlike my mother's very detailed drawing, the monitor was top-heavy like I mentioned before.  So I had the lanyards pull down on the back of the monitor (reversing what my mother suggested) so that the screen would appear upright and correct.

The lanyard is clipped onto the screw-loop thing.

About a year ago, I wanted to buy a lanyard and two card holders, one for my school ID and one for the bus passes.  However, they didn't seem to sell just one lanyard, so I had gotten a pack of ten.  Over time, I've been finding different uses for them.  My roommate used two to makeshift a temporary strap for her camera.  I have one rigged up to the standing fan in our apartment because it sort of broke and it's holding the fan to face people rather than the ceiling.  Another one was cut and melted to mend a belt.  I believe only one is actually being used as a lanyard for a USB drive (that I don't even use anymore).  Go figure, when I got a car and a fancy purse, I didn't need the lanyard anymore because I didn't want the whole thing dangling from the ignition and tickling my legs like little spiders.

Anyway, I had felt like a genius when I pulled out the lanyards and tied it all together.  They're actually quite stable the way it all holds together.  And no, you can't poke them at Portfolio Review.

Work Before Play

So it is currently between the second and third week of school and a lot of work has been done, is currently being done, and needs to get done.

My website and blog are in the process of getting a styling pass.  I'm currently working on my photographer friend's website as well, and even fixed up the DGPX website so those who had worked on it won't be ashamed to link to it from their resumes.  See?  Here's a link to it!

On another note, I've been much inspired in working on Modus Operandi because I really love the science and psychology behind murder, mysteries, and forensics.  I've been bothering the design and concept team a lot to make sure they keep the science true in the game.

Other than work (and on a much less professional level), I had taken my ten year old dog to the veterinarian office on Friday.  She hasn't been doing too well recently.  Unfortunately, my baby has been diagnosed with diabetes.  I just hope she's still around when I graduate.  Good luck, Angel.

The Never Ending Story

So I'm finishing up this Spring quarter at the Art Institute and summer break will soon be upon us!

Oh, but I won't be idle.  Like I had mentioned in my last post, I'll be working with my team for the NaGaDeMo for the first two weeks of summer break.  We'll see how far that project goes and hopefully we can produce something portfolio worthy.

Speaking of portfolio, looks like I'll be moving up again next quarter.  Which means I've got to get my stand built for portfolio review (I'll see you there) and major updates to my website.

I've gathered some constructive criticism and critiques regarding my website, so big changes to my site will be underway starting in the Summer quarter.  Changes will include an overall style pass on the banners, background, and icons, some layout revamping, and definitely some content updates and additions for new projects and games.

If you're following my blog or twitter, you may have noticed that my blog is now being powered through blogger.  I didn't mind editing a static, html blog, it's just that I wanted the ability for readers to comment, vote, and whatnot.  Why reinvent the wheel, right?